Guide
Abalı ski centre lies at the foot of Artos Dağı in the Gevaş district, about 45 kilometres from the centre of Van. Its pistes face Lake Van, and from the highest points skiers look out over the lake and Akdamar Island. A chairlift carries skiers to the top, and the runs suit every level: there are areas for alpine skiing and snowboarding, separate sections for sledding with children, and instructors who give lessons to beginners. The snow lies long, and the season runs from late December to early April.
Akdamar Church is a short journey from the slopes and can be visited in winter too. Visitors stay either in accommodation in the area or in hotels in Van, which suits both day trips and longer winter holidays.
Getting there
The ski centre is reached from the Van–Tatvan highway, about 45 kilometres from Van.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Van as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from -3 °C in January to 22.4 °C in July; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in June, July, August and September; rainfall is heaviest in April (55 mm) and lightest in August (6 mm). Long-term means for 1939-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
