Deep within the evergreen forests of Trabzon in Turkey's Black Sea region lies a breathtaking plateau that looks like an island in the sky.
At an altitude of more than 2,100 meters (6,890 feet), the Beypınarı Plateau in Düzköy district is a relatively hidden paradise known to only a few.
In recent months, however, more people have discovered this gem, attracted by the mysterious allure created by evening fog and the clouds that shroud the plateau most of the year. Those looking to escape the stress of the city and get in touch with nature away from crowds amid the COVID-19 pandemic come for a day or two, and most choose to camp out in the verdant landscape.
After a tiring ascent uphill, visitors set up camp, keeping watch to catch a glimpse of the spectacular sunset that tints the plateau in the warmest shade of orange you can imagine.
Those who come are always prepared; sleeping bags and cozy blankets are at the ready, tea urns boil away for a hot cuppa and the melodies of the kemancha, the small three-stringed violin the Black Sea is famous for, fade in the background. When the cold starts to chill the limbs, people get up to dance the horon, the lively folk dance of the region that gets the blood pumping.
Summer is the best time for photography enthusiasts seeking to capture the perfect backlit sunset, framed by cotton candy-like clouds.
Mesmerizing year-round
Elif Hürfikir, who came to the plateau to see its beauty in person, said: "In the Black Sea, every season is beautiful. We all know the natural beauty of the Black Sea and every shade of green (it has). But autumn is different; it harbors almost every color. Especially the sea of clouds that we see now attracts the attention of visitors, nature lovers and photographers.”
Ömer Faruk Hacısalihoğlu, another visitor who wanted to see this floating paradise, said: “It is impossible to see this beauty, this sea of clouds anywhere other than the Black Sea. The clouds are what make this place special."
