Sapanca Lake

Sapanca fills a tectonic trough between the hills east of İzmit, about sixteen kilometres long, and it is close enough to Istanbul that the whole southern shore has become a weekend belt of bungalow hotels, lakefront restaurants and tea gardens. The northern shore is quieter, with reed beds, walking and cycling paths, fishing spots and villages behind. Around the lake are hazelnut orchards - Sakarya is hazelnut country - and up in the hills the Maşukiye valley with its trout restaurants beside running streams, and the Kartepe ski slope above. It is a lake for sitting beside rather than swimming in: bathing is limited and water quality has been a recurring local issue, since the lake also supplies drinking water to the region. The high-speed train from Istanbul reaches Sakarya quickly, which has made the whole area an easy overnight escape from the city.

What you actually see

• The lake shore - tea gardens and restaurants along the water.
• The reed beds - the quieter northern edge and its paths.
• The Maşukiye valley - trout restaurants on the streams above.
• The hazelnut orchards - the crop the province lives on.

When to go

April to June and September to November; autumn colour around the lake is good. Weekdays are calm - Saturdays and Sundays bring Istanbul out in force.

Honest expectations

Swimming is limited and water quality varies - this is a lake to look at and eat beside. The southern shore is heavily built up. Weekend traffic and accommodation prices both rise sharply.

Nearby

Maşukiye and Kartepe are in the hills above; Taraklı's Ottoman houses are further inland.