Property in Turkey | Skiing in Turkey

Skiing in Turkey: Ilgaz Ski Resort

IIgaz resort is a resort that offers something for everyone for all four seasons. Skiing in Turkey at the Ilgaz resort has first-class facilities with pistes suitable for all, from beginners to more advanced skiers.

Just two hours from Ankara or four hours from Istanbul, top hotels welcome tourists and packages are on offer to allow unlimited use of ski lifts to ensure that tourists get the most out of their time.

Mount Ilgaz became a national park over 30 years ago and presents wonderful opportunities for skiing in Turkey for both on and off-piste skiing, with the main season lasting from December until April. There are two main pistes - the longest is over a mile long - and the main resorts close to Mt Ilgaz include Mt Keltepe, Elmadag, Kartalkaya, Mt Erciyes and Kartepe, so if one tires of the skiing at Ilgaz, there are always other places to go to.

There are several hotels that visitors recommend, such as the Ilgaz Dagbasi and development means that the resort is growing. For instance, the nearby Alsoilgaz is quiet now, with skiers pleased at the lack of queues for lifts, but visitors should expect it to become one of Europe's premier resorts in the near future.

Other visitors praise the scenery on offer as one descends the mountain, with some declaring it as completely different to anything available in Europe. Experienced skiers say that it is as of equal quality, but less busy, than other European destinations, with good accommodation to match the scenery.

Control of the skiing in Turkey in the region recently passed from the government to the private sector and the changes since then have been described as amazing and giving much better value-for-money hotels and restaurants. In addition, good-value ski instructors can be hired and most hotels now offer ski rooms to save the carrying of equipment.

Yet while Ilgaz is undoubtedly a fine ski resort and one that will gain more attention in the coming years as more people discover its charms, there is more to the region than snowboarding and skiing in Turkey.

Getting to Ilgaz is simple as it is only 25 miles from a major road and it is possible to arrange drops between the airport and resort. During the summer, many people love to hike the mountain and its surrounding parts and some even choose to go hunting in an area with good sport. Many overseas residents have purchased property in Turkey in the area precisely because it allows them to enjoy the charms of the area throughout the year and know that they will always be able to rent it out.

Whether you favour tennis, skiing or scuba diving, or if you want to follow the steps of Saint Paul or paraglide from a high mountain, Turkey has all the activities.