French
DeutschŞile is a beach resort, part of the metropolis of Istanbul. It’s 75 km northeast of the big city on the Black Sea coast, so its sandy beach is a big draw in summer.
Ağva is a smaller quieter resort on the coast 30 km further east, also within the municipality of Şile. That also includes the hills further south, which have camping and hiking areas around reservoir lakes.
Understand
[edit | edit source]Taking its name from the Turkish word for marjoram, Şile has evidence of settlement from the Stone Age, and in the Hellenistic period it grew into the port-city of Hilea. It had limited strategic value and was outgrown by Constantinople, falling into that gravitational pull in the Roman / Byzantine era and nowadays forming a district of the sprawling metropolis of Istanbul.
Şile has one of the few decent beaches within a day-trip from Istanbul – much of the Black Sea coast is rocky, the Marmara coast is industrial, and the Aegean resorts are too far. So it’s encrusted by city dwellers’ holiday homes, and busy on fine weekends. Few international tourists come this way.
Get in
[edit | edit source]
See Istanbul#Get in for long-distance transport. By road from the city or SAW airport follow Highway D-020; from IST airport use O-7 (toll) to bypass city centre.
IETT Bus 139 runs every two hours from Üsküdar, taking two hours via Ümraniye and Sultanbeyli. Bus 139A continues to Ağva.
1 Şile Bus Terminal is on Bayrak Cd, 500 m south of Old Town.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Buses and dolmuşes ply along the main road between Şile and Ağva. You need your own wheels to get up into the hills.
Şile Taxi is on +90 216 711 2127 and there's a taxi rank by the bus station.
See
[edit | edit source]
- 1 Old Town is strung along Üsküdar Cd, pedestrian-only in the evening. The modern shop fronts don't do much for it.
- Hüseyin Keçici Central Mosque is midway along Üsküdar Cd. The interior is richly decorated.
- 2 Şile Castle. This is perched on an islet by the harbour. It was built about 1000 years ago by the Byzantine Empire, taken over by the Genoese in 1305 and by the Ottomans in 1396. No access to the islet or castle interior.
- 3 Şile Lighthouse, Fener Cd. Daily 09:00-22:30. Built in 1859, this is a 19 m tower. It's still in use, with a range of 37 km.
- 4 Ağlayan Kaya meaning "wailing rocks" is a headland and beach.
- 5 Darlık Dam Lake was created in 1988 for water supply. It's above the village of Erenler, on the old road struggling over the hills from Istanbul to Şile. As of 2026, entry is prohibited to the dam and its surrounds. South edge of the village on Dersaadet Sk is a fine Ottoman tomb, but nobody knows who or when he was.
- 6 Saklıgöl meaning "hidden lake" is a small reservoir lake 8 km south of town. The road up to it is dotted with eating places.
- 7 Yeniköy is a former Greek village with multiple ruins. The "waterfall" south edge of it is little over a metre high, but there are forest strolls nearby.
- 8 Ağva is a small beach resort 28 km east of Şile.
Do
[edit | edit source]
- Şile Culture Centre is at Atatürk Cd 30.
- 1 Uzunkum beach is a 600 m strip of sand east of "Wailing Rocks". In 2026 you pay 300 TL for parking and 900 TL to get on the beach. It ends at a small tombola islet then the much quieter Kırandere beach continues east for another 1 km.
- Ayazma beach stretches for 1.5 km west of the harbour. It's the closest to town centre, sandy but overcrowded and grubby.
- 2 Kumbaba beach west of Ayazma is quieter and more relaxing. This strip continues as Vadi, Kırandere and Alacalı beaches.
- 3 Safari Life Istanbul (on D-020), ☏ +90 532 634 1555. Off-road driving experience.
- 4 İncekum Adventure Park (İncekum Macera Parkı), Karakiraz, ☏ +90 533 917 3436. Daily 09:00-20:00. Family-oriented activity centre.
- 5 Avcıkoru Nature Park, Alemdağ Şile Yolu 155, Avcıkoru, ☏ +90 532 367 7426. Daily 09:00-18:00. Small forest park with hiking trails, activities and barbecue area. Car 180TL plus 60 TL pp.
