Princes' Islands

The best time to visit the Princes' Islands is during the months from April to October. At this time of the year, the islands remain comparatively less crowded and you'll easily get the ferry rides to the islands. Since these beautiful islands are a hotspot for the locals around the city to spend some quality time in peace and tranquillity, it remains overcrowded for the rest of the year.

The weather around the months of June and July remain pleasantly warm and you can stroll around easily through its lanes or drive comfortably on the bikes without witnessing any extreme weather conditions. During the winters, the harsh climatic conditions make it almost impossible for anyone to travel through its waters and this is why the place remains mostly deserted at that time.

Perhaps, the Princes' Islands were not always like this perfect holiday destination for the nearby cities. Earlier during the Byzantine period, these Islands were actually known as the 'Demonnesoi' or the Demons' Islands which were used as a place of exile for the princes of the royal family.

The Byzantine Prince called Justin II used these landmasses as his prison and hence these islands acquired its name from there. Due to the harsh climatic conditions in the winter and autumn seasons, it was almost impossible for the prisoners to travel back and they remained trapped in these prison islands.

Later on in the nineteenth century, the wise and the wealthy from Istanbul made it their holiday resort. This is why the islands can still be seen dotted with many Victorian-era cottages and houses all over. The architecture of these islands still screams of Greek settlements and they're far from being similar to their Turkish counterparts.

It was only in 1846 when the Şirket-i Hayriye began the regularly scheduled ferry services that a large influx of population from neighbouring Turkish cities followed their way into these islands and constitute the majority of the population here. 

- When deciding your choice of ferry ride from Kabatas to the Princes' Islands, make sure to suit your own convenience in terms of the cost and time. The regular paced ferries will take approximately 100 minutes to reach the islands depending upon the number of stops it makes on the way.

- These ferries are comparatively cheaper than the fast-paced ferries. But that is because the Sea Buses or the fast-pace Daytonies by IDO take less time, about 60 minutes, even when it stops at all the islands. 

- Don't forget to rent a bike or book your horse cart (fayton) as soon as you reach the islands because the use of motorized vehicles is completely prohibited there.

There's only a half-hour distance from the Istanbul Airport (IST) to Kabatas, a place from where the ferries are available. The only one way to reach the islands from Istanbul is through the ferry service. Pick your choice of ferry and it will straight away drop you to the four of the nine Princes' Islands (Since entry to the other five islands is prohibited for tourists).

Meanwhile, the one-hour ferry ride will mesmerize you with the surrounding beauty. Watching the amazing view of all the islands at a distance is altogether a different experience for the tourists.