- Sea element in Istanbul
- The best beaches
- What to do by the sea?
The city of Istanbul, which is located on two continents at once - both in Europe and in Asia, has always attracted many tourists. According to archaeological research, it appeared on the site of an ancient settlement founded in 6500 BC. NS. Over the millennia of its history, it has changed several names: it was Byzantium, Constantinople, and finally, in the middle of the 15th century, it was renamed Istanbul.
Noisy bazaars, historical monuments, beautiful embankments - this is what travelers want to see. The sea in Istanbul, and there are two of them here, is of the last interest to tourists. Usually, in search of the water surface sparkling under the bright sun and snow-white beaches, vacationers go to the resorts of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas. Istanbul for a beach holiday is considered either by locals or by tourists who do not plan to specially go to the seaside resort.
Sea element in Istanbul
The most famous city in Turkey, Istanbul, is incredibly lucky. We can say that it is washed by the waters of two seas at once. Rather, it was built on the coast of the Sea of Marmara and on the shores of the Bosphorus Bay, which connects the Black and Marmara seas. It takes about an hour to get to the Black Sea, located to the north of the city.
The beaches of the Sea of Marmara are located within Istanbul. This sea is shallow, the water in it warms up well and retains its high temperature until the beginning of October. Many tourists consider the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul to be dirty, but even within the city you can find beaches located far from sea routes. The water near the coast retains its transparency here.
The Sea of Marmara near the city's beaches has a sandy bottom, which does not conceal any dangers for holidaymakers. However, you should be especially careful when swimming in the bays of the islands closest to Istanbul - Princes and Marmara. The bottom is rocky.
The Black Sea is located north of the Marmara Sea, therefore it is considered colder. In the Istanbul area, people swim in it until mid-September.
The best beaches
If fate has abandoned the tourist for several weeks in the summer in Istanbul, then you can allocate a few days of your vacation for a beach holiday.
The most famous beaches of Istanbul are located:
- at the Black Sea. 25 km separate the outskirts of Istanbul from the Black Sea coast. On the European side of the city, the most popular holiday destination is the beaches of Quillos. Clubs, bars, taverns are lined up along 7 paid beaches. They can only be entered from the sea side. To do this, you need to pay for access to the beach. Closer to the Asian districts of the city are the resort areas of Shile and Aghve. These are holiday villages where locals prefer to relax. It will take about an hour to get to these beaches with several changes;
- on the European coast of the Sea of Marmara. The best beaches in this part of Istanbul are located in the Florya district, where trains and buses run from Eminenu district. In addition to the 800-meter beach with excellent infrastructure, you can find an interesting aquarium here. There is a decent well-maintained clean beach in the Atakey area. The town of Silivri not far from Istanbul does not complain about the lack of lovers of the warm sea;
- on the Anatolian coast of the Sea of Marmara. Since 2005, there are 3 beaches (2 free and 1 paid) in Jaddebostan district. When the Istanbul authorities announced that the sea here is suitable for swimming, the public was skeptical about such a message. As proof of his innocence, one of the officials dived into the sea during the opening ceremony of the beach.
What to do by the sea?
Swimming in the waves of the Black and Marmara Seas will quickly get bored. Enterprising locals working in the tourism industry are well aware of this. In order not to lose customers, they offer them various interesting entertainment. For example, in the country, beach clubs are incredibly popular, which are located on the seashore and represent a complex of various institutions: here you can find wonderful bars and restaurants, a swimming pool with a relaxation area filled with sun loungers, a solarium, etc. You will not be bored in such a club, because fun parties are constantly held here. One of the most famous beach clubs in Istanbul operates on Galatasaray Island.
Other marine attractions include fishing either from the Galata Bridge (tackles can be requested at the hotel or from local fishermen), or from a boat. On a yacht or boat, you can go to sea farther from the coast and count on a more solid catch.
