Hamsilos Fjord

Hamsiloz Koyu is a narrow inlet cutting a few hundred metres into the coast west of Sinop, walled by steep slopes of pine and deciduous forest and opening to the Black Sea through a mouth so narrow it shelters completely - which is why fishing boats have used it for centuries and why it is calm when the sea outside is not. The fjord description is a local formulation rather than a geological one: a true fjord is glacially carved, and this is a drowned river valley, which makes it a ria. The distinction does not change the look of the place, and it is genuinely striking on a coast that is mostly straight and exposed. Walking paths run round the inlet and through the Hamsilos nature park and the neighbouring Akliman area, with picnic grounds, viewpoints over the water and beaches nearby. It is eleven kilometres from Sinop and it is a straightforward half-day.

What you'll find

• The narrow inlet - the sheltered water between forested slopes.
• The forest paths - walking routes round the fjord.
• The fishing boats - craft moored in the calm.
• The Akliman shore - the beaches and park alongside.

When to go

May to June and September to October. The Black Sea coast is wet in any month; the inlet is at its best on a clear calm day.

Good to know

It is a ria, not a fjord, whatever the signs say. The inlet is small and the walk round takes an hour or two. Facilities are picnic areas and a café; a car or dolmuş is needed.

Nearby

Sinop's fortress and prison museum are 11 km east; the Erfelek waterfalls are inland.