Yalova

Understand

thumb | 300px | IDO ferry at Yalova Yalova means "plains of coastal mansions" - it's hemmed in by mountains but spreads along the shore. It stands at the point where the Sea of Marmara narrows into the Gulf of Izmit, so it's long been a ferry port on one of the routes between Constantinople and Smyrna, nowadays Istanbul and Izmir. In antiquity Yalova was known as Pylae (Greek: Πύλαι) meaning "gates", and attracted a cosmopolitan merchant population.

But that was its downfall in the inter-ethnic strife of the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Turkey was defeated in the First World War and Smyrna was awarded to Greece, but Greece had greater ambitions and in 1920 marched on Ankara. They were thrown back by Turkish resistance under Mustafa Kemal, and in retreat carried out massacres and a scorched earth policy along the Yalova peninsula. The conflict was settled by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.

The mountains that create the peninsula have been thrown up by ructions along the fault line south of the Sea of Marmara. Yalova is one of several places with geothermal hot springs gushing out of the depths. But the fault is still active, and in 1999 there was a major earthquake across the region. As well as the human cost, the city lost its stock of ancient and traditional buildings, and what you see now is modern.

Most travellers towards Bursa and Izmir now sweep across the Gulf of Izmit on the Osmangazi Bridge, and bypass Yalova. But it remains a ferry port, and lots of Istanbul resi…

Get in

thumb | 300px | Dolmuş booth near the ferry pier

Get around

Yalova sprawls, with several outlying towns such as Termal (for hot springs), Çınarcık and Çiftlikköy (for beaches) and Topçular (for ferries from Eskihisar). For these you need a dolmuş. They're light blue or shocking pink and ply along Atatürk Cd and Fatih Cd, and to all main sites. In town their main hub is by the ferry terminal (ask for İDO); for town centre ask for Heykel or Merkez.

Taxis also wait at the ferry terminal.

See

thumb | 300px | Termal's public swimming pool Gazi Paşa Cd is the long beachfront boulevard, mostly pedestrianised and lined with cafes. commemorates the disaster of 17 Aug 1999, when the region suffered a 7.4 magnitude earthquake centred on Izmit. Some 18,000 people died, 2500 of them in Yalova. When the town rubble was cleared, it was dumped on the coast to create this area of reclaimed land, now a park. The monument is a corridor of slabs bearing the names of those lost, as if you were walking up a shattered deserted street. Open Air Museum (Açık Hava Müzesi) is a fancy name for a few Grecian column fragments on the grass between the Paper Museum and Raif Dinçkök events venue. ("Black Church") is the shell of a 6th century Byzantine church. It's 4 km east in Çiftlikköy, within the courtyard of a residential development, so you can only squint in from the street. Çiftlikköy is a straggling beach resort. west is the main beach strip, a little Istanbul-by-the-sea full of city dwellers' second homes. thumb | 300px | Waterfall above Termal is a geothermal area 12 km southwest of Yalova. The first impression is not great, as a rash of building stretches all the way up the valley from town to the dam which creates a reservoir lake. Continue west into the forested hills above the lake and the view improves. Lots of spa hotels here plus public hammams and a large public swimming pool. Atatürk Mansion is a small museum 200 m south of Limak Thermal Hotel, open Tu-Su 10:00-17:00…

Do

Altinbaş Lunapark is a brash chain funfair by the marina, open daily 11:30 to midnight. Çınarcık has the best beach and is the party town. Thermal springs bubble out of the mountain at 60 °C in Termal and elsewhere along the ridge to Armutlu. They taste very salty, being heavily mineralised. They're mildly radioactive from radon, but within the permitted range. All the hotels in Termal have spa facilities and there are public hammams. Green-Blue Road (Yeşil-Mavi Yol) is a switchback road along the spine of the forested peninsula. It's paved and suitable for 2WD, but signposting is erratic. Leave the coast highway at Çınarcık to ascend west to Erikli waterfalls, Teşvikiye forest, and the Great and Small Bottomless Lakes (Büyük Dipsiz Göl and Küçük Dipsiz Göl, both being craters). See Armutlu for points further west.

Buy

Yalova bazaar is on Cengiz Koçal Cd opposite the marina and dolmuş station, open M W Sa 07:00-20:00. It has fresh food, housewares and clothing. Other nearby stalls are open daily, as is Carrefour 10:00-22:00. Gazi Paşa Cd has the usual High Street chain stores.

Eat

Yalova near the marina has Doyum Lokantası, Kent Lokantası, Latika, Güven Lokantası, Kardeşler, Kervan, Yalova Gurme, Özbaşkanlar, Yalova Balıkçısı, Yildiz Kebap, Kadirga Yemek, Balık sofrası, Lokanta Cihangir, and Tike right by the ferry pier. Local specialties: balık ekmek is fish sandwiched within a half-loaf, from the floating balıkcı who fish from the river. Yalova Sutlusu is a milky, coconut-infused baklava. Dondurma means an ice-cream cafe. Balim & Tadim at Ziya Paşa Sk 12/D is a good example, open daily 09:00 to midnight. Arabic food is common in Termal, as the hot springs attract visitors from the Middle East. Falafels, hummus, ful medames are all staples there, but less often found in Turkey. Hadramout Mandi Kitchen is near Yalova Marina at Fatih Cd 36.

Drink

thumb | 300px | Earthquake Monument In Yalova you mostly drink in the cafes. These stayed open during Covid, whilst in 2022 the free-standing bars remain closed. Çınarcık has more of a pub strip, but these are likewise closed.

Sleep

Hotel Şeref is a decent budget option 200 m east of Karot on Gazi Paşa Cd. Termal the hot springs district 18 km southwest has lots of hotels, including Limak (below), Blackbird, Zir Dream, Green Termal, Moringa, Kapri, Diamond, Saray and Thermalium, plus pansiyons. Çınarcık has lots of hotels and pansiyons, such as Grand Koru, Yenice, Grand Krone, Ki Boutique and Lion.

Connect

Yalova and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of March 2022, 5G has not rolled out in Turkey.