What to See in Bozcaada

The island is small, you won't get lost. The best plan is to surrender to the streets.

The centre can be explored on foot in half a day. The castle, the two quarters, the church and the museum are all a few minutes from each other. The windmills sit at the top of a short climb, while Polente Lighthouse and Ayazma call for a bicycle or a car. We've covered them all below, one by one.

Bozcaada Castle

Right beside the harbour, and magnificent. It is the first thing that greets you off the ferry. Nobody knows for certain who built it first, everyone from the Phoenicians to the Venetians used it, and it owes its current shape largely to Ottoman repairs. You enter over a bridge across the moat. Inside there is an amphora exhibition, old gravestones and harbour views from the walls. It is open daily through the summer season for a small entrance fee, and the national museum pass is not valid here. Go close to sunset, the light is beautiful. The ground is stony, so comfortable shoes are a good idea.

The Greek Quarter

Officially called Cumhuriyet, but everyone knows it as the Greek Quarter. Colourful doors, bougainvillea, wide stone streets. The most photographed corner of the island. The breakfast places, small boutiques and tasting houses are here too. Wander without a plan, that is when it is at its best.

The Turkish Quarter and the Bazaar

Alaybey, the Turkish Quarter, has a completely different character: narrow, winding lanes and bay-windowed houses. In the bazaar between the two quarters you'll find jam makers, biscuit shops and wine sellers side by side. A stroll through the bazaar after dinner is one of the island's finest rituals.

Kimisis Teodoku Greek Orthodox Church

In the very heart of the Greek Quarter, the island's only church still open for worship, also known as the Church of the Virgin Mary. The date above the door reads 1869, though its history is thought to reach back to Venetian times. The bell tower is part of the island's skyline. A major restoration was completed last year and the church has reopened for worship. The interior is closed outside service hours, but if your timing is right you can join the Sunday morning liturgy.

The Local History Research Centre Museum

Housed in a 130 year old building in the Greek Quarter, with thousands of photographs, documents and objects telling the island's story. Small but heartfelt. If you are curious about Bozcaada's past, give it half an hour, it is worth it.

The Windmills

On the hill close to the town centre. There were once twelve mills on these ridges, three restored ones stand today. This is the best spot to see the entrance of the Dardanelles. From the Trojan War to the Gallipoli campaign, this must be the point where history's battles were watched most clearly. It is a walk up from the centre, and the view alone is reason enough.

Polente Lighthouse

The westernmost tip of the island. Guiding ships toward the strait since 1861, the lighthouse now stands among the wind turbines. It is about 7 kilometres from the centre, so cycle or drive and walk the last stretch. Watch the sunset here, you won't regret it. Just arrive early, plenty of people have the same idea.

Ayazma Monastery

Just behind Ayazma Beach, a small Greek Orthodox monastery in the shade of the trees. It takes its name from the sacred spring inside. Every year on 26 July the Ayazma Fair is held here. If you are having a beach day, spare ten minutes, the cool courtyard is a relief in the midday heat.

The Vineyard Roads

The interior of the island is one big vineyard. There is no set route, simply turn off the main road onto any lane. It is loveliest by bicycle, in the morning cool. The harvest begins in late August, when the vineyards come alive and fresh grapes fill the stalls. We cover the wine side on our Food and Wine page.

Bozcaada in One Day

Short on time? This plan works well: start the day with a long breakfast in the garden, then head into town and explore the castle. Follow it with a coffee break under the plane trees at Çınaraltı, drop into the museum, and lose yourself in the streets of the Greek Quarter. Swim at Ayazma in the afternoon, catch the sunset at Polente, and have dinner around the harbour on the way back. When you return to the hotel at night, open a bottle of island wine in the garden and let the day melt away. With two days, give the second one to the coves and the vineyard roads, that is when the island truly opens up.

Frequently Asked Questions