Newsletters
Kayakers glide through Kayadibi Canyon, a narrow gorge on the Coruh River beside the Yusufeli Dam in Artvin, a province in Türkiye's mountainous northeastern corner near the border with Georgia.
The canyon lies near Uzundere, a district of Erzurum, a major city farther inland in eastern Türkiye. The reservoir draws more visitors seeking an unconventional way to see the region's terrain.
Visitors arrive at the edge of Kayadibi Canyon after traveling along winding roads through Artvin's mountainous countryside.
Many come specifically for the canyon's paddling routes, drawn by images shared online of kayaks dwarfed beneath towering limestone walls that rise directly from the water's surface.
As paddlers round the first bend, the canyon narrows sharply, and rock faces close in on either side. The walls, worn smooth over time by the flow of water, reach heights that block direct sunlight for much of the day, casting the channel in cool shadow.
Before setting out, visitors fit life vests and settle into two-person kayaks launched from a small platform near the canyon mouth. Guides accompany most groups, offering direction on navigating the calmer stretches of water that wind beneath the cliffs.
Paddles dip in a steady rhythm as kayaks move deeper into the gorge. The pace slows here, with visitors pausing frequently to look up at the rock formations overhead, some carved into unusual shapes by decades of wind and water erosion.
Further along, the canyon walls rise to their most dramatic height, framing a narrow strip of sky above. The scale of the surrounding rock leaves little room for conversation, and many visitors describe the stretch as the most striking part of the route.
Still water inside the canyon mirrors the cliffs above, doubling their height in reflection. Kayakers often slow their pace through this section, letting boats drift while taking in the symmetry between rock and reflection before paddling on.
Groups of kayakers move together through wider sections of the canyon, where the channel briefly opens before narrowing again. The contrast between the small boats and the surrounding rock walls gives a sense of the canyon's true scale.
The route eventually opens onto the broader waters of the Yusufeli Dam reservoir. Visitors typically end their trip here, looking back toward the gorge they have just paddled through.
Set as preferred source
2 min read
