Bozcaada is one of the most charming spots in all of Turkey. It is one of only two inhabited islands in the Aegean Sea that belong to Turkey (Gökçeada, further north, is the other). The island is only 15 square miles but it has lots to offer including beautiful beaches, an adorable town, an imposing fortress, and acres of vineyards. Because it is so out of the way, Bozcaada has none of the crowds you sometimes encounter in other parts of the Turkish coast. You come to Bozcaada to kick back, relax and enjoy life.
Getting there and around
To get to Bozcaada you will need to take a car ferry from Geyikli, which departs several times a day. The ferry pulls into the town of Bozcaada, which is the only town on the island. The rest of the island is a collection of scattered farms, houses, beaches and vineyards. I recommend renting a car if you come to Bozcaada. There is a dolmuş that will take you from town to the major beaches but you will have much more flexibility to explore the gorgeous countryside if you have your own set of wheels
How to spend your time in Bozcaada
The town has a small marina on one side of the ferry terminal and a giant Byzantine castle on the other. The castle is incredibly fun to explore. It is in excellent condition and you can climb around on the ramparts and capture great views of the Aegean, the town and the island. Admission to the castle is 5TL.
The town is divided into a Greek quarter and a Turkish quarter, designations left from when the town had separate districts. The Greek quarter has an old orthodox church with a prominent bell tower and the Turkish quarter has an old mosque. You will also notice differences in the architecture of the houses as well as the way the streets are organized. You will find many lovely shops, restaurants and B&Bs in town. There is a fabulous outdoor shady square in the center of town where you can sit for hours, relax and drink cheap glasses of Turkish tea. The pace of life here is leisurely.
While you are on Bozcaada you must make a drive out to the far western edge of the island to see the windmills. Particularly, you should go at sunset. They are beautiful on their own and even more so with the sun setting behind them.
Bozcaada is becoming well known for its wine production. Wine has been produced here for centuries and vineyards are spread throughout the island. There are several wineries on the island that offer tours and of course sell their bottles. Jam is also a common souvenir to pick up in Bozcaada. You can find unique flavors here like watermelon rind jam. Their specialty is grape jelly made from wine grapes. It is quite a bit different from grape jelly in the U.S. and is surprisingly delicious despite being full of seeds!
There are small, quiet beaches surrounding the circumference of the island. The most famous (and crowded) of these is Ayazma where you will find nice sand, crystal clear water, and the most facilities. I visited in early July and still found the Northern Aegean water here to be pretty cold. I enjoyed it but I couldn’t stay in as long as I would in Bodrum or other spots along the Mediterranean.
For being such a small place, Bozcaada has a plethora of outstanding accommodations, ranging from restored Greek houses in town to large stone farmhouses out in the countryside. There are plenty of B&Bs as well as entire homes and apartments for rent on sites like airbnb. When I visited we stayed at a small B&B outside of town that had a pool and was walking distance to a small beach. I can see advantages to staying both in town and in the countryside: it just depends on the type of trip you are looking for. There is a super-comprehensive website from a Bozcaada insider that I would recommend studying if you are planning to visit Bozcaada. It provides profiles of hotels as well as detailed information about what to see and do in Bozcaada.
