Tourism in Çanakkale

Çanakkale: Where History, Culture, Mythology and Nature Coalesce

Çanakkale’s assets include the Gallipoli Historical Area, with its historical, cultural and moral assets; 
many archaeological assets and cultural heritage, especially the Troy Ancient City; Assos, which 
was home to Aristotle’s academy of philosophy; Bozcaada (Tenedos), known for its important 
vineyards and viniculture; Gökçeada (Imbros), famous for its untouched nature, organic products 
and harmonious multi-culturalism; Mount Ida, with its rich flora and fauna; and the Gulf of Saros, 
with its broad range of living species. 

Çanakkale with its All-seasons Tourism Potential

Based on its coastline and its islands; its historical, cultural and moral values; and its biodiversity 
and geothermal resources, Çanakkale has a robust tourism potential.
Çanakkale, where natural, cultural and historical elements coalesce, is a province in which its all-
seasons tourism potential can be utilized and where tourism activities can be enjoyed throughout 
the year. 

The First Place in Which to Make Tourism Investments

Çanakkale hosts many tourism activities, not only with its sea, sand and sun, but also its historical 
and cultural values that coalesce with the relaxing effect of nature.
Based on the number of tourists it hosts throughout the year, Çanakkale is among Turkey’s leading 
provinces in the tourism sector, offering various opportunities to entrepreneurs who are planning 
to invest in tourism.

With Blue Flag Beaches and Islands, Çanakkale:  A Frequent Destination for Tourists in Coastal Tourism

Çanakkale’s coastline measures 671 km. Çanakkale has 11 Blue Flag beaches, which are beaches 
that have been recognized for their quality and meet the required standards*.
Ayvacık, which is the district in Çanakkale with the largest number of Blue Flag beaches; and 
Bozcaada  (Tenedos)  and  Gökçeada  (Imbros),  where  the  natural  and  cultural  heritage  are  in 
harmony increase the attraction of the province in the summer.

Variety of Alternative Tourism Based on Sea

Çanakkale offers many opportunities for tourists to engage in different water sports, such as 
surfing, kite surfing, underwater diving, sportive hand-line fishing.
Thanks to its wealth of living species and sunken rocks, the Gulf of Saros is a favorite among 
divers.
Gökçeada (Imbros) and Bozcaada (Tenedos), as popular attraction points among tourists, have 
many beaches ready to be discovered as well as diving sites.
Gökçeada (Imbros), which is the first and only slow island in the world with its title of Cittaslow 
and hosts different cultural motifs together, is a favorite spot for those who love kite and wind 
surfing.
With its Babakale village, the Gulf of Saros and the beaches of Bozcaada (Tenedos), Çanakkale 
has many places suitable for sportive hand-line fishing.
As a result of the previous and ongoing infrastructure investments in sea transport and the cruise 
ships it currently hosts, Çanakkale offers important opportunities for yacht and cruise tourism.

Çanakkale, with its Rich Historical and Cultural Heritage

Having hosted many different civilizations from ancient times to the present day, Çanakkale attracts 
tourists with its rich historical and cultural heritage. The remains of many ancient settlement can 
be found in the region, which is known as the Ancient Troas Region, and now covers the Biga 
peninsula. The ancient cities of Assos, Parion, Alexandria Troas and, most notably, Troy, which is 
included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, are just some of the important assets of cultural 
heritage that can be found in Çanakkale.
Gelibolu  Mevlevihanesi,  Aynalı  Çarşı  (Mirror  Bazaar),  Çimenlik  Kalesi  (Çimenlik  Castle)  and 
Kilitbahir Kalesi (Kilitbahir Castle) are among the other historical and cultural assets that can be 
found in the province.

Declared Tourism Centers

Culture and Tourism Conservation and Development Regions and Tourism Centers are declared by 
the Council of Ministers in order to conserve and develop areas with touristic value. Bureaucratic 
processes are reduced to encourage investments in tourism in these regions, and it is ensured that 
investments are made promptly. Investments in tourism in such areas can benefit from the 5th 
region incentives granted by the Ministry of Economy under the Incentive System. 
There are eight tourism centers with thermal, nature and coastal themes, and one culture and 
tourism conservation and development region with a coastal theme in Çanakkale.

