Sports and leisure activities Turkey

Budget & Tips

Would you like to visit without spending a penny? It is possible! Put on your shoes, put on your swimsuit, open your eyes and your nostrils and you can go for long hikes, trekking, swimming, fishing and observing the fauna, flora, stars and local life! The country offers you a thousand opportunities and a unique playground. Anatolian plains, islands, mountains of the Black Sea, indented coasts of the Mediterranean, turtles, storks, creeks, lakes, long sandy beaches, turquoise waters of lagoons... You will be spoilt for choice!

What's very local

If there is one game that is unanimously played by Turks, it is tavla (backgammon) which is more than common in Turkey: it is omnipresent. Gathered around an çay in the famous Turkish cafés, or while waiting for the customers in their stores, Turks take advantage of the slightest free moment to play it. The tavla (which means "table" in Turkish) comes from ancient Rome, where it was already played. However, backgammon is even older, with its origins in Mesopotamia over 5,000 years ago, which brings us closer to Turkey, although many people still believe that backgammon is an English game. Far from being out of fashion, tavla remains one of the favorite pastimes in Turkey, closely followed by dominoes and card games. There is no escaping it!

The other favorite activity of Turks, especially men: fishing! Bordered by four seas and studded with lakes and rivers, the country is an eden for those who love the rod and the sinker. If you have always dreamed of titillating the hook, now is the time! In Turkey, fishing in the sea or in the river for sport purposes is allowed without a special permit (in non-prohibited areas). Only amateur equipment is allowed and the net must not exceed 5 kg. The coasts being full of fish, you will certainly bring back some catches... Among the most common species: tuna, red mullet, mullet, sea bass, mackerel, sea bream and also lobsters, crabs and shrimps. For those of you who stay in Istanbul, the Galata Bridge offers you a free space with other Stamboulian fishermen.

Perhaps less accessible but just as exciting, Turkish wrestling(güreş) is a typical discipline of the country and very popular with the people. The original Persian word pehlivan refers to the wrestler. According to the historian Burhan-Katia, its real meaning is "brave", "courageous". But the word is also used to define strong men and those who have the right word. The whole Turkish nation, men, women and children, love wrestling, respect it and, without any doubt, recognize a privilege for pehlivan (wrestlers). A wrestling festival is organized every year for a week in Kırkpınar, 2 km from Edirne. And every year, in the presence of the president of the Republic, the city elects a new pehlivan.

Many sports and activities are commonly practiced in Turkey, which you may have the chance to try: diving, sailing and all known water sports, winter sports, golf, paragliding, mountaineering...

Your documents please

Most activities do not require a permit or specific license to practice in Turkey. For some activities, however, it is necessary to contact the federation. This is the case for mountaineering. Mountaineers are advised to inform the Federation of their departure and the ascents they intend to make. Note that the ascent of the Ağrı Dağı and the Cilo-Sat peaks requires permission from the authorities.

To be booked

Since the first tests in the 2000s, ballooning has become a flourishing and lucrative market in Cappadocia. So much so that busloads of tourists come only for that. Because of the high demand, prices have soared in recent years and now for a one-hour balloon flight (20 passengers maximum), it costs 200 euros. The price can vary in low season, but the places are expensive. So a tip: book a place in a hot air balloon as soon as you arrive to be sure to fly over the fairy chimneys.

Main events

Gypsy music festival in Istanbul, oil wrestling near Edirne, camel wrestling in Ephesus, international ballet dance festival in Bodrum, film festival in Antalya, shadow theater festival in Bursa, and many other national or more local events, you can visit the country just by following the program of festivals that take place there...

Tourist traps

One of the unusual experiences to try during a stay in Ölüdeniz Bay is the tandem paragliding flight ("paragliding" in English). The flight is made from the top of Babadağ Mountain (4 jumping points, from 1,900 to 1,000 m above sea level) in tandem with an instructor. A flight costs 450 TL and lasts about half an hour, followed by 20-25 minutes of descent punctuated by small acrobatics. Before you get in the air, when you book your flight, make sure you specify whether or not you want photos and videos of yourself during the flight. Be careful, you will not be asked for your opinion at the time of booking, we will not even mention it. And once you are in the air, you will be bombarded by the instructor's multiple cameras who will ask you to pose with your feet in the air or with your legs crossed (often to the detriment of the flight experience itself). Be aware that these "souvenirs" have a price: 200 TL which is added to the price of the flight itself. You may be told that photos and videos are included in the flight, but this is not true. If you don't want to pay extra for photos of yourself, make sure you are understood before you take the flight, because once you are up there and the photos are taken, it will be almost impossible to negotiate.