We stumbled on a nice place last week...Last time I was there was 5 years ago...and BOY
has it changed!! it's more commercial (ha...even one bakal would have made it 'more'
commercial than what it was way back then)...but it's still small and uncrowded...

Assos isnt' the kind of place many people 'return' to...once is usually enough...so take it
from me...avoid it in the first place...instead go to SOKAKAGZI to the west of Assos...

the beach and the sea were lovely...clean...not crowded and not a long hike from your
car...the Greek Island of Mytilini is so close, you can see the houses...

there's a hotel there that supposedly charges only YTL 35/night and this includes breakfast and
dinner...the rooms are on the beach and have A/C...there are also smaller pansyon that are
even cheaper. you do need a car to get there...the ride down from the top of the caldera (that's
what the locals call it and surely, it was formed by a volcano) is breath-taking...

if you have a car, you can drive around (toward the east of SOKAKAGZI) and find Muammer's
restaurant...he only had two tables when we went there last week but we had LOBSTER
and the best darned kalamar we've ever eaten....it was actually SWEET...really really good.
he's got fresh fish and a super salad...

we didn't like the beach on that side of the caldera, but it's a good place to eat...
we're going back there this week...

A_G

as a very close location to Istanbul ; Agva is a such a great place for getting away ,just takes 2 hours to arrive there ,green,quite..so nice for weekends .

And getting spoiled fast as well!

Now the seaside road is almost useless as they have started the Black sea higway construction, but stopped after couple of years as they spent the money they offered to do it for. yak, politics. It has been very common (still is) to get the government tender by offering few, and later get what u want as they will agree to increase the cost of the construction.

So when u pass Şile, u come to Çayırbaşı köy (where my summerhouse is ) and select the right turn to Ağva if you dont want to have off-road experiences!

sorry J...i went to Agva a long time ago..(in the 90s) and wasn't terribly impressed..
besides, the Black Sea is infamously dangerous for swimmers...

i much prefer the crystal clear waters of the northern aegean...

bozcaada is outrageously crowded this time of year...
i spent a month there in '93 with the hazirlik class from Uskudar American Academy..
it was practically empty then...now all the la-de-dahs from Istanbul have bought up
all the property and created 'villas'...give me a break.

you want to see a nice island...go to Gorkce Ada...now that's NICE...
and a varied 'climate' and deserted beaches ... if you have a car.
it's a huge island...with mountains and greeks.

A_G