The Right Address for Thermal Tourism Investments

The surface temperature values of the geothermal energy resources in Çanakkale vary between 
23 and 96.2°C. The geothermal resources located in the Tuzla quarter of the Ayvacık district 
have the highest recorded temperatures in Çanakkale, at 96.2°C surface and 174°C pit bottom 
temperatures.
Thermal springs such as Tuzla, Kestanbol, Külcüler, Hıdırlar, Tepeköy and Kırkgeçit are among the 
thermal springs that bring Çanakkale to the forefront in thermal tourism.
There are 6 thermal facilities in total in Çanakkale, 3 of which are located in the district of Çan and 
the other 3 that are located in the districts of Biga, Ezine and Bayramiç. The total bed capacity of 
these thermal facilities was 626 as of 2016.*

Çanakkale for Nature Lovers

The ever-changing understanding of tourism has helped in the development of both coastal and 
alternative tourism.
With its natural beauty, rich vegetation and favorable climate , Çanakkale has high potential for 
ecotourism.
Çanakkale offers many opportunities for ecotourism, such as bird and wildlife watching, trekking 
and agro-tourism.

Ecotourism for Nature Lovers

The villages of Yeşilyurt, Adatepe and Nusratlı are among the most important ecological tourism 
assets in Çanakkale, with unique landscapes where the local architectural and natural textures are 
preserved and blue and green coalesce.
Çanakkale, especially the districts of Ayvacık, Bozcaada and Bayramiç, hosts ecological farms 
where both the natural and cultural riches are preserved and awareness about nature conservation 
and ecological life is raised.
Çanakkale hosts many alternative tourism activities, such as educational activities on ecology, 
permaculture and ecological architecture, camps for children and yoga camps.

Trekking

There are many places to go trekking in Çanakkale, in particular Mount Ida, Gallipoli Historical 
Area, Troy Historical National Park and the Ayazma Spring Natural Park.
Bozcaada (Tenedos), Gökçeada (Imbros), the Kalkan mountains and Mount Ida are among the 
places most suitable for horse trekking.

Bird and Wildlife Watching

The Menderes Delta, located within the borders of the Troy Historical National Park, is host to 
a number of important water bird species, and an appropriate environment has been made in 
which these birds can be watched.
The Çardak Lagoon, located in the district of Lapseki, is also suitable for bird watching, based 
both on the range of bird species that can be found there and its favorable location.
The Kavak Delta, located in the district of Gallipoli, has been designated as an Important Bird Area 
in terms of species and numbers of birds, according to international indicators. Around 130 bird 
species have been identified in the area.
There are several areas in Gökçeada (Imbros), such as Salt Lake, the Araplar Strait/Scamander 
Valley, Kumkale Reed Bed and Hoyrat Lake, where different species of bird can be observed in 
Çanakkale.
Çanakkale offers many advantages for wildlife watching, with its forests, especially Mount Ida and 
its many shades of green, and a biodiversity and landscapes that you can’t get enough of.

Bicycle Tourism

With such attractions as Gallipoli Historical Area, the Troy Historical National Park and Mount Ida, 
and its organizations for bicycle lovers, Çanakkale has significant potential for bicycle tourism.

Hunting Tourism

The Gökçeada (Imbros) Partridge Sample Hunting Ground and Kalkım Wild Boar Example Hunting 
Ground in Çanakkale are very popular among domestic and foreign tourists with an interest in 
hunting tourism.

Botanical (Plant Observation) Tourism

The endemic species of Mount Ida and its surroundings in Çanakkale offer various opportunities for those with an interest in botanical tourism.

Congress Tourism

The congress tourism is a new developing field in Çanakkale and  in  case  of  utilizing  this  potential  that  the  province has, it is thought that Çanakkale’s share of the national congress tourism market is set to increase.

Activity Tourism

With  Memorial  Day  activities  organized  at  national  and international levels, as well as the festivals and celebrations that  have  become  tradition,  and  organizations  and competitions  in  different branches  of  sport,  Çanakkale offers a wide range of alternatives in activity tourism, as another factor that influences the selection of a destination.

