Sarkoy, located in Tekirdag Province, is both a district and a municipality with an area of 487 km2. It is a coastal town located on the northern shore of the Marmara Sea in East Thrace. Sarkoy is located 86 km to the west of Tekirdag and can be accessed via the inland route or the scenic coastal road that continues on to Gallipoli.
Sarkoy and Murefte are small rural towns that offer surrounding villages services like healthcare and secondary education. Ninety percent of the territory is farmed, with vineyards and olive trees along the coast, while sunflowers, wheat, barley, and tobacco are grown inland. Sarkoy boasts Turkey’s longest beach, ranking 12th globally, which was previously polluted but has been restored and received a blue flag in 2006.
The region features 60 km of shoreline for tourism, fishing, and shrimp fishing. You can take a motorboat from this location to Avsa or Marmara Island. Given all this, Sarkoy is understandably a favorite destination for vacationers from Istanbul. The town of Sarkoy has hotels and guest houses, yet they are insufficient to meet the summertime demand. There are also complexes of vacation apartments for summer tenants.
The town features a small jetty and rather narrow streets. Sarkoy serves as a hub for Windsurfing due to the belief that 7 different wind types converge in that location. The younger generation often moves to Istanbul for education and job opportunities. In Ucmakdere village, it is possible to do paragliding from the end of May to the beginning of September.
Attractions
Grand Mosque of Gazi Suleyman Pasha
Ucmakdere – Tekirdag’dan baslayarak cliffs boyunca kıvrılan bir yol ile Sarkoy’den 36 km uzaklıkta. Ucmakdere is a charming coastal village set against a rugged shoreline, with beautiful vineyards in the background. A wine production hub since the Byzantine era, Greek-constructed wineries remain operational today. Remains of a Byzantine monastery, where silk was produced in the past. Shooting partridges on the steep slope behind the village, along with stunning views.
Gazikoy – located 25 km from Sarkoy, boasts 2700 years of history with fossils, remnants of Byzantine homes and churches, along with the castle known as ‘Ganos’.
Hoskoy – 16 km away from Sarkoy, another village known for its vineyards and rich history.
Eriklice – a long-standing coastal fishing hamlet featuring vineyards and olive orchards.
Murefte – 13 km from Sarkoy, a historic village with tree-lined streets along a beautiful coast, offering views of Marmara Island over the water. Viticulture and olive cultivation. There are inns and eateries for those seeking a weekend getaway from Istanbul. Wine production is a significant contemporary industry in this region, with popular grape types like semillon and gamay cultivated alongside traditional local varieties for use in wineries like Kutman