Türkiye · TR

Yayla

Yayla is a cool, wind-swept upland pasture on the crest of the Amanos Mountains above İskenderun, in Hatay province. It sits inside the Kaledibi highland belt — a string of summer yaylas where local families leave the sticky heat of the Gulf of İskenderun behind each season. The Google Maps entry for this spot is aptly and simply named "Yayla," the Turkish word for an alpine summer meadow, and visitors sum it up just as plainly: a beautiful natural setting. What makes this corner of the mountains worth the climb is the way wilderness and history meet. The village below lends its name to the ruins of Şalen Kalesi, a rocky hilltop fortress reached by a footpath, while the surrounding yaylas are known for pine woods, century-old plane trees, ice-cold mountain springs and broad views back down toward the sea. It is not a polished resort but a genuine highland retreat for walkers, picnickers and anyone wanting thin, cool air within day-trip distance of the coast.