Gastronomy Tourism

The authentic tastes of the local cuisine that coalesce with olive oil have made Çanakkale a taste 
destination for gastronomy lovers.
Çanakkale has not only fertile soil but also a prosperous sea, and offers various options to those 
looking for different tastes. The province also hosts a variety of activities in which local tastes play 
a major part.
Çanakkale is known for its healthy diet, incorporating good quality natural agricultural ingredients 
produced by organic farming and good agriculture practices, which are today more common.
Local  foods  such  as  Ezine  cheese,  and  Bayramiç’s  nectarines  and  apples  are  registered  with 
geographical indications, and help improve gastronomy tourism in Çanakkale.

Çanakkale’s Protected Areas

The Troy Historical National Park*: The Troy Historical National Park is home to Troy, 
immortalized  in  Homer’s  Iliad  and  Odyssey,  with  a  nine-layered  culture  and  more  than  40 
settlement  periods.  Today,  one  can  partake  in  such  activities  as  cycling,  picnics,  trekking, 
photography, wildlife watching, camping, tableland tourism, rock climbing and bird watching.
Ayazma Spring Natural Park*: According to mythology, the Ayazma Spring Natural Park, 
located on Mount Ida, is where the world’s first beauty contest took place. Today, it is a frequent 
destination of nature lovers thanks to its recreation area in the middle of the forest, its distinctive 
flora and fauna, its cold water springs and its fresh air.
The Gulf of Saros: Special Protected Area**: Known for its underwater treasure, the 
Gulf of Saros hosts 144 types of fish, 78 types of marine plants and 34 types of marine sponges, 
and offers different opportunities for those who are interested in underwater activities. The Gulf 
of Saros and its coastline has been declared a Special Protected Area with the aim of preserving 
its geomorphological, ecological, floristic, biogenetical and touristic assets and landscapes.

Tourism Establishments 

As of 2016, the total number of facilities offering accommodation with tourism operation licenses 
or municipality certificates in Çanakkale was 623.
Of these, 67 have tourism operation licenses and 556 have municipality certificates.

Bed Capacity

As of 2016, the total bed capacity of the facilities providing accommodation in Çanakkale with a 
tourism operation license or municipality certificate was 25,099.
Of these, 19,000 are in facilities with municipality certificates whereas 6,099 are in facilities with 
tourism operation licenses.
A  breakdown  of  the  bed  capacity  among  the  different  districts  reveals  that  Ayvacık,  Central 
Çanakkale and Bozcaada are the top three districts.

Domestic and Foreign Tourists,

Between 2011 and 2015, an increase was witnessed in the number of visitors staying in facilities 
with tourism operation licenses in Çanakkale.
In  2016,  the  total  number  of  visitors  staying  in  facilities  with  tourism  operation  licenses  was 
373,943, 64,949 of whom had come from abroad, and 308,994 of whom were domestic tourists. 
In 2016, the average duration of stay in facilities with tourism operation licenses was 1.56.

Foreign Visitor’s Profile

When the international distribution of visitors who visited Çanakkale and stayed in facilities with 
tourism operation licenses between 2011 and 2016 is examined, it can be seen that Australia is 
among the top three visitor countries. This can be attributed to the Anzac Memorial Ceremonies 
organized annually in April.
People’s Republic of China showed an increase in ranking between 2011 and 2016, and ranked first 
in terms of incoming visitors in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

A Climate that Makes All-seasons Tourism Possible

Çanakkale  has  a  semi-humid  climate.  With  a  climate  under  marine  climate  effect,  Çanakkale 
has an average temperature of 15°C. The hottest months are July, with an average temperature 
of 25°C, and August with an average of 24.9°C. The lowest temperature is in January, with an 
average of 6.2°C.

National and International Memorial Events

As one of the most important symbols of national independence and a heroic saga, Çanakkale 
hosts events organized for the 18 March Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day on an annual basis 
with the participation of high-level national and international dignitaries, domestic and foreign 
visitors and the press.
The Anzac Memorial Day Events, organized by Australia, New Zealand, the UK and France and 
hosted by Turkey in Çanakkale take place on the 24 th  and 25 th  of April each year.