So you’re coming to Istanbul and you won’t have much time migrate south to toast your rump on Turkey’s exquisite Aegean or Med coasts? Perhaps on another trip then...
Whether you’re seeking haven on the Black Sea, the Sea of Marmara or on one of the Prince Islands, there are several beaches to choose from. It just depends on your preferences: the cooler waters of the Black Sea, where some of the city’s younger-set go out to play, or the warmer blue of the Marmara.
Prince Islands:
Büyükada – A handful of public beaches lie on the archipelago’s largest island, like Yoruk Ali , Princess, Kumsal, and Nakibey beaches. No matter where you decide to set your anchor, it is after all an island, so if there’s a piece of sandy real estate you’d like to try, by all means do so. You might also like to try some of the beach clubs that’ll provide chaise longues and parasols for a fee. My recommendation: Yaman Beach Club (Prenses Koyu, Büyükada, Adalar; tel: +90.216.382 81 11) lies right by the pier, where you can bask in teh serenity of the island while gazing at the concrete jungle across the Marmara.
Heybeliada – Missing your Stairmaster session? Hiking the island’s steeper cliffs here will definitely get your heart pumping. In between spikes, relax at the port city of Heybeli’s cove and water club. Green Beach Club (tel: +90.216.351 16 00; Web: http://www.clubgreenbeach.com/default.asp).
Burgazada – The public space on this, Prince’s Islands’ third largest, is mainly beaches, so take your pick!
Caddebostan, Suadiye & Boastanci Beaches – Located in their eponymous Asian boroughs along the Sea of Marmara, the people’s beaches get crowded once the schools shut their doors for the term, but their proximity to the shopping mecca of Bagdat Caddesi and location right smack in the center of the action might just offer the exhausted a much needed respite.
Küçüksu - The two-year old reopening of this small sandy enclave on the north eastern shore of the Bosphorus is public, but beware as the currents here can get tricky and best left to non-amateurs. Upside: You swim run into a dolphin!
Kylios - The Black Sea resort is just 35 kilometers away from the city center, but well worth the trip. The waters here are cooler, and the occasional undertow might catch the inadvertent swimmer off-guard . Come June, beach clubs like Nonstop Beach (Kilyos Turban Yolu, 4, Kilyos, Istanbul; Tel: +90.212.201 23 05 ; Web: http://www.nonstopbeach.com/Kilyos Turban Yolu No:4 Kilyos / ISTANB
With all these sandy options, you’d be a fool to limit your dipping to just your hotel’s pool!
STRICTLY SPEAKING: Pool - Havuz (Pron. havouz)