Istanbul Bosphorus: Cruises, Bridges & the Strait That Divides Continents

The Bosphorus Strait — 31km of water dividing Europe from Asia, connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara — is Istanbul's geographical soul, a living waterway where tankers, ferries, fishing boats, and superyachts navigate between two continents and past 3,000 years of Ottoman and Byzantine history. A Bosphorus cruise is the essential Istanbul experience: the public IDO ferry (far superior to expensive tourist boats) departs from Eminönü and takes 90 minutes to Anadolu Kavağı at the Black Sea mouth, passing 17th-century Çırağan Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace's 600-metre marble waterfront, and the two Ottoman fortresses that controlled passage in the 15th century. The Bosphorus Bridge (15 Temmuz Şehitler Bridge) and Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge are best photographed at sunset from Ortaköy below the first bridge. Swimming in the Bosphorus — across from Europe to Asia — is possible in September during the annual Vodafone Bosphorus Cross-Continental Swimming Race.