When we think about Turkey we think about holidays, sunshine, beaches and the Mediterranean Sea. It conjures up thoughts of relaxing on sandy beaches and feeling the hot sun on your face. So, you may be surprised to learn that skiing, is a popular sport during the winter months. In Turkey there are currently 37 ski resorts with over 284 km of snowy slopes served by 131 ski lifts. Uludağ in Bursa and Saklikent in Antalya are the most known ski resorts in Turkey, however, there are more!
Erciyes – Kayseri
Is deemed the number one ski resort. It’s located in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey and boasts 55.1 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 14 lifts. Its elevations are between 2,088 and 3,346 m. There are 19.8 km of slopes for beginners, 23 km for intermediate and 12.3 km for advanced skiers. The season is from early December until late April. This is the highest elevation in Turkey and is 7 km from Hacılar and 19 km from Kayseri.
Palandöken – Ejder 3200 World Ski Centre
This ski resort is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It has 43 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 13 lifts. Its elevations are between 2,200 and 3,176 m. There are 19 km of runs for beginners, 11 km for intermediates and 13 km for advanced skiers. The ski season is from late November until mid-April. It’s just 5 km from Erzurum.
Uludağ – Bursa
Is perhaps the most well-known ski resort located in the Marmara Region of Turkey. It has 28 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 16 lifts. Its elevations are between 1,767 and 2,322 m. There are 10 km of slopes for beginners, 15 km for intermediates and 3 km for advanced skiers. The ski season is from mid-December until mid-April. It’s a 90 minute drive from the resort to Bursa and just over 3 hours to Istanbul.
Skiing – Sarıkamış
This ski resort is located in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. It has 21.3 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 4 lifts. Its elevations are between 2,130 and 2,635 m. There are 7.9 km of runs for beginners, 8.2 km for intermediates and 5.2 km for advanced skiers. The ski season is from late November until mid-April. It’s a 47 minute drive from the resort to Kars.
Skiing Green Park Resort – Kartepe
This ski resort is located in the Marmara Region of Turkey. It has 21.2 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 4 lifts. Its elevations are between 1,300 and 1,699 m. There are 7.6 km of slopes for beginners, 9.5 km for intermediates and 4.1 km for advanced skiers. The ski season is from the end of December until the end of February. Its 25 km from Izmit, 75 minutes to Istanbul and 2 hours from Bursa. Although the ski season is short, it’s popular as close to large cities.
Skiing Saklikent
This ski resort is located is the Mediterranean Region of Turkey. It has 10 km of slopes for skiing and snowboarding with 3 lifts. Its elevations are between 1,850 and 2,547 m. There are 5 km of slopes for beginners, 3 km for intermediates and 2 km for advanced skiers. The ski season is from mid-December until early April. It’s a 1 hour and forty minute drive (82.1 km) from the resort to Antalya, which means you can ski in March/April in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean Sea in the afternoon.
If you thought you couldn’t ski in Turkey, think again!