10 best ski resorts in Turkey
Active recreation in winter brings us not only entertainment, but also clear health benefits. This means that the main task of the tourist is to find a budget alternative to the European Alps. Ski resorts in Turkey can become one of the options for such a replacement. The nature of the natural relief of this country is mountainous over most of its territory. The height of the Asia Minor Highlands, which occupies almost the entire peninsula of Asia Minor, in some places reaches 2,000 meters.
Uludag
Uludag is considered to be one of the most popular winter resorts in Turkey. Like all ski slopes, this place is located far from large cities. Having made a flight to Istanbul, tourists have to overcome another 180 km by land transport.
Therefore, ordering a transfer to the hotel will be the best solution. But you can do this path yourself. Either choose a flight to Bursa with local airlines, or cover this distance by bus in 4 hours. From Bursa to the resort itself, 35 km will remain. It is easier and cheaper to take a taxi here.
Translated from Turkish, the name of Mount Uludag sounds like a “huge mountain”, which for a sophisticated tourist is not entirely confirmed in reality. The height of the mountain is about 2300 meters, but there are no steep and sheer walls here. 17 km of ski slopes are located on a relatively gentle slope of the mountain and are surrounded by coniferous forest. This is an absolute guarantee that vacationers will receive not only sports, but also aesthetic pleasure from skiing.
The duration of the skiing season is very dependent on weather conditions, so you need to focus on the period from the last decade of December to the end of March. Uludag slopes are suitable for both experienced and beginner snowboarders and skiers. The “green” (10) and “blue” (8) trails for beginners prevail here, there are 6 “red” trails for intermediate skiers and only one “black” trail, located outside the forest.
When choosing a hotel for a holiday in Uludag, one should take into account that there are practically no small villas and apartments here. Hotels only. And there are no very cheap hotels either. Tourists can count on budget places (from $65 per night), mid-price places (from $120) and expensive rooms (from $700). Hotels located near the slopes have their own lifts.
They can be used by all guests, as the service is included in the price. If tourists are accommodated at a remote distance from the ski base, then in this case they have to use the lifts of neighboring hotels, and for an additional fee. The price for equipment rental here ranges from $20 to $35 per day, and a lesson with an instructor costs $40 per hour.
Some tourists during the season prefer to stay in Bursa, and only go to the slope to ski. This option significantly saves the trip budget, but makes you spend more effort on moving to the track itself.
Palandoken
In Palandoken, tourists are expected not only by Turkish hospitality, but also by beautiful landscapes, modern infrastructure of the resort, excellent equipment of ski slopes, aimed at athletes with different levels of training.
The youngest of the ski resorts in Turkey is located in the north-east of the country, 4 km from the ancient city of Erzurum. It can only be reached by local airlines from Istanbul, Antalya or Ankara. For guests purchasing a tour package, hotels offer airport transfers. Independent travelers, as a rule, get to hotels by bus (public transport in Turkey is of a decent level) or by taxi.
As in all Turkish resorts, in Palandoken the most stable snow lasts from mid-December to March, and the thickness of the snow cover grows up to 2 meters during the winter. On the slopes of the mountain there are the most diverse routes in terms of complexity, the length of which in total is 30 km. Experienced instructors (there are also Russian speakers) offer step-by-step training for beginners, and classes are held in specially designated “corridors”, away from general skating. An hour of skiing with an instructor costs $30.
The attention of extreme athletes and freeriders will be attracted by “black” slopes with unrolled, untouched surface of the slopes. Equipment rental for skiers costs from $15 to $30, and for snowboarders from $25 to $30. The ski slopes of the Palandoken resort are laid in a corridor of altitudes from 2200 m to 3175 m. The ascent to the start is provided by 4 chair lifts and 3 drag lifts. The cost of the lift for hotel guests is already included in the price.
In addition to standard resort entertainment, vacationers in Palandoken are offered excursions to the nearest cities of Erzurum and Trabzon, where history has preserved many sights.
Kartalkaya
The small town of Kartalkaya is located in the western part of the Black Sea region of Turkey. It can be reached either from Istanbul (6 hours) or from Ankara (4 hours) by scheduled buses. The name Kartalkaya includes two ski resorts – Kartal and Doruk. Both offer great slopes for skiers and snowboarders alike.
By the length of the tracks, about 40 km, the resort is in the lead. The landscapes of the mountain slopes of the Koroglu National Park allowed the organizers to create many intricate routes for cross-country skiing. It is here that, with the participation of Austrian engineers, the only Snowpark in Turkey and a children‘s ski center have been created so far. All routes occupy a corridor of height from 1800 m to 2300 m and are equipped with 11 lifts (6 ski lifts, 2 chairlifts and 3 special lifts for children). The total capacity of the lifts is up to 6,000 people per hour.
