City break or island hopping? Why choose. #Istanbul is a bustling and colourful city to enjoy at any time of the year. It enjoys the European and Asian cultures, being placed perfectly between both. With city holidays they can often overwhelm the holiday maker as there is so much to see and do and “real” life goes on around the pleasure seeker. The solution, a city with a group of islands, that are easily accessed and offer peace, tranquillity, green space and natural, fresh food restaurants and markets. You can find all this in the Princes Islands on the Marmara sea, off the coast of Istanbul- #Turkey. In just three quarters of an hour you will arrive by sea bus, taking in the scenery along the shores of the Bosphorus. Historical sites that you may have already visited, and views of the city´s roof tops and domes of the many religious buildings are in the distance now and the quietness descends. You have arrived in Büyükade, one of the nine islands – not all of the islands are inhabited or are public – this island is just perfect in that it is the largest and offers a very spiritual attraction. If you have ever wanted to go on a pilgrimage, then here in Büyükade you can climb to top of Aya Yorgi hill where the monastery sits and is a sacred orthodox Christian site and you will receive the title of “half pilgrim” for making the climb. The view of the City of Istanbul with its burnt orange coloured roof tops set off against the blue skies is simply beautiful, not to mention the view of the Marmara coast, one of the most popular holiday beach destinations. On the island you can journey on foot, by bicycle – which you can hire as soon as you disembark, or by curricle – a carriage with a driver and drawn by horses. Taking a journey by curricle is a must do, it is such a lovely way to travel and very relaxing. There are no cars allowed on the island except utilities and police so it is such a quiet and healthy place, the air is clean and fresh. Back on the sea bus and in just another fifteen minutes you arrive at the island of Heybeliada which is full of pine forests and little strips of beach. There are many trails on this island and the whole island can be walked in around three hours, making this a perfect day trip. The natural green places to explore on this island make it really unique being so close to what is one of the most vibrant and busy cities in the world, the local people of Istanbul have holiday homes on the islands and in the Summer the population grows dramatically but in Autumn the islands will be quieter and a little cooler so they are perfect to explore and really get to know. There are various markets throughout the week, held on the main island and you can purchase many fruits and vegetables alongside fresh cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks, the scent is intoxicating and refreshes your mind and gets the gastric juices flowing. There are many places to eat on the islands, mainly fresh fish restaurants but there are more places opening up all the time offering alternative cuisine and there are many cafés and little shops. Heybeliada is as pretty as a picture with its quirky shops and fresh flowers mixed with herbs seen all around, a floral bouquet of loveliness. Away from the ornate and grand architecture of Istanbul city are the wooden houses on the islands, they are centuries old and sit one or two stories high, painted in an individual style or colour, not the uniformity of the city and no less attractive. These are people´s homes and have been the residences of many artistic types, authors and artists find great inspiration from being in these quiet havens. As night falls you head back to your sea bus for your trip back to the City of Istanbul, refreshed and ready for what the city has in store for you next. It is a perfect destination for culture, art, good dining, sight seeing and now you know – island hopping. Created by Margaret Tully.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:34:40 +0000
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