Population (Sapanca Town): 34,500
Due east of İstanbul and İzmit/Kocaeli, the 16km-long Sapanca Gölü is a popular weekend retreat and day-trip destination for Turks from the big metropolises but tends to pass foreigners by; indeed, as more and more visitors abandon buses in favour of flying direct to Cappadocia it may be becoming even less familiar to outsiders.
A freshwater crater lake of around 250 sqm, Sapanca is hardly undeveloped although there are still some untouched sections. The eponymous town of Sapanca sits on the south side of the lake but most people will want to stay well away from it.
