BOZCAADA /TENEDOS AEGEAN LIFESTYLE

Bozcaada is a small Turkish island located about 12 miles (19 km) off the western coast of Turkey just south of the Dardanelles (a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey connecting the Aegean Sea with the Marmora Sea). The island’s ancient name was Tenedos, and its strategic location in the Aegean Sea at the entrance of the Dardanelles Straits was ideal to guard the city of Troy just to the north.

When approaching Bozcaada’s eastern coast on the ferry from the mainland, the island’s terrain is unimpressive and barren. Offsetting this bleakness is the characteristic Greek whitewashed town of Bozcaada with its narrow streets and its impressive fortress. The outdoor harbor area is a pleasant place for tea, next to sailboats, and further out, great ocean going ships in queue to pass to Istanbul. There is a wide availability of hotel accommodation for all price ranges. The town has a bank, an ATM, a few markets, and an internet café (expect slow connections and short working hours).

Set upon the hill to the north of the town is the very well preserved fortress, which was originally built in the time of the Venetians and served great importance during the era of the Ottoman Conqueror Sultan Mehmet. It was later torn down in 1807 and rebuilt 1.5 kilometers inland in 1842. A number of historic sea battles were waged here as the island’s ownership passed back and forth between the Greeks and the Turks.

The island makes an ideal place to set up base for day trips to the archeological sites of Troy and Assos. The ferry to and from Bozcaada and the mainland takes about a half an hour, runs four times a day, and costs USD 2. From there it is about an hour to either Troy or Assos by modern air-conditioned busses which meet the ferry upon arrival and departure.

The islanders retain a hospitable and laid back attitude towards tourists. First, I think this can be attributed to the fact that the tourists are mainly Turks themselves, who treat the locals with respect and adhere to local customs. The 1999 release of the Turkish film Eylul Firtinasi (After the Fall) was filmed on the island of Bozcaada and highlighted the island’s beauty. The movie quickly created a mystique surrounding the island and Bozcaada has since then been gaining popularity as tourist destination for the Turks, many of which make the trip by motorcycle from Istanbul. Conversely, the island has remained in relative obscurity to the international traveler. Second, many locals are of Greek ancestry, which adds a more liberal mind set. Finally, the summer residences of affluent Istanbulers tend to live modest and relaxed lives on the island. Bozcaada is not filled with casinos or high-rise hotels, rather the island is dotted with small comminutes of whitewashed, one- and sometimes two-story houses, many without heating and intended for summer use only.

The island’s physical beauty is found on its southern beaches with crystal clear water, its rocky northern coast, and its vineyards in the interior. If you want to take a tour of the island, minibus are found at the town square (all minibuses take the same route), and it take only twenty minutes or so to get around the entire island. As you go inland, the dusty brown color turns green and a consistent, yet subtle, northern wind keeps the island cooler than others in the Aegean Sea. The wind picks up as you head to the western extremities of the island where sixteen windmills generate not only Bozcaada’s energy needs but also exports to mainland Turkey.
The island’s two vineyards are famous for their economically priced wines. It’s a tradition all around the island to offer visitors some grapes. Bozcaada was once very famous for viniculture; however in recent years the vineyards have fallen upon hard time. Nonetheless there are still folks that take pride in the grapes of Bozcaada and are struggling to keep the tradition alive.
The three beaches of Ayazma, Poyraz and Igdelik, strung across the south side of the island, attract most of the tourists. We found that camping on the beach was the best way to enjoy the secluded cove, and was cost effective. Furthermore, the locals assured us that camping was safe and free of thieves. There is a paid campground as well.
In true Mediterranean style, the locals wake late and lounge around until noon, then work in the afternoon, and have dinner around eleven. This caught us by surprise, as we were on the beach and needed to catch the noon ferry to the mainland. The first buss of the day left the beach at 11:30; luckily it takes less than twenty minutes to drive around the whole island.