Şekersu Plateau (Şekersu Yaylası), Trabzon

Where is Şekersu Plateau?

Şekersu Yaylası sits in the Çaykara district of Trabzon, in the same highland belt as Uzungöl and the Soğanlı mountains. It is a working summer pasture rather than a resort: wooden houses, grazing animals, fog rolling in and out, and long views over the valleys.

How to get there

• From Trabzon city centre, drive east along the coast road to Of, then turn inland towards Çaykara.
• Continue past Çaykara towards the highland roads; the last stretch is narrow mountain road, best in daylight and in dry weather.
• Total driving time from Trabzon is roughly 2 to 2.5 hours depending on stops and conditions.
• Many visitors combine it with Uzungöl, which is on the same side of the province.

What to do

• Walk the meadow tracks in the morning when the cloud sits below you.
• Photograph the plateau houses and the ridge lines.
• Drink tea and eat a simple highland breakfast where local families serve food in season.
• Pair it with the Uzungöl lake, Demirkapı and other Çaykara plateaus.

Practical notes

• Season: roughly June to September. Outside that window roads can be closed by snow or fog.
• Bring a jacket even in August; highland evenings are cold.
• Mobile coverage is patchy; download maps before leaving Çaykara.
• There are few shops, so carry water and cash.

Combine it with

Şekersu is in Çaykara, a short climb above Uzungöl — most visitors do both in one day. Time the drive with our distances guide; early autumn is covered in Uzungöl in September.