Summer is Giresun's showcase season. The highlands are fully open, festivals run one after another, the sea is warm enough to swim in and boat trips are regular. But there is a price: at weekends the highland roads get crowded, popular stops form queues, and the Black Sea mist can close the view in the afternoon. A good summer plan takes both of these into account.
The good side of summer
Everything is open. The high highlands, glacial lakes and mountain roads that winter and spring leave inaccessible can all be used in summer. The long daylight lets you fit more stops into a single day. Sea and highland in the same day is possible.
The highlands are fully open
Kümbet, Bektaş, Kulakkaya, Sisdağı, Paşakonağı and Karagöl are all reachable in summer. This is the best time for hiking and camping. Even so, the night temperature can drop to single digits on the high highlands; bring a warm layer.
The festival calendar
Summer is festival season. Highland festivals, led by Kümbet, take place in July, and the Kuşköy Whistled Language Festival is in August. If you want to catch a festival, confirm the dates in advance; accommodation fills quickly on those days.
Sea and boat
In summer the sea is warm enough to swim; the Piraziz, Espiye and Eynesil shores are popular. Turquoise coves such as Uluburun are at their liveliest this season. Boat trips to Giresun Island run all summer, but as the trips are seasonal and weather-dependent, confirm them at the harbour.
Dealing with crowds and mist
Two simple rules save the summer. First, set out early: popular highland and water stops are empty before noon and fill up in the afternoon. Second, accept the mist: the Black Sea mist descends in the afternoon, so choose the morning for views and photography. Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends.
A 2-day summer plan
Day 1: Early morning to a high highland (Kümbet-Bektaş or Sisdağı), a water stop in the afternoon, fish on the coast in the evening.
Day 2: Morning at the sea and the Uluburun cove, midday at Yedi Değirmenler, late afternoon the castle and sunset. If there is a festival, give the second day to it.
On the map
In the summer crowds it helps to check distances and durations on the map and plan the day early.
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