By qualification, the complexity of the resort's tracks are very democratic. There are two “blacks” and “blues” each, and the majority are “red” (6) and “green” (5). Tourists have the opportunity to rent equipment (from $20 to $40 per day), work out with an instructor (the cost of an hour is from $80 to $120) and purchase a ski pass for a day for approximately $20 – $30.
The possibility of accommodation in the resort is not too diverse. The slope was divided by two large hotels (5 and 4). Of course, you can't call them budget, but both have an all-inclusive system. Many tourists prefer to stay in Bolu (54 km from the slope), where you can find a room and get cheaper equipment. In their free time, tourists are offered excursions to the nearest town of Bolu, to the neighboring Yedigoller National Park and trips to the Kaplicalari hot spring.
Sarykamysh
For the quality of the snow, the resort town of Sarykamysh was called the Turkish Innsbruck. It is located in the province of Kars, the north–eastern region of the country, at an altitude of 2700 m. Sunny weather and almost no wind in this region allow the snow cover to stay for about 5 months. The most convenient way to get to this remote region is by plane of local airlines to Kars from Istanbul or Ankara. Further transfers from Kars to the resort itself (54 km) are provided by all hotels, and, as a rule, they are already included in the tour price.
The resort offers tourists skiing from the slope of Mount Jibiltepe on 9 tracks. Difficulty levels are different. 3 “black” descents are declared, but according to the criterion of complexity, they are clearly inferior to the alpine ones. Basically, there are gentle slopes for lovers of calm skiing and beginners. There is a separate 200-meter corridor for snowboarders, and a 50-kilometer Cross-Country track for cross-country skiing awaits cross-country skiers.
Athletes are taken to the beginning of the tracks by 3 lifts. The service of purchasing a ski pass for hotel guests is already included in the price of accommodation, and for guests it is paid additionally.
In comparison with others, Sarikamish occupies a much smaller area. The total length of prepared trails is just over 16 kilometers. The only place where you can go on an excursion or shopping is Kars. Little extra entertainment. When planning a trip to Sarikamish, you need to determine exactly how many days of rest you can devote only to sports.
Today, the tourism business in this country can safely guarantee a high-level vacation not only on the coast in the summer season, but also in winter, in hotels located in the mountains. Alpine skiing is a relatively new direction for the Turkish tourism business, but it is advancing by leaps and bounds. Active construction of new modern hotels is underway on the mountain slopes, apres-ski entertainment infrastructure is rapidly expanding, new safe lifts are appearing, modern European equipment is used to improve the quality of ski slopes.
The Turks are actively adopting the experience of their Austrian, French and Italian counterparts. They buy skiing equipment and equipment for maintenance of slopes in Europe, and also build snow amusement parks according to European analogues, such as a snowboard park in Kartalkaya.
To date, the main trump card of the winter resorts in Turkey is the ratio of quality and price. The service fully meets European standards, and the Turkish price is tempting and affordable. In almost all winter hotels, the all-inclusive system is a pleasant surprise, which takes into account not only the meals of the guests, but also the subscription to the lifts, and sometimes equipment.
It must be said right away that Turkish mountain slopes will not attract the attention of professional skiers, since there are very few high-difficulty slopes here. Most of them are not comparable to the tracks in Austria or France. But on the other hand, for those who take their first steps or lovers of calm skiing without overcoming difficulties, the Turkish slopes will appeal to them. These resorts are especially good for families with children.
The instructors, who speak quite tolerably in Russian, will conduct full-fledged skating lessons not only for children, but also for adults who have decided to hone their skills. In addition to the basic services of a winter resort – ski rental, equipment and lessons with instructors – hotel guests are offered many additional “pleasures”. Their choice is great: swimming pools, baths and saunas, gyms and fitness rooms, bathing in thermal springs, evening entertainment shows and discos.
Ergies
On the southeastern territory of the Anatolian Plateau there is a modern ski center with a developed infrastructure – Erciyes. A small tourist town is located on the slopes of the hill of the same name (3916 m). The top of Erciyes is an extinct volcano. The optimal depth of the snow cover guarantees fans of active pastime exciting skiing on a variety of tracks. There are excellent conditions for winter recreation.
It offers hotels of various star ratings, restaurants, shops, sports equipment rentals and health centers. Tourists can get to Erciyes by bus from the airport of Kayseri. The distance between settlements is about 30 kilometers. The lower station for chairlifts and eight-seater gondolas is located at an altitude of 2,200 meters. Vacationers have the opportunity to climb up to 3,400 meters.
The lack of dense vegetation gives the area excellent visibility of the surrounding landscapes. The length of the trails exceeds 40 kilometers. Experienced skiers prefer fast red and black slopes with twisty turns. Wide and gentle areas are designed for beginners. Erciyes offers rock climbing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding.
Be careful
This is a unique village that offers guests to change the sunny sandy beach for the snow-covered slopes of the Bakyrlydag mountain range. It is located 50 kilometers from Antalya at an altitude of 2,500 meters. The magic of the winter fairy tale here lasts from December to April. During this period, a sufficient amount of stable snow falls, providing safe comfortable skiing on well-organized tracks. Boarding houses and private villas offer guests worthy apartments.
Bars, cafeterias and ski schools are open for vacationers. The hotels have a children's room, a swimming pool, a gym. Saklıkent is ideal for both professional athletes and those who are planning to start skiing or snowboarding for the first time. The ski area consists of blue, red and black routes with gentle and steep descents. The tracks are equipped with two funiculars with a total capacity of about 1200 people per hour.
Kartepe
The rapidly developing mountainous city of Kartepe covers an area of 3,500 square kilometers. This largest Turkish ski center is located among picturesque forests and majestic mountain ranges at an altitude of 1950 meters. The slopes offer a bewitching panoramic view of Lake Salanja and Kocaeli Bay. Kartepe consists of fashionable hotel complexes and health and entertainment facilities.
To get to the resort village, travelers should use a taxi or car rental service, since public transport does not run in Kartepe. The nearest international airport is in Istanbul (115 km). A variety of snow-covered routes will satisfy the tastes of experienced and novice athletes. Twelve ski slopes are organized for adherents of winter active recreation. Their total length is 48 kilometers. Depending on their level of skill, hikers can choose between light, gentle green and wide blue sections, or winding red and high-speed black slopes.
Kartepe offers a wide range of entertainment. A charge of positive energy will bring sledding, snowmobiling, swimming in the pool with medicinal algae, taking mud baths in the spa and mountain climbing.
Zigana
At the foot of the Zigan mountain peak, there is a small village of the same name, which is included in the list of attractive Turkish places. Pine valley, snow-covered slopes and clean air – all this creates the perfect relaxing atmosphere. A relatively young town, formed in 2006, has limited infrastructure. A hotel complex has been erected on its territory, consisting of one multi-storey building and several cottage houses.
The hotel has a restaurant, cafe and sports equipment rental. The best way to get to Zigana Ski Center is by public transport from Trabzon Airport (60 km). Zigana offers its guests the opportunity to enjoy skiing at altitudes of 1900-2500 meters. Athletes can expect two tracks, which are served by a modern network of chair lifts.
Wide, gentle and well-groomed slopes are suitable for beginner skiers. Connoisseurs of high-speed extreme tracks will be bored and uninteresting here. Adults and children can enjoy sledding, snowmobiling or snowboarding. Pleasant impressions will leave a walking tour through the snow-covered forest.
Davraz
The high-mountainous settlement Davraz hospitably welcomes lovers of active winter sports. It occupies the northern slopes of the mountain range of the same name, rising up to 2,635 meters. Picturesque nature, stable snow cover and first-class infrastructure – all this is the reason why Davraz has recently become one of the most popular resort destinations in Turkey. The city is surrounded by three lakes with crystal clear emerald waters, which attract lovers of the beauty of mountain landscapes.
A cozy corner is located an hour and a half bus ride from Antalya Airport. Tourists are provided with hotel complexes operating on the All Inclusive system. Swimming pools, gyms, sports fields, spas, entertainment facilities and restaurants can brighten up the busy everyday life of vacationers. Well-equipped trails are laid at an altitude of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. They are divided into green, blue, red and black areas, corresponding to the skill level of skiers. The slopes are served by chairlifts and drag lifts.
Mostly slopes of medium difficulty prevail. Admirers of extreme speed skiing will appreciate two routes, where the height difference reaches more than 500 meters. Guests are provided with a wide variety of entertainment. Along with skiing hobbies, here you can ride sleds, inflatable cheesecakes and snowmobiles.
Beatles
In the area of the Taurus Mountains there is a cozy small ski center Bitlis. A unique natural landscape is formed by the channels of the mountain rivers Khosrov and Avehu merging with each other. The winter season, which lasts from December to April, pleases tourists with heavy snowfalls. A dense forest area fills the region with a fresh coniferous aroma. Numerous boarding houses and recreation centers provide guests of Bitlis with comfortable apartments. In addition to hotels, cafes, restaurants and shops await their visitors.
The territory of the village consists of several areas, each of which offers an acceptable level of service and well-groomed trails. Athletes of different skill levels will choose the perfect descent for themselves. Skiers have at their disposal both complex steep slopes and simple gentle sections. To get to Bitlis, you need to fly from Istanbul to the city of Van. Regular buses run to the ski centre. The journey takes about 3 hours.