Places to Visit on Büyükada, Istanbul
Nihan Uğurlu · Keyfi Yazılarım ·
Travel memories from 2014. Hours and prices may change; check official links before visiting.
Personal travel notes, discoveries along the way and photographs from the original story.
Travel notes
Where is Büyükada?
As the photograph shows, Büyükada is lively in summer. It is the largest of the islands off Istanbul, with Aya Yorgi Church and Monastery on one of its high points. At the time this post was written, I described horse-drawn carriages and rented bicycles as ways to explore. We chose bicycles because they were affordable and more fun. Be prepared for summer weekend crowds: on our visit, the bustle reduced the enjoyment. Away from the crowds, the island was calm and peaceful. Cycling takes some effort, and the heat and tiredness meant we did not climb all the way to Aya Yorgi.
Reşat Nuri Güntekin's house
You can also see the famous writer's house in Maden neighbourhood. The old waterfront homes and mansions are delightful, full of history, and the island feels peaceful and removed from everything out at sea. For swimming, the beaches listed in my notes were Eskibağ, Halik Cove, Prenses Cove, Yörükali, Nakibey, Kumsal and Aya Nikola.
Try one of Büyükada's old-established ice-cream shops. Go on, set off for this lovely island 🙂 Have fun!
