Head to Heybeliada, Istanbul for a lazy island getaway
From quiet cafes to pine-covered hills and horse-drawn carriages, this idyllic island getaway is ideal for a quite weekend. Best of all – it’s absolutely traffic-free.
The public ferry from Kabataş bound for Princes’ Islands costs just a few Turkish Lira.
The boat ride was great, like a poor man’s cruise, taking in fantastic views of the Bosphorus and Istanbul’s skyline while breathing in fresh ocean air, spoilt only by the occasional whiff of the ferry’s toxic diesel exhaust.
At least nobody was allowed to smoke on the open upper deck which made a nice change in this tobacco-addicted city.
They came round with tea and those bagel-shaped Turkish breads covered in sesame seeds, just to keep us going during the journey to Heybeliada, the second largest of the Princes’ Islands.
The most notable thing about these islands is that they are traffic-free. Motor vehicles are banned, except for fire engines and other service vehicles.
The only methods of transport are horse-drawn carriages, which operate as taxis, or bicycles.
To be honest, there’s not a huge amount to do on Heybeliada. There is a strip of restaurants and cafés lining the waterfront and, parallel to that another street with some shops, after which the residential area begins.
After a pleasant seafood lunch, it was a stroll through the back lanes, lined with wooden houses, and up to the top of the nearest hill, covered in pine trees.
From the top of the hill there were good views across to the Kadiköy district of Istanbul over on the mainland.
Heybeliada has a very peaceful feel to it and it’s easy to imagine how, for Istanbulites, the island would make a welcome weekend getaway and escape from the crazy pace of the city.
The island only has a few thousand year-round residents but during the summer, and especially at weekends, the population swells to over 10,000.
For foreign tourists though, with limited time and so many amazing things to see in Turkey, it is not surprising that the Princes’ Islands are not high on the list of must-see attractions.
On the way back to Kabataş, the ferry passed close to Maiden’s Tower. It was a nice day out and sitting on the ferry watching the world drift by was a pleasant experience in itself.
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This article first appeared on thriftytraveller.wordpress.com