The lakeside loop
A flat 4.4 km circuit through reeds and trees that takes about an hour and works with a pushchair when the ground is dry.
Burak OGUZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hasan Zeki YILDIZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hasan Zeki YILDIZ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hasan Zeki YILDIZ — CC BY-SA 4.0
Poyrazlar is not really a lake at all but an orphaned bend of the Sakarya River: the river shifted course long ago and left this crescent of water, about a kilometre and a half long and under half a kilometre wide, stranded on its floodplain. What remains is a still pool of roughly 67 hectares, three to eight metres deep and shallow at its southern end, ringed by reed beds, with a small patch of floodplain forest at that southern tip and a bird list of 154 species, resident and migrant. Locals also call it Teke Gölü. It is a first-degree protected natural site, declared a nature park in 2011 and run by the parks directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry through a private operator. What people do here is unhurried. A flat 4.4 km loop, the full length of the shoreline, circles the water and takes about an hour; it works with a pushchair when the ground is dry. There are picnic tables under the trees, a tea garden by the water, rowing boats and pedalos for hire, anglers on the banks, a playground and a small prayer room inside the park. One caution: there is no beach and no organised swimming. You will see local lads jumping in on hot days, but the bottom is muddy and the water grows weedy by midsummer. Entry is a token fee under the ministry's 2026 tariff: 65 TL per person on foot, or 195 TL per car covering everyone inside (you do not pay both), 130 TL for a motorcycle. Under-7s and over-65s enter free on foot, and a new tariff is published each January. From Sapanca it is a 35 to 40 minute drive via Adapazarı, then either the old Sakarya–Karasu road at km 10 or the new road about 5 km past the Güneşler junction. There is no direct public transport from Sapanca; taking the train to Adapazarı leaves you an 8 km minibus or taxi ride. Timing is everything. On a weekday the lake is close to empty and birds are the only noise; on a July or August Sunday it fills with Adapazarı families until the picnic tables vanish under barbecues. Spring and early autumn are the best of it, with morning mist and turning leaves; winter is damp, cold and muddy but the park stays open and very quiet. Do not drive a long way for it. Think of it as a half-day outing for a family staying in Sapanca who want water and shade without the crowds around Lake Sapanca itself.
A flat 4.4 km circuit through reeds and trees that takes about an hour and works with a pushchair when the ground is dry.
Rowing boats and pedalos for hire, and a tea garden on the bank that is the best spot for afternoon tea over the water.
154 recorded species, 65 of them resident and the rest summer or winter migrants; early morning in spring and autumn is when you will actually see them.
Poyrazlar Mahallesi, Adapazarı, Sakarya Province
On a two-day stay, stick to Lake Sapanca and Maşukiye. Poyrazlar earns half a day on a longer visit: quieter and less commercial, with a flat loop and cheap boats, but there is no swimming or beach, and on summer Sundays it fills with Adapazarı families.
There is no direct line. The workaround is the train to Adapazarı and then a minibus or taxi for the last 8 km, which takes twice as long as driving. Hire a car or book a taxi for the round trip.
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