Photo: Ertly (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Sinop is the northernmost province of Türkiye, and the ancient Sinope on the Boztepe peninsula has the only natural harbour on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. It is known for Sinop Castle with its 2,050-metre walls, the Historic Prison called the "Alcatraz of Anatolia", the Hamsilos bay at İnceburun, the 28 waterfalls of Erfelek Tatlıca, and as the city where the philosopher Diogenes was born. Sinop mantı, lakerda, nokul and chestnut honey are registered products.
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8 places worth seeing in Sinop, from historic monuments to natural wonders, grouped by type. Open any of them on the map with a single click.
Photo: Ertly (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source Surrounding the Sinop peninsula and dating from the 7th century BC, its walls are 2,050 metres long, 25 metres high and 3 metres wide. It was repaired in the Roman, Byzantine and Seljuk periods; its towers were built by İzzeddin Keykâvus I between 1215 and 1218.
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Photo: Basak (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A two-storey cut-stone building with a U-shaped plan and 28 wards, beside the castle walls; known as the "Alcatraz of Anatolia", it was closed in 1999 and turned into a museum in 2000.
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Photo: Dosseman (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A national museum displaying archaeological finds from Sinop and its surroundings.
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Photo: Erturkercin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A bay at İnceburun, at the northernmost tip of Türkiye, that runs 300–400 metres inland from the mouth of the Deveci Stream; it is known for its fjord-like appearance and is surrounded by forest.
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Photo: Erturkercin (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source A series of 28 waterfalls on the Karasu Stream, about 10 km from Erfelek and 45 km from Sinop, in a valley that came to light when a road was built in 1997.
View on mapA peninsula 8–9 km long that carries most of the city of Sinop; the only natural harbour on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea lies on its southern side, and there is a lighthouse at its eastern tip.
View on mapSinop lies at the northernmost tip of Türkiye, around İnceburun, which juts out into the Black Sea. The city is built on the Boztepe peninsula, which is about 8–9 km long. The southern side of the peninsula is the only natural harbour on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. The north-eastern side of Boztepe is rocky; from its southern side Gerze can be seen, and from the north the entrance to Hamsilos and Akliman.
The city’s origins are ancient: in 756 BC, settlers from Miletus founded Sinope here. One of the most important cities on the Black Sea in antiquity, Sinope kept its importance under the Kingdom of Pontus as well. The philosopher Diogenes was born in Sinope. Under Roman, Byzantine, Anatolian Seljuk, Candaroğulları and Ottoman rule, Sinop remained one of the most important ports on the Black Sea, with its castle and shipyard.
The walls of Sinop Castle are 2,050 metres long, 25 metres high and 3 metres wide. The castle has protected the city since the 7th century BC and was repaired in the Roman, Byzantine and Anatolian Seljuk periods; its towers were built by the Seljuk Sultan İzzeddin Keykâvus I between 1215 and 1218. The Sinop Historic Prison near the castle was closed in 1999 and turned into a museum in 2000; with its two-storey U-shaped building and 28 wards, it is one of the symbols of the region.
Sinop has a Black Sea climate: summers are warm, and winters are mild and rainy. Averages for 1936–2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service:
| Month | Avg. high | Avg. low | Rainfall | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9.9 °C | 4.7 °C | 74 mm | 15 |
| February | 9.8 °C | 4.3 °C | 52 mm | 13 |
| March | 10.7 °C | 5.1 °C | 53 mm | 14 |
| April | 14.1 °C | 8.0 °C | 38 mm | 11 |
| May | 18.3 °C | 12.3 °C | 35 mm | 10 |
| June | 23.2 °C | 17.0 °C | 36 mm | 8 |
| July | 26.1 °C | 20.0 °C | 34 mm | 5 |
| August | 26.6 °C | 20.4 °C | 41 mm | 6 |
| September | 23.4 °C | 17.4 °C | 67 mm | 9 |
| October | 19.4 °C | 13.8 °C | 88 mm | 12 |
| November | 15.7 °C | 10.1 °C | 82 mm | 12 |
| December | 12.2 °C | 6.9 °C | 92 mm | 15 |
June to September is the best time to visit. The sea season is July and August; May and June are also suitable for Hamsilos and the Erfelek waterfalls.
By air: Sinop Airport opened in 1993 and is 8 km from the city; the only non-stop flights are to Istanbul Airport (about 1 hour 15 minutes).
By road: It connects via Kastamonu, Samsun and Çorum; there is no railway in the province.
Day 1 – Central Sinop: The walls of Sinop Castle and the Historic Prison, the Archaeology Museum, sunset at Boztepe.
Day 2 – Hamsilos and İnceburun: Hamsilos bay and Akliman beach; lakerda and mantı in the evening.
Day 3 – Erfelek: A walk at the Tatlıca Waterfalls; Gerze on the way back.
Sinop cuisine is known for seafood and dough dishes. The specialities with registered geographical indications are Sinop mantısı, Sinop lakerdası (salt-cured bonito), Sinop kotrası, Sinop nokulu, Boyabat ezmesi, Boyabat sırık kebabı (pole kebab) and Boyabat Gazidere domatesi (Gazidere tomato). Products: Sinop kestane balı (chestnut honey).
Boyabat çemberi, Durağan çemberi, Durağan mahraması, Ayancık göynek yakası and Ayancık keten bezi (linen cloth) are registered geographical indications.
Sinop province has 9 districts. Explore the places to visit, local dishes and transport in each one.
Mantı with a registered geographical indication.
Lakerda with a registered geographical indication.
A speciality with a registered geographical indication.
Nokul with a registered geographical indication.
A kebab with a registered geographical indication.
The main stops are Sinop Castle, the Historic Prison, Boztepe, Hamsilos, the Erfelek Tatlıca Waterfalls, the Alaaddin Mosque and the Archaeology Museum.
Sinop mantı, lakerda, nokul, chestnut honey and the Hamsilos bay.
It has the only natural harbour on the Turkish coast of the Black Sea; in antiquity, as Sinope, it was one of the most important cities of the region.
It is on the İnceburun peninsula of Sinop, at the northernmost tip of Türkiye; the only road to the bay passes through Akliman.
June to September is the best period.
The information in this guide has been compiled from and checked against the sources below (last checked: 8 October 2026). If you spot an error, please let us know.