Those who have followed professional cycling in recent years know by now that Turkey has been gaining ground as a cycling destination for several years. With the Tour of Turkiye and the Tour of Antalya is invested in Turkey as a cycling country. Meanwhile, the brutal Babadağ climb already gained a place in the collective memory. At 18km long, this incline is pure misery, the toughest incline EVER in a UCI race. So is there anything fun to be had for ordinary cyclists? Definitely! We delved a little deeper and found a lot of fun and interesting places for a super cycling holiday! Will you join us in Turkey
Sustainability
Just a little disclaimer: from the Netherlands and Belgium, Turkey is a flight destination. You won't escape that unless you want to spend two days by train, with a lot of transfers and a still somewhat unclear route between Vienna and Istanbul. This does make the combination 'sustainable' and 'cycling in Turkey' trickier, but one thing is certain: Turkey is doing everything it can to be a sustainable cycling destination. A lot of money is put into making hotels sustainable and protecting nature. Dizzying numbers about numbers of hotels that have made it government sustainability label get. According to the experts, by 2030, every hotel will have that label. That suddenly makes cycling in Turkey interesting again.
Cycling from Istanbul
When you think of Turkey, you think of Istanbul and the Turkish Riviera. Istanbul does not yet have the most appeal for cyclists. A tour along the Bosphorus may not be the first thing that springs to mind, but both the European and Asian sides have beautiful cycle paths. The tour through the 'Istanbul Forest' (who would have thought I would ever write this down like that) is also one to recommend. Away from the hustle and bustle of this metropolis, you can still enjoy yourself here. A unique piece of Turkey. You can also head towards Izmir via Istanbul and Bursa, for a longer trip.
Antalya and surroundings
The Turkish resort of Antalya has been positioning itself as a road cycling destination of choice for several years. The hidden gem? The Babadağ, the monster climb that was also featured in the Tour of Turkey. Even the pros were over 1.5 hours for just 18.2 kilometres. Almost 1,900 altimeters. What does that mean? A Mortirolo of stature, you could say. The Babadağ does lie a bit further from Antalya than I'm writing down now, but still, this climb can be counted among the cycling area. You can also just take the lift up. Saves a lot of hassle and in the meantime, you'll grab a few nice restaurants. Closer to Antalya, you will find beautiful routes along the Lycian coast, including around Kemer and Cirali.
Babadağ, Ölüdeniz, Türkiye
- Distance: 18.2 km, Elevation: 1866 m, Avg. Grade: 10.4 %
Izmir and surroundings
Izmir has recently been on the map. Not only because of its location on a new stretch of the Eurovelo Route 8 (EV 8). The city has also invested in its cycle tourism in other ways. Ultimately, no region can continue to live on mass tourism indefinitely as Izmir, Bodrum, Antalya and Alanya have done for years. Especially with the focus on sustainability, cycling is an increasingly important topic in Turkey. Izmir is also the name for the province where the city is located. Here you will find beautiful cycling routes. Among others, across the stretch of peninsula that lies to the west of the city. Here you catch a large part of the Eurovelo 8. Some nice climbs, some old statues of Ataturk. You won't get more Turkish than that.
Cappadoccia
Even if you are not into road cycling, Turkey is great for you. Cappadocia, known for its beautiful images of hot-air balloons over a sometimes desolate landscape, that is also terrain for the gravel rider.
Tips
- If you travel to Turkey to go cycling always think about the weather. In summer it is very hot, especially on the coast. It is then advisable to go inland
- There is a whole list of Bike-Friendly hotels. You'll find them nicely compiled on the GoTurkiye site. Click on the link for the Bike-Friendly Hotels in Turkey
- Speaking of temperatures and climate, in winter it is very cold in Ankara, among other places, but also in the mountains around Antalya. Bear in mind that this is then skiing country. So don't be fooled and go for the spring and autumn months
- There is also plenty to see for gravel lovers. Think beautiful routes around Cappadocia.
- A handy organisation to book a trip or tour with is Boostcamp
