You can ask your questions to info@travelingturks.com. We will be happy to reply you.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Marmara Island has five villages and a small central town called Marmara. All the villages are doted around the coastal line and each has a distinctive character;<\/p>\n Marmara (Prokonnesos), which was established on the south-west coast of the island, remained under the rule of Phoenicians, Milesians, Byzantines and Ottomans throughout history. Today, the settlement is built on a coastline of 3 km’s. The center is founded on a grid street plan but unfortunately had failed to preserve most of the traditional houses. In addition, the