Istanbul is intoxicating. I adore the city for its history, scents of seafood, incense and coffee, and even the crowds. But, after a few days there, I am exhausted. As an antidote, I am heading to The Princes’ Islands that lay off the city’s Asian coast in the Sea of Marmara.
The city’s residents settle in for the 90-minute ferry ride, many clutching little glasses of tea and toasted sandwiches from the onboard café. Excitable chatter fills the air as the boat ploughs a glistening furrow through the denim-blue water. I find my head clearing as the skyline recedes.
There are stops at the four inhabited islands of the nine-island archipelago, which is known as “Adalar” in Turkish. During the 19th century, the islands were places of exile for disgraced aristocrats and political prisoners.
Burgaz Island is one of the jewels in the Marmara Sea (Photo: Florida Chuck/Getty)
By the beginning of the 20th century, the islands became a summer getaway for wealthy Turkish families. It is this legacy that strikes me as I arrive at Büyükada where the ferry terminal has blue-and-white tilework and a domed roof. This is the romantic ideal of Istanbul I recall from faded picture-books, before high-rises sprung up in the city.
