Princes' Islands: Istanbul's Car-Free Escape

The Princes' Islands (Adalar) are a group of nine car-free islands in the Sea of Marmara, a 45- to 75-minute ferry ride from the Istanbul ferry terminals, that have served as a retreat from the city since Byzantine times. The four largest islands — Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, and Kınalıada — are accessible by scheduled ferry services and offer radically different environments from the urban density of Istanbul: horse-drawn carriages replacing cars, Victorian wooden villas set in pine forests, fish restaurants on quiet harbours, and a pace of life that makes the city feel very far away. The islands were traditionally home to Istanbul's Greek, Armenian, and Jewish communities, and the architecture of the larger islands reflects this cosmopolitan heritage in buildings unlike anything found in the main city.

Büyükada (Great Island) is the largest and most visited, a hilly island of about 5 square kilometres with a village centre, monastery at the summit, and an excellent network of walking paths through pine forest to clifftop viewpoints. The traditional way to explore Büyükada is by hiring a bicycle or boarding a phaeton (horse-drawn carriage) for the circular island tour, which passes the grand wooden mansions of the island's former wealthy residents — some beautifully maintained, others in picturesque decay. The monastery of St George at the summit of the southern hill requires a steep uphill walk but rewards visitors with sweeping views across the Sea of Marmara to the Anatolian coast.

The best time to visit the Princes' Islands is on weekdays in late spring or early autumn, when the weekend day-trippers and summer crowds are absent and the islands return to their usual quiet. The ferries from Kabataş on the European side and Bostancı on the Asian side run throughout the day, and ticketing is straightforward at the IDO ferry terminals. A full day combining the ferry crossing, lunch at a waterfront fish restaurant, bicycle or carriage tour, and the monastery hike makes one of the most complete escapes available from any major capital city. Staying overnight at one of the island's boutique hotels allows the truly magical early morning atmosphere when the day visitors have returned to the city.