BÜYÜKADA: Princes' Islands: Must visit!

Hey everyone, how is it going? I'm very excited about today's post which is going to be about Istanbul. I think it's by far one of the most beautiful places that I have visited this year during my Erasmus exchange. You probably have already seen it in the title, I'm talking about the island of Büyükada. If you've never heard about it before (like it was my case) it might sound to you as strange as it did to me the first time. But don't let this scare you, since that is its very essence: being a remote place, small, unspoilt and idyllic, far from being crowded with tourists.

Have you ever dreamt of escaping to a beautiful remote island where you can relax and meditate or simply spend some time with someone special? If your answer is yes, I assure you this is the place you must visit. And not only visit... enjoy, breathe and feel. It's simply astonishing to discover all the things this small island has to offer.

This little place I adore is in fact an island within the Princes' Islands archipelago, which is located near Istanbul, very easy and fast to reach. If you are arranging a trip to Istanbul - although there is never enough time to see everything - I would recommend spending at least one day in paying a visit to the Princes' Islands, any island will be a good choice. My choice was Büyükada since it's the main and biggest one. So if you are interested in reading a bit more about my experience in this wonderful place feel free to keep on reading this post.

BÜYÜKADA

1. Transportation:

1. 1 How to get there

Ferry: Around the area of Istanbul's harbour you can find a couple of companies that offer trips to the island. I recommend asking all of them for their prices and schedules so you can compare and choose whatever suits you best. We chose the one that offered the broadest timetable. The journey's length was of approximately 2 hours. And if you're thinking that it will feel like a long time, do not worry, the views are breathtaking, in fact it is so to the point where I would probably pay for it even if it didn't take me anywhere. No lie, amazing. Here I attach some photos that I hope you will like as much as I do:

I would just warn you to be careful when it comes to scams on the ferry because it happened to me. Basically, they might ask you to pay for a service that you didn't even request in the first place. You see the orange juice I'm holding in the picture? I had to pay 15 liras for it. The thing was that there was a staff member at the boarding gate that seemed to be giving them for free... but that wasn't the case at all. He gave me the juice and approximately 15 minutes after we departed he came up to me and requested that I paid the 15 liras that it cost. I just want to warn you so that you don't make the same mistake, but apart from that (and keeping in mind that 15 liras is not a lot) everything was perfect.

1. 2 On the island

Once you step on Büyükada, you have 4 options to go around the island: by foot, rent a bike, horse-drawn carriage or ride a donkey. You might wonder: There is no touristic bus? Absolutely no. The most characteristic thing about the Princes' Islands is that there is not a single motorised means of transportation. Isn't it wonderful? An unspoilt island that plans on staying so in the purest and healthiest way possible. Out of these four options we chose:

Rent a bike, it has many perks in my opinion. It's extremely affordable (10 liras a day) and the store is located right next to the island's harbour, you don't have to go crazy looking for it. Plus, the bikes were beautiful and really comfortable:

By foot is another way you can visit the island but it's something I wouldn't personally recommend since you will most probably not have enough time to see the whole of it, and I must say from my personal experience that it's really worth it. The only practical alternative to bikes is the horse-drawn carriage. It's the option that I would suggest for those people who are not so used to physical activity or those who would rather have a less energy-consuming visit. It's a fast and comfortable way to see the island from one side to the other. The negative aspect of it is that you are not allowed to stop to take pictures, go for a swim or enjoy the views.

2. Leisure activities

2. 1 Walk around the island

The mere fact of biking around the island is an amazing experience. The views, the nature, the sun and the little animals you encounter on the way make it a one-of-a-kind activity. Actually, during the whole journey we only bumped into a couple of carriages and a couple of people biking. It's a quiet and relaxing activity but you can also find some little stalls where you can stop to buy a drink or a snack, restaurants on the other hand are located in an specific area of the island I would talk about on another post. But to sum up it was a lot of fun and take a look at what we bumped into during our biking adventure:

Unbelievable, isn't it? All of this within the typical Erasmus student's budget. Who doesn't like travelling like that? Other stalls on the way sold stuff like accessories (mainly bracelets and necklaces) and more. Purchasing of handcrafts ticked off the list.

2. 2 Go for a swim

Another great thing about this place is the fact that you can go for a swim wherever you fancy. No strangers around, just a view that you probably haven't even ever dreamt of and whatever companion you bring. Just remember to bring a towel and everything you might need for after the swim since there will be nothing close by. I didn't do it because I had very little time but I saw other people doing it and I wish I did it too. Next time for sure.

2. 3 Visit the church

In the centre of Büyükada (you will be given a map upon arrival) you will find the highest point of the island, and believe me when I say it was really hard to climb it. I had to do it by foot because it was impossible to reach the peak with my bike. I must thank my travelling partner for helping get to the top of that mountain otherwise I wouldn't have been able to do it (thank you, Alfonso haha). But it is worth the effort. Once you reach the peak you will bump into a small church that it's not that impressive but well, now that you made it to the top of the mountain you might as well visit it. I was not that impressed as I was about the amazing views we had had:

Doesn't it look like a fairytale? Even months after my trip I'm still in love with it. It's possibly one of the most beautiful natural sites I have ever visited. If you are planning on going to Istanbul, I 110% recommend stopping by the Princes' Islands.

Wish you well,

Elena

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