The highlights of Istanbul
When doing a city trip, it’s always a good idea to combine it with a visit to a place close by. I’m staying for 6 days in Istanbul, so I have more than enough time to explore the sights outside of the main tourist areas. Today I decided to visit Princes’ Island, and specifically the main island Büyükada.
How to get there
When staying in Sultanamet (the old town of Istanbul) it is super easy to get there with the ferry from Eminönü. The Turyol ferry is only TL16 one way and takes around 90 minutes to go to Büyükada, with 3 short stops along the way. The boat departs every hour and I simply bought a ticket at the pier right before departure, no reservation was needed.
On the island
Büyükada is a car-free island, all transportation goes by electrical cart, walking or renting a bike. Up front I read about some bike rental shops who had crappy bikes. Since there are so many of them in town I stopped at a shop in a back alley which had well maintained mountain bikes with gears, and cheaper too! TL25 for the day (instead of TL30 on the main street). Another option is hopping in one of the electrical carts which drive a fixed route, for this the Istanbulkart is needed though.
Cycling and sightseeing
I quickly noticed that the best route to bike is the same route the electrical carts ride, it’s the most flat and will get you to Lunapark, the starting point of the steep climb to the monastery. On my bike ride I stopped at a picnic ground for a drink, swinging on the swing and just relaxing. At Lunapark I parked my bike to start my ascend, and after about 25 minutes walking I was rewarded with some amazing views of the Sea of Marmara, the islands and Istanbul.
Back at Adalar (the town at the pier) I returned my bike, walked around a bit and had a nice meal before taking the ferry back to Istanbul. The ferry ride is rather chilly, so definitely bring a coat!
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