Turkey Guide
The Black Sea coast
Amasra
Amasra brazenly flaunts its charms to new arrivals. Approached from any direction, the town suddenly appears below you, swarming up onto a rocky headland sheltering two bays. Amasra's historical pedigree and colourful atmosphere make it worth at least an overnight stop. During the day it is a quiet place, full of shady corners to sit and contemplate; by night it's much livelier and the old walls are lit up rather attractively, though it doesn't lose its small-town charm.
The modern town occupies a headland; a narrow stone bridge links the main town to the island of Boztepe further out. The headland shelters the west-facing Küçük Liman (Little Harbour) on one side and the east-facing Büyük Liman (Big Harbour) on the other. Both the main town and island are scattered with stretches of ancient fortifications from two Byzantine/Genoese castles near the tip of the peninsula. One of these is situated in the modern town above Büyük Liman, and a short walk in this area, above the Amasra Oteli, reveals old cobbled streets straddled by Byzantine gateways. The other castle is reached by following Küçük Liman Caddesi across the bridge to Boztepe, where a ruined watchtower on a piece of land jutting out into the harbour is still visible. Boztepe's heavy-duty walls, pierced by several gates, are still largely intact. The inner citadel is studded with towers and the Genoese coat of arms; of the two Byzantine churches that you can hunt down in the maze of alleys on Boztepe, the larger was converted to a mosque after the Ottoman conquest, while the ruined smaller one was in use until 1923.
Amasra also boasts a good museum, located at the inland extremity of Küçük Liman (Tues– Sun 8.30am–5.30pm; 2YTL). It contains locally unearthed archeological finds, mainly from the Roman period. .
Practicalities
The cheapest accommodation is found overlooking the eastern beach on the Büyük Liman side of town, reached from Atatürk Meydanı by taking Büyük Liman Caddesi. The 
Huzur Aile Pansiyon, İskele Cad 8 ( 
0378/315 1082; Price: €14-24), is a delightfully friendly, accommodating and homely place with variously sized rooms and shared bathrooms. One block back from the eastern beach, the Amasra Oteli at Büyük Liman, İskele Cad 59 ( 0378/315 1007, 
315 1722; Price: €32-49), has sea views, while the nearby Otel Timur, Çekiciler Cad 57 ( 0378/315 2589, 
oteltimur@ttnet.net.tr; Price: €32-49), is deservedly popular on account of its comfortable – though dated – rooms and professional management. Just to the northeast of the main square, the bright pink HotelTürkili, Özdemirhan Sok 6 ( 0378/315 3750, turkilihotel@ttnet.net.tr; Price: €32-49), is plush with modern air-conditioned comfort but no views. On Cumhuriyet Meydanı, the brand new Amastris Otel ( 0378/315 2465, amastrisotel@amasra.net; Price: €63-93) is the most opulent option in town with 21 variously sized luxury doubles, buffet breakfast, à la carte dinner menu and an enormous swimming pool. In addition, there are numerous small pansiyons among the alleyways between the fortresses: pick of the bunch is the lovely Emek ( 0378/315 3548; Price: €14-24), practically built into the city walls on Topyanı Sokak above Büyük Liman, where you'll get clean sheets, hot water and a spectacular cliff-top view,
The Mustafa Amca'nin Lokantasi is easily Amasra's most colourful establishment, a 60-year-old fish restaurant with terraces on the water side of Küçük Liman Caddesi, with booze and ıstavrit (Black Sea mackerel) dished up for around 22YTL. Drop in at the Han Bar a few doors north for more drinking (and probably some singing) or make your way to the Karadeniz Pide Salonu, Hamam Sok 9, which serves up hot pide for 4YTL. On the eastern beach, near Büyük Liman, there are two excellent restaurants: the Çeşmi Cihan, a three-storey affair at the harbour entrance with wraparound balconies and commanding views (around 16YTL for fish, salad and a beer); and the smartest place in town, the Liman Restaurant, right on the harbour with a rooftop terrace, and an impressively long fish menu (around 12YTL per dish) including salmon (saumon), turbot (kalkan) and crayfish (ıstakoz), plus a bar stocked with champagne and Scotch whisky.
After dark the town takes to the streets along both harbour fronts. Büyük Liman boasts the tacky Bedenaltı music café near the excellent waterside food-stalls, while the Nür Taverna, a family affair, is the big draw across the headland on Küçük Liman, with traditional music and lots of rakı-induced dancing.