It is a typical Black Sea port town with many fine examples of traditional domestic architecture.

The name was changed to Ionopolis (Ιωνόπολις in greek, meaning "city of Iones")in the middle of the 2nd century CE.

Visiting in August 1893, British parliamentarian and explorer H. F. B. Lynch noted how little then remained of the old Greek cities of the 'Argonautic shore'.

At "Ineboli" he reports finding a fragment of ancient sculpted marble near the shore, and describes the town as a line of white-faced houses with roofs of red tiles [that] nestles beneath the mountain wall.

The Greeks live on one side, the Turks on the other: and the intelligent man to whom you naturally address yourself is an Armenian in European dress.

The town was attacked and defended itself with determination, for which it was honoured with the Independence Medal by the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

The east wall of the castle extends from the İnebolu River, over the Abas hill, and up to the quarter called Avara.

The town consists of 14 quarters: Aşağıhatipbağı, Avrara, Boyran, Camikebir, Cünüriye, Karadeniz, Y.Hatipbağı, Yenimahalle, Çamlıca, Musaköy, Karaca, Kızılkara, Yakaboyu and Yeşilöz.

Historically, the port of İnebolu was a bustling merchant city, long considered the gateway to east.

Its Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1887; at the time, records indicate that İnebolu was home to 2500 registered merchants and 1000 independent craftsmen.

However, traffic was eventually routed around Kastamonu and İnebolu lost its commercial importance, leaving only the timber industry viable.

Depending on the season, one can find the following fish species in İnebolu: anchovy, turbot, whiting, horse mackerel, grey mullet, bluefish, çinekop ("young of the bluefish"), bonito, mackerel, thornback ray, garfish and so on.

390.95 km2 (151 sq mi) are mixed woodland, where beech, black fir, oak, birch tree and pine can all be found.

By the end of the 19th century many wealthy inhabitants İnebolu built large houses along the banks of the İkiçay river that divides the town.

The tiles are wide, thin and heavy, and protect the houses from the strong northeast winds that blow across the Black Sea.

Each house has an orchard garden, where fruits such as plums, mulberries, apples, pears, hazelnuts and walnuts are grown.

The houses are painted with a special claret mineral pigment known as aşı boyası, which is highly resistant to sunlight and weathering.

Nearby towns such Kure, Cide, Abana and Bozkurt can be travelled to by mini-buses which run many times a day.