Macahel (Camili) UNESCO Biosphere Guide

1. What is Macahel?

• Status: Designated in 2005 under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme as Turkey’s first biosphere reserve.
• Location: Camili subdistrict of Borçka, Artvin — bordering Georgia’s Adjara region.
• Historical name: “Macahel” is the local Georgian term; official Turkish name is “Camili”.
• Geography: Mountain valley, three-sided mountain wall, opens toward Georgia.
• Languages: Turkish + a local Georgian-Laz dialect.

2. How to get there

• Borçka → Macahel: 70 km mountain road.
• Entirely single-lane, winding, rough in places.
• Summer: ~2.5 hours; after rain: 3+ hours.
• Closed in winter: usually Nov-Apr due to snow and landslides.
• Time windows: at times a convoy system is in place — set hours for inbound/outbound. Check with local gendarmerie before departure.

3. The six villages

Scattered through the Macahel valley:

1. Camili (main): administrative centre; cooperative HQ.
2. Maral: cascade views.
3. Uğur: furthest north, near Georgian border.
4. Düzenli: agriculture-focused.
5. Kayalar: stone house architecture.
6. Efeler: closest to the forest.

4. Caucasian bee gene centre

• Macahel is the only preserved gene pool of the pure Caucasian bee breed worldwide.
• Bringing in foreign bees, hives, or even beeswax is strictly forbidden.
• The cooperative accepts visitors; hive observation and honey harvest demos happen.
• All honey in the region is certified organic Macahel honey.

5. Macahel honey

• Type: Flower + spruce honey mix + endemic plants.
• Price (2024-2025): cooperative wholesale ₺500-800/kg; retail ₺1,000-1,500/kg.
• Counterfeit warning: “Macahel honey” market has heavy fakes. Only buy from the cooperative or direct producer contact.
• Packaging: glass jar, label must include producer/parcel number.

6. Stays

• Village homestays: each of the 6 villages has 2-5 families hosting visitors.
• No modern bungalows — authentic wooden/stone house experience.
• Bed + home-cooked breakfast: ₺1,500-3,000/night/person.
• Book via phone in advance or through the cooperative.
• Off-season (Nov-Apr) usually closed.

7. Things to do

• Karagöl trekking: hike to Macahel Karagöl lake (3-4 hours one way).
• Apiary visit: organised via cooperative.
• Old churches & stone bridges: medieval Georgian architecture.
• Sunday tea/honey market: buy directly from producers.
• Birdwatching: endemic species, ornithologist paradise.
• Photography: mist, waterfalls, wooden bridges — pristine.

8. Sensitivities

As a biosphere reserve, please respect these rules:

• No littering — take all waste back to Borçka.
• Wildlife: keep distance (rare bear/wolf/lynx sightings).
• No photographing locals without permission.
• Don’t touch hives — some are under strict protection.
• Drone: get permission.

9. Practical

• Mobile: weak in most spots; Turkcell sometimes the only one working.
• Electricity: present in every village; occasional outages after rain.
• Cash: no ATM — withdraw in Borçka.
• Health: small clinic in Camili; serious emergencies → Borçka/Artvin.
• Fuel: top up fully before leaving Borçka.

10. Who is it for?

• ✅ Nature lovers, quiet-seekers: excellent.
• ✅ Ornithologists, botanists: endemic richness.
• ✅ Culture enthusiasts: Georgian-Turkish frontier.
• ✅ Slow-travel fans: ideal.
• ❌ Luxury-bungalow seekers: alternative is Şavşat centre.
• ❌ Short-trip “see-it-all” travelers: road is long, pace yourself.
• ❌ Families with very small kids: tough road; age 8+ OK.

11. Combo programme

• Day 1: Artvin centre + Borçka Karagöl.
• Day 2: Borçka → Macahel; settle + apiary.
• Day 3: Macahel Karagöl trek.
• Day 4: Macahel → Şavşat Karagöl + Sahara Highland.