Çayeli
Çayeli offers a world-class gastronomic journey, incredibly photogenic tea terraces, and coastal waterfall nature. Its crowning visual attraction is the Haremtepe (Çeçeva) Tea Village—featuring Türkiye's most photographed, perfectly symmetrical emerald tea terraces cascading down the mountainside. Visitors can hike to the stunning Ağaran Waterfall (Ağaran Şelalesi) hidden in a lush green gorge, or
Tourist experience
Çayeli offers a world-class gastronomic journey, incredibly photogenic tea terraces, and coastal waterfall nature. Its crowning visual attraction is the Haremtepe (Çeçeva) Tea Village—featuring Türkiye's most photographed, perfectly symmetrical emerald tea terraces cascading down the mountainside. Visitors can hike to the stunning Ağaran Waterfall (Ağaran Şelalesi) hidden in a lush green gorge, or relax at the Çayeli Coastal Promenade. Gastronomy is an absolute highlight, with travelers flocking to historic town-center restaurants to taste the legendary PDO Çayeli Kurufasulyesi, served with rich local butter and rice pilaf.
Key points of interest
Investment outlook
Çayeli commands an impressive Transparent Investment Score of 91.5/100, recognized as Rize's premier culinary gastronomy hub, tea agro-industry export, and coastal residential real estate market. Driven by high domestic and international tourist demand for its famous food and tea landscapes, commercial restaurant and coastal property values average $1,250/m² with rapid annual capital appreciation (~46.5% YoY in USD).
Living here
Residing in Çayeli represents a comfortable, safe, highly walkable, and gastronomically rich coastal lifestyle. Neighborhoods feature modern apartment compounds along the coastline, fresh sea air, and safe community streets. Residents benefit from comprehensive healthcare, top local dining, pure mountain spring water, and fast 15-minute highway access to Rize-Artvin Airport.
History & cultural identity
Çayeli (historically Mapavri), beautifully stretching along the coastal Black Sea gulf and steep mountain slopes east of Rize Central, holds a rich maritime, tea agricultural, and culinary history. Serving as a vital trading and fishing port under Byzantine and Ottoman rule, the town's destiny changed with the introduction of tea cultivation in the mid-20th century. Today, Çayeli is world-famous for its breathtakingly manicured Haremtepe (Çeçeva) Tea Terraces and is globally celebrated in Turkish gastronomy as the undisputed capital of PDO Çayeli Kurufasulyesi (slow-cooked white beans).
Frequently asked questions
Why is PDO Çayeli Kurufasulyesi so famous?+
Çayeli Kurufasulye is world-famous for its slow-cooking method using high-quality white beans, local Black Sea butter, and veal, baked in copper pots for hours until creamy.
What is the most photographed tea village in Türkiye?+
Haremtepe (also known as Çeçeva) village in Çayeli features perfectly manicured, symmetrical emerald tea terraces, making it Türkiye's top tea photography spot.
How far is Çayeli from Rize Central and the Airport?+
Çayeli is located 18 kilometers east of central Rize and just 15 minutes west of the new Rize-Artvin Airport.