Çatak Canyon

Çatak Canyon is a canyon located in the Azdavay district of Kastamonu province in Türkiye, formed by river erosion. It is a deep valley created by the continuous erosive activity of rivers and streams long.

Geographical Features

Çatak Canyon is a geological formation along the Devrekani Çayı, one of the West Black Sea Region's important rivers, situated between the Azdavay and Pınarbaşı districts. The canyon extends approximately 8 kilometers in a southeast-northwest direction, beginning near Ahat Village in the Çatak neighborhood of Azdavay. With a depth reaching up to 900 meters at some points, the canyon features narrow and steep slopes. The waters flowing through the canyon drain into the Black Sea via the Çatak 1 and Çatak 2 tributaries, which are among the longest rivers in Kastamonu. The total length of the canyon along its northern and southern edges is approximately 6 kilometers.

Cam Observation Terrace

The Çatak Canyon Cam Observation Terrace, opened to the public in 2017 by the Azdavay Municipality for viewing the canyon’s landscape, is situated on the canyon’s eastern slope between Çaldağ (1340 m) and Ortaköknarlık Hill (1303 m). The terrace is 7 kilometers from the Azdavay district center, 22 kilometers from the Pınarbaşı district center, and 108 kilometers from the Kastamonu city center. It offers a bird’s-eye view of a large portion of the canyon.

The steel-structured glass observation terrace has a total length of 33 meters and a width of 10 meters, with 15 meters extending over the canyon’s void. The terrace weighs approximately 25 tons of metal and 10 tons of glass, resulting in a total weight of about 60 tons over the void. The rear section of the terrace, anchored to the rock bed, consists of a steel structure approximately 18 meters long, encased in concrete and wrapped in construction rebar, supporting a load of 900 tons. The terrace has a capacity of 250 people and is located 450 meters above the rock bed from which it was constructed tea.

Çatak Canyon (Kastamonu Municipality)

Natural Beauty and Tourism Potential

Çatak Canyon is one of Kastamonu’s key tourist attractions due to its natural features and scenic views. From the glass terrace, visitors can observe the 7-kilometer-long canyon void, its vegetation cover, and wild animals. The section from Çatak Bridge, the canyon’s starting point, downstream for 1–2 kilometers to Nalbantoğlu Village is uninterrupted and continues up to the İnönü locality.

Located within the Sphere Mountains National Park, Çatak Canyon is considered by some sources to be the fourth largest canyon in the world. Access to the canyon, located 7 kilometers from the Azdavay district center, is provided via a 6-kilometer asphalt road followed by a 1-kilometer walking trail. A panoramic view of the canyon can be observed from the observation point.