- 6 Esenceli Camp Site is a camping and backwoods area by Omerli barrage lake, 1 km north of Esenceli village. The access road is in poor condition, and a morass after rain.
- 7 Hacıllı is a small village, the start of hiking trails into the wooded hills.
Buy
[edit | edit source]The shopping strip is along Üsküdar Cd and Cumhuriyet Cd. The town has a distinctive see-though "Şile Cloth".
The Bazaar and farmers market is at Pazar Sk off Cumhuriyet Cd, trading F 08:00-18:00.
Eat
[edit | edit source]
- Street food: handcarts sell kokoreç, corn and simit / poğaça.
- Şile pier looking onto the castle has eating places including Irmera Cafe, Rıhtım Çay Bahçesi, Artane Balık, Kılçık Balık, Ali Baba, Ebru Balık and İskorpit. Several more on the shore road Liman Sk.
- 1 Şile İyot, Levent Birben Cd 4, ☏ +90 216 711 2331. Daily 09:00-00:30. Slick friendly restaurant with castle views.
- Amara Şile also gets good reviews. It's on the headland 100 m east of Şile İyot, open daily 09:00-00:00.
- 2 Vanilya, Üsküdar Cd 102, ☏ +90 533 924 7776. Daily 10:00-00:00. Ice cream, desserts and coffee.
- Bilir, Üsküdar Cd 174 (opposite Central Mosque), ☏ +90 216 711 4198. Daily 07:00-00:30. The oldest pastry shop in Şile. It also runs the oldest döner shop next door.
- 3 Mercan Köşk, Ortanca Sk. Daily 08:00-21:00. Municipality-run cafe for inexpensive meals.
- 4 Rokethane, Kumbaba Cd 17, ☏ +90 541 712 2254. Daily 08:00-23:30. Cosy restaurant above Kumbaba beach.
- 5 Akkaya Barn (Akkaya Çiftliği), Sahil Yolu, Çayırbaşı, ☏ +90 216 739 5643. Daily 09:30-19:00. Relaxed restaurant southeast edge of town.
- 6 Horozlu Ev, Mürşit Sk 22, Imrendere, ☏ +90 532 321 6934. F-Su 09:00-19:00. Cafe in the Winter Gardens 4 km south of town, great reviews for their breakfast.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- Teashops are everywhere.
- 1 İki 1A Kafası, Kumbaba Cd 30, ☏ +90 501 235 9032. Daily 17:00-02:00. Lively pub with music. It's near the university so it draws a student crowd.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]_Colorful_fishing_harbor_(27423133653).jpg)
- 1 Historic Kumbaba Hotel (Tarihi Kumbaba Otel), Üretken Sk 2, ☏ +90 216 711 0053. Beachfront hotel, comfort and service variable.
- 2 Ramada by Wyndham, Turan Aziz Beler Cd 43, ☏ +90 216 206 0706. Lukewarm reviews for comfort and service.
- 3 The Sign Değirmen Hotel, Plaj Sk 2, ☏ +90 216 710 1010. Reasonably comfy and efficient.
- Miletus Otel is by Sign Değirmen Hotel at Ayazma Cd 1.
- 4 Doğa Club Hotel, Saklıburun Cd 96, ☏ +90 216 711 2020. Clean spacious place on D-020 at the edge of town.
- 5 Bungalow Koyu, Köyü Sahili, Akçakese, ☏ +90 535 765 5686. Beach bungalows by a pleasant cove.
Learn
[edit | edit source]- 1 Işık University. Main campus of a private university with 6600 undergrads and 850 postgrads. Everything is here except the Arts Faculty, in Maslak business district of Istanbul.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Şile and its approach roads have 4G from all Turkish carriers. As of April 2026, 5G has not reached this area.
Go next
[edit | edit source]- Public transport means heading back to Istanbul. Take the ferry from Üsküdar across the Bosphorus to the Old City of Sultanahmet.
- With your own vehicle, wind along the Black Sea coast.
- Or take motorway O-7 south to historic Bursa.