Ereğli Karting

In Ereğli, in the south of the province of Konya, this open-air circuit offers karting at the heart of central Anatolia, in a farming town backed by the Taurus mountains. The outdoor layout is driven in the open air, and the activity stays open to all, with no licence or experience. People come as a family or with friends for a few timed laps, in the relaxed mood that is the charm of a karting outing.

The idea is simple: a briefing, a helmet, and you set off to post your best time. The short format suits beginners trying it out as much as regulars working on their lines, and groups happily set up short races to sort out the drivers. As the activity takes place outdoors, it is best to check opening times and prices by season before setting out. People rarely leave after a single run, the urge to do better soon taking over.

Ereğli, long a stop on the route linking central Anatolia to the Mediterranean, is known for its orchards and fertile plains. Close by, the rock relief of İvriz, carved in Hittite times, shows a king before a god of storms and harvests, one of the finest reminders of that period in Turkey. The Bolkar mountains, in the Taurus range, dominate the horizon and offer cool air and hiking in summer. Konya, with its Seljuk monuments and the mausoleum of Mevlana, is a little over an hour away by road, a way to extend the outing with a cultural stop.