ORDU

The charming little port of Ünye (93 km east of Samsun) is one of the nicest holiday towns on the eastern Black Sea and justly boasts of its excellent beaches and camping facilities. Do not miss the extraordinary 18th-century town hall. Within easy reach of Ünye is the beautiful Camlik Beach. After Fatsa (22 km east of Ünye), another holiday town on the road to Ordu, the ruins of the Byzantine Jason Church, now a museum, stand on the Camburnu promontory. Legend has it that the Argonauts landed here on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Fish restaurants serving the finest tea found in the region dot the 50km of scenic road to Ordu. Sea snails, a regional speciality, are particularly delicious at Yaliköy. Returning from the Babylonian campaign, the survivors of “Xenophon’s Ten Thousand” left Anatolia from Ordu in their retreat to Greece. Today, it is a beautiful port situated at the foot of a forested hill. In the Pasaoglu Konak (mansion), now the Ethnographical Museum, see how a rich and influential 19th-century family lived. Hazelnut production centers around Ordu and every September the town hosts the Golden Hazelnut Festival. Be sure to sample the delicious chocolate nut candy. It is worth spending sometime at an 18th-century church, 2km of town, and the pretty beach of Güzelyali is worth visiting. 58 km further south, at an altitude of 1,250 meters, lies the yayla (plateau) of Cambasi offering beautiful mountain views. The yayla of Keyfalan, at 2,000 meters, is another popular summer destination for local residents.