Caves, Picnic Groves and Thracian Quiet in Çatalca

Çatalca is İstanbul's largest district and one of its emptiest. Once you leave the motorway the landscape turns unmistakably Thracian: low hills, sunflower fields, lines of poplars. The most striking spot here is the İnceğiz Caves, chambers cut into rock that served first as tombs and later, in the Byzantine period, as a monastery and a refuge. Inside you can still see soot marks on the ceilings and niches carved into the walls.

Getting there: take the Çatalca exit from the TEM motorway and follow signs to İnceğiz village. By public transport there are minibuses from Hadımköy; weekday services are more regular.

The day: spend the morning at the caves, which take about an hour to see and involve no difficult walking. The area below the rocks is laid out for picnics and well shaded. Afterwards head into Çatalca town for the market, where smallholders sell their own cheese, eggs and honey. In the afternoon you can drive north to the Black Sea coast at Karacaköy or south to the shore of Büyükçekmece Lake, which is the better choice for birdwatching in winter.

Eating: Çatalca is known for its buffalo yoghurt and clotted cream, and the older restaurants in town serve Thracian style meatballs.

Tips: there is no lighting inside the caves and the floor gets slippery after rain. Spring is the best season, when the fields are green and the crowds absent.