Heybeliada, which translates to "Saddle Bag Island", is one of the four inhabited Prince Islands in the Marmara Sea, in Istanbul, between Europe and Asia. The circumference of Heybeliada is about 10 km. and all houses are situated on the east side of the Island where the ferries also stop. To prevent the island from becoming polluted, the only motorized vehicles permitted on the island are service vehicles, the only forms of transport are by foot, horse and buggy. The winter population of the island is around 4,000, many of them work in Istanbul, but in the summer, the owners of the summer houses return and the population swells to approximately 30,000 people. The island has several restaurants around 7-8 of them are open during the winter. There are also two bakeries, one larger supermarket and many small grocery shops "Bakkal". There are three butchers, two shops selling fish and three shops selling vegetables and two patisseries. There are also three pharmacies; one of them is always open around the clock, a doctor, an outpatient clinic and a small hospital. There is one bank and two cash points on the island. |
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Every Wednesday, there is a market where fresh vegetables coming from villages outside the neighboring town Yalova are sold. It is often peasant women who grow and sell themselves, it cannot be fresher. Cheese, olives, tomatoes, etc. that are served for breakfast are always purchased here! |
The island has many beautiful walking and jogging paths, some on asphalt others on gravel roads or trails in the forest. The roads and trails are winding around the three "hills", of which the island is composed or along the bitwise steep coastal cliffs. If you feel tired, you can get around the island in a horse-drawn carriage. These are also used as taxies. You can also rent a bicycle on the island or take the boat to one of the other islands or Istanbul. |
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