Sinop

Sinop is the northernmost town in Turkey, strung along the narrow isthmus of a Black Sea headland. The İnceburun peninsula beside it holds the northernmost point of Anatolia. The town is small and provincially calm, living off fish and the sea; people come for the fortress, the quiet bays and swimming on a stretch of Black Sea coast far less crowded than the south.

Main sights

• Sinop fortress — ancient and medieval walls ringing the headland. From the bastions there is a view over the harbour and both shores of the isthmus.
• Sinop historic prison — a prison inside the fortress walls, in use until 1997 and now a museum. The bleak cells and yards make it one of the best-known places in town.
• Balatlar church — the ruins of a Byzantine church with surviving fragments of fresco.
• Alaeddin Mosque and the Pervane medrese — a thirteenth-century Seljuk ensemble in the centre.
• Archaeological museum — finds from antiquity onwards, including the remains of a temple of Serapis.
• Hamsilos bay — a narrow fjord-like inlet outside the town, popular for walks and picnics; Akliman beach is next to it.

Food and prices

Black Sea cooking is built on hamsi, the local anchovy: fried, baked with rice, added to anything at hand. The fish restaurants by the harbour serve the day's catch; lunch works out at roughly 8-15 euros. Cards are taken everywhere in Turkey.

Getting there

Sinop has a small airport (SIC) whose domestic service comes and goes. The usual way in is the bus, either along the coast or over the mountains from Ankara. Everything in the town itself is within walking distance — the isthmus is narrow.

When to come

The climate is mild and maritime, humid, with rain in any season. Winters are warm and summers are not punishing. The best time is May to September; swimming is comfortable in July and August.