Alsancak - Lunch in Ilgaz - Alsancak

The basis for this trail is from the Sunflower bookseries walk and eat. We did not follow the the trail description 100% but used it as a rough guide and inspiration. The description does not fit with the reality several places. Especially was find and choosing the correct trail in the mountain area difficult, due to several choices. So, we improvised, it worked out very well.

1.Start at the Parking in front of the Alsancak Municipality / Alsancak Belediyesi

2. Walk Ankara Road / Caddesi for apx. 100 meter and turn left up by the Alsancak Postoffice / Postanesi.

3.Start walking up towards the mountains on Gençlik Sokak. Walk straight ahead. There will be roads off to both left and right. Ignore them.

4. After a while there will be narrow valley with a kind of dried out river on your right. It will last for some hundred meters.

5.There is an abandoned building where the road taking a huge turn to the right. That building is the old mill.
The book suggested taking a trail on the left of the building. That we tried but it did not work out. It was all overgrown and probably not used for quite a while.

6. Instead we decide to walk along the tarmac road and followed the road. After the huge S-turn there is a road going down to the right. Ignore it. Instead go straight ahead.
The roadname have now changed into Pinar Sokak.

7. The road changed over to a dirt and gravel road, but still wide and good quality. The was road heading uphill.

8. There were mostly dirt and gravel wide tracks, some places the winter rain had destroyed the road. It was no problem crossing on foot.

8.From leaving Pinar Sokak and until we arrived at Ilaz we used googlemaps and pure luck to get from A to B. It worked very well.

9. Sundaylunch with Kelftiko, cold Efes and Turkish coffee ( kahve orta) at Ilgaz Köy Fırını Café is recommended.

10. At return we were accompanied by two quite dogs. Close to Malataya Village we meet someone with a dog so the totally forgot about us.

11. Following a different trail returning we tracked through more open and very beautiful landscape after leaving Malatoaya village.

12. When we arrived in the outskirts of Alsancak in Dag Basi Sokak, there were new and huge villas on the right. Few meters down the road on the left there is the tiny and charming Greek abandond church on the right.

13. A short walk from the church, on the opposite side of the road, left when walking towards the sea, there is a staircase of stones with broad and long steps. It is close to a house but for common use. The staircase takes you down to the road going up from the Municipality office.

14. Take right after the stairs and walk down Gençlik Sokak towards the sea until you hit Ankara Caddesi. It is the same road you to up to the mountains. Take right at the postoffice and soon you will be where you parked. If you came by private car.