From Ancient Greek army base to Byzantine prison, to Italian war bounty, to deserted island, to posh holiday playground… Bozcaada has a huge story for such a small place, with some of the best wine, restaurants, beaches, and vistas in the country. In 2010, it was named the second most-beautiful island in the world by Condé Nast. And you can see why. Bozcaada has retained much of its fishing village charm, as well as one of the best-preserved fortresses in Turkey, and one of the world’s oldest wine industries, and supplemented them with hip beach bars, original mezze options and lots of grilled octopus, all manageable in a couple of days thanks to convenient transportation options.
HISTORY OF BOZCAADA
Bozcaada has a long and complicated history thanks to its strategic location at the mouth of the Dardanelle Strait and the entrance to the Black Sea.
The Greek fleet sheltered here while the Trojan Horse was delivered to their enemies in nearby Troy. They named the island “Tenedos” after its ruler, Tenes, which later featured in lots of weird Greek mythology and became rich as one of the ancient world’s top wine producers.
Tenedos was conquered by Persia in 493 BC, liberated by Alexander the Great 50 years later, and claimed by the Kingdom of Pergamon in 323 BC. In 133 BC Attalus III donated his whole kingdom, including Tenedos to the Romans.
During the Byzantine Civil War, Emperor John V was chased out of Constantinople by a rival emperor and sheltered on Tenedos in 1353. He was reinstalled with the help of his frenemies, Venice, who claimed Tenedos as payment.
Venice then fought the War of Chioggia with Genoa, and part of the peace treaty required Venice to tear down all Tenedos’ buildings and relocate its entire population to Crete.
When the Ottomans claimed the island 100 years later, they found an uninhabited wasteland, which they named “Barren Island”, or Bozcaada. The Ottomans rebuilt the fortifications, fought off four more Italian attempts to take the island, and offered tax exemptions to repopulate the island.
In 1807, Bozcaada was occupied by invading Russians, who burned the town, tore down the fortifications, and once again exiled the entire population.
They returned in time to be occupied by Greece from 1913 during the First Balkan War until 1922. During WW1 the British used the island to supply their Gallipoli campaign.
The 1923 the Treaty of Lausanne returned Bozcaada to Turkey, but with a special arrangement that meant the local Greek population was exempt from the population exchanges.
In the 1970s, a ban on visitors was lifted bringing in Bozcaada’s first tourism revenues, and the 1990s saw government support to develop tourism and wine production. The island never looked back.
SIGHTS OF BOZCAADA
From the ferry, the first thing you will see is one the best-preserved and largest castles in Turkey, built by the Ottomans in the 15th century on top of an earlier Venetian fortress.
Just above the castle is a row of picture-perfect windmills with whimsical settings and views, although they are entirely ornamental.
Near the Church of Virgin Mary is the Bozcaada Museum, a traditional Greek mansion that tells the island’s history through a quirky private collection of wonderfully random objects.
In the historically Turkish side of town are the Namazgah fountain, the Alaybey Camii, and the Köprülü Mehmet Paşa Camii, all built in the 1700s.
The best beaches on the island are the wonderfully clean Akvaryum Plaji and Ayazma Plaji. At Ayazma, have lunch at Vahit’in Yeri and drop in at the Ayazma monastery.
A respected Bozcaada tradition is heading out to one of its many lookout points to watch the sunset with a bottle of wine and a cheese plate.
TRANSPORTATION TO/ FROM BOZCAADA
Ferries run between Bozcaada and the town of Geyikli on the mainland every one or two hours from 7 am to 11 pm, which takes 30 minutes and costs $2 return.
From Istanbul to Geyikli, either drive or take a bus through Tekirdag or go by ferry through Bandirma. The whole journey should take about 4 hours by car and up to 6 hours by bus.
Minibusses run regularly around Bozcaada making stops at the main beaches and lookout points, leaving from the waterfront by the castle.
EATING IN BOZCAADA
If you are into seafood and unusual mezze options, you are in the right place. The best and best-value place for a sit-down dinner in the center of town is the atmospheric Hasan Tefik. At Ayazma beach, make sure you have lunch at Vahit’in Yeri, which has the most mind-blowing range of mezze options anywhere ever.
DRINKING IN BOZCAADA
Most streets in the center become raki-fueled block parties past dinner time, complete with wine bars and cocktail spots. Tenedion Wine House and Talay have the best prices and the best options for wine tasting. For a sunset drink and evening dip, head to Salhane Bar behind the castle.
ACCOMMODATION IN BOZCAADA
We can recommend the very good value Octo Hotel, which has an unbeatably central location, clean rooms, and an excellent breakfast served on the roof terrace.
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