Stretching 1,200 plus miles from Turkey's western border with Bulgaria to Georgia in the east, the Black Sea coast of Turkey has much to offer if you are willing to traverse the unbeaten road. From sandy coves and seashell-laden beaches to soaring green mountains, the only thing that is difficult to love about the journey to Şile is the winding roads, which can take a toll on even the most experienced traveller's stomach.
Şile, pronounced shee-leh, is a quiet fishing town with only 10,000 residents in the city itself. The word şile means marjoram in Turkish. It is said to have been fished in since 700 BC but the only remnant of the past still present for the modern visitor is Şile's Ottoman-period lighthouse. There is even a small sandy (not stony or pebbly!) beach. Next to the beach is a small boardwalk, a little harbor filled with fishing boats and floating tea houses, and a serene, evergreen forest as the back drop for this city of retreat. We spent Saturday daytime exploring and stayed the evening the same night, and found the city's atmosphere quiet and pleasant.
Şile, pronounced shee-leh, is a quiet fishing town with only 10,000 residents in the city itself. The word şile means marjoram in Turkish. It is said to have been fished in since 700 BC but the only remnant of the past still present for the modern visitor is Şile's Ottoman-period lighthouse. There is even a small sandy (not stony or pebbly!) beach. Next to the beach is a small boardwalk, a little harbor filled with fishing boats and floating tea houses, and a serene, evergreen forest as the back drop for this city of retreat. We spent Saturday daytime exploring and stayed the evening the same night, and found the city's atmosphere quiet and pleasant.
Lunch consisted of a a cucumber and tomato salad started followed by a baked white fish as our main. The fish was light and dressed with tomatoes and onions and a heavy dose of olive oil before being put in the wood-fired oven to roast. Dessert was a new treat I haven't yet tried here in Turkey: baked halva. The type of halva used for this dessert is crumbly and made from tahini (sesame paste) (though nut butters can be used, such as sunflower seed butter). The primary ingredients in halva are nut butter and sugar. This particular version of halva is sliced, placed in a clay dish, and topped with sesame seeds and hazelnuts. It is baked until it is almost runny on the inside but with a crisp, toasted layer on top. The juxtaposition of the two textures is perfection. Though this dessert is another example of how sweet Turks like their desserts: over the top sugary and immediately toothache-inducing. I, of course, loved it.
***A note on transportation for any friends coming from Istanbul: Şile is a part of Istanbul's public transport system (İETT). There is a bus from Harem via Üsküdar (located at the Anatolian side of Istanbul) to Şile (İETT Lines 139 and 139A).