I have got to know Kömür(COAL)  Port years ago during my first diving experiences... Do not let the name fool you, it is actually a tiny fisherman's bay. To reach this tiny fisherman's bay, you have to cross a steep mountainous terrain.

A charming, unspoiled fishing port nestled at the foot of lush hills right on the Saroz Gulf in the Aegean Sea, Kömür is visited by only a few scuba divers, campers and fishers.
It takes around 30-40 minutes from the intersection of the main road to the road to Fındıklı village.
Reaching Kömür presents good views for campers and two very pretty beaches.

While you are looking the top of the mountain on the valley, you realize that structuring is very limited in here,  only a few fisherman shelters. An important feature of this paradise is that it has a tremendous submarine life. This is why Kömür is one of the most important diving sites of Saroz. You can scuba-dive here and return home with beautiful diving experiences. For many divers, Kömür is like an old friend, one they visit every year. Because the water is clear, shallow, and diving entrance is easy. It has tremendous diversity of underwater creatures.

Unfortunately, nowadays Kömür has become highly popular. Especially in summer. Overcrowding is becoming a major issue in this tiny seacoast. So, I suggest you to visit this place during spring and fall.

Camping in this beautiful resort is a completely different experience. Especially if you catch a moment outside the season, it is possible to open your tent's door towards the sea and wake up with epic morning.

There are so many moments I went to the Kömür. But I want to talk about the camp especially in October we had in Kömür. After peak season, the port becomes silent. Only a few fisherman comes. Crowds turn back to city centers. So, Kömür turns to a perfect weekend city break. It is a privilege to be here with friends at such times. We were together, away from city mess, feeling calm and relax. After you load your camping staff, 4-5 hours trip from Istanbul to reach here, being in this atmosphere with your friends feels you lucky.

Our campfire not only provides us warmth, but also is an opportunity to know each other deeply. We enjoy talking while sitting around the fire. To develop a strong connection with nature, campfire is also important component of camping areas. To get rid of searching for wood, and having usable pieces for campfire, we prefer to buy our woods from wood shops of which a few remains in the city center. Every wood that came out of the wood bag makes the night cheerful. We become happy as the sparks scatter in the air. Our voice mixes with the sound of waves and this turns into a harmonious symphony. We feel like time goes by so fast when we were enjoying this atmosphere.

Late at night, we spend our time under the sky with millions of shining stars. At this point, because of limited construction, you are not affected by city light pollution. So, when the sky turns black, Milky Way Galaxy is nothing less than magical.

Last but not least, I advise that lie down with your sleeping bag on the beach, try to find a moment which everybody sleeps and sky is crystal clear. Enjoy the loneliness.

Located in 6 km away from Teşvikiye village province of Yalova's Çınarcık district, the Highland Erikli, that many campers visit especially in summer.
Erikli is an ideal camping spot for meeting nature and walking on hiking trails. Our camp on the Erikli highland was held in one of the hottest weekends of June. We started from İstanbul. We passed through Gebze to Yalova with Eskihisar ferry.

During your hiking and camping on the Erikli Highlands, you should visit the waterfalls and watercourse. The atmosphere here instantly grabs you and is really beyond comparison with any other places. Flora and water resources are remarkable. There is a rich variety of plants here such as Chestnut, elm, linden, fir and apple trees. Resting under the shadows of these trees is like a dream that we always want to live in by escaping from the pain of everyday life becoming tiresome.
Starting from the highland, we stoped by the waterfall region after hiking through the pathway nearby the watercourse. The region called as twin-waterfalls because waterfalls are one just after another.

We swam in the waterfalls zone and enjoyed the time. Cooling down on a hot day in this big natural swimming pool  made us feel hungry. So, we made picnic there. Sandwiches which we prepared before for our trip is the best and fancy members of our picnic basket. After finishing our picnic it is time to walk the boundaries of our campsite to identify the best spot for our tent, cooking, and eating. We found  the most suitable point for our tent in the campground belonging to national parks.

We set our tent area near the stream edge. We were lucky because we have a picnic table near our tent area. So. we put our food and necessaries on the picnic table.

We burned our campfire which is  indispensable for our camping pleasure, and placed it around our chairs.
The sparkling golden hues of the fire, the crackles of the wood popping, the bright constellations above, gathered around a central focus… We love campfires. At this point ,We have a tip for you about campfire: In order not to be concerned about looking for wood, buy from where you live, or on the way to your camp. We have bought woods from woodchopper in the city center.
Especially, sitting around the cozy campfire in this campground and spending time in this spot, made us feel happier.

Our campfire did not only warm us up, but it also was a practical solution for us to cook our food at the same time.

At night, our campfire routine is singing songs.

The Erikli is referred as a plateau, but it is not a cold region because it is not much higher than sea level.  It is a place that your can enjoy hours without getting cold nearby a gentle fire. We have woken up for a wonderful morning after a good night sleep.

In the morning the day began in the middle of birds chirping and bright blue helicopter insects' tours over the stream. After our breakfast, it is time hike. A short wander through the woods, we follow a footpath up the lane in front of us, which brings us to the waterfalls region.

After the lunch in the waterfall district, we gathered our tent and stuff to return to the city.