Çal Cave

Çal is among the longest caves in Turkey, and unusually for a show cave it is a live river system: water runs through it continuously, and the visitor route follows raised walkways above and beside the stream for around a kilometre of the total length, through galleries of stalactites, columns, flowstone and pools, with the sound of water constant. It is cool - around twelve degrees - and very humid. Development has been gradual and the walkway has been extended over the years, making it one of the longer walkable cave routes in the country. The setting adds to it: the hills behind Trabzon are dense Black Sea forest and hazelnut orchards, and the drive up from the coast climbs through villages. As with several Turkish caves there is a local claim about the air helping asthma, which is folklore rather than medical guidance. It is an hour from Trabzon and gets mostly domestic visitors.

The landscape

• The underground river - water running the length of the route.
• The raised walkways - platforms above the stream.
• The formations - columns, curtains and pools in the galleries.
• The forest approach - Black Sea hills on the drive up.

When to go

Year-round; the cave is constant inside. Heavy rain raises the water and can restrict the route, so check after storms.

Things to know

It is wet, humid and slippery, with many steps. Water levels can close sections. Health claims about the air are folklore. A car is needed from Trabzon.

Nearby

Trabzon and its Hagia Sophia are an hour north; Sümela monastery is south-east up the Maçka valley.