Going on holiday in Istanbul , you should definitely plan a whole day for a trip to the Princes' Islands or, in a local way, Adalar. This is the name of the archipelago in the Marmara Sea, consisting of several islands.
In this article you will get acquainted with the peculiarities of rest on the Princes' Islands, located near the capital of Turkey, Istanbul.
What are the Princes' Islands?
The Princes' Islands got their name because earlier, the emperor who ruled sent him princes or relatives who could claim power. And now they have become a popular holiday destination for residents and guests of Istanbul.
In total in this archipelago there are 9 islands, of which only 4 can be visited, since the rest are either privately owned or completely uninhabited. The biggest is Buyukada.
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How to get to the Princes Islands?
Daily excursions to Princes' Islands are organized in Istanbul, after all the ferry leaves from the pier Kabatash (in the European part) almost every hour. From there, water buses and taxis depart. You can get there by tram number 38. You can go and yourself. In the Asian part of Istanbul, you can also take the ferry to Bostanci dock.
The cost of the trip is 3 Turkish lira, and the duration in one direction is 1.5 hours. During this time you can see the sights of the Asian part of Istanbul and call on all the inhabited islands of the archipelago: Kinalyadu, Burgazadu, Heibeliada and at the very end of Büyükada.
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Hotels in the Princes Islands
If desired, you can even spend the night on the islands. The easiest way is to settle on Büyükada Island, since there are 7 hotels here, the most famous of which is Splendid Palase. On other islands you can rent small villas or houses.
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Beaches of the Princes Islands
Almost on each of the islands there are beaches where you can relax and swim in the clear water of the Sea of Marmara. The most popular are the following:
- on the island of Kinalalyada - 2 beaches in the Monastery Bay, where you can get on motorbikes or on horses;
- on Burgazade - near the Kalpazan rock;
- on Haybeliada - near Mill Cape (Sadik Bey and Ada Beach Club);
- on Büyükade - opposite the mosque (Kumsal), on the eastern side (Nakibey), at the base of Cape Dil Burnu (Prenses and Yoruk Ali).
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In addition to these, there are many more stony small beaches on which you can also relax, but without amenities.
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Sightseeing of the Princes Islands
In addition to the beach holidays on the islands you can visit:
on Büyukad:
- Museum of the islands - here exhibits are associated with the history of all the Princes Islands, the main exhibition of it is in the old helicopter hangar;
- a large number of churches of different faiths: the Church of St. George and the Monastery are on the top of the Yudgepe hill, the church of Jesus Christ on the summit of Isa Tepesi, the Church of Agios Dimitrios, the Hamidiye Mosque and others.
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on Burgasade:
- the monastery of Jesus Christ, located in the center;
- Museum of the writer Sait Faik Abasyanyk;
- rock of Kalpazanskaya (counterfeiter or swindler);
- Mesarlik Burnu - Cemetery Cape.
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on Heybeliada:
- The Mill Cape (Degirmen Burgu) - with the ruins of an ancient mill;
- the church of Kamariotissa is a Byzantine church built the very last before the fall of Constantinople;
- the grave of Edward Barton - the English ambassador;
- the monastery of the Holy Trinity - located on the hill of Yumite Tepesi, where now since 1971 there is a seminary.
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You can ride on the islands on bicycles either by using horse-drawn phaetons or on foot, but for this you need to have a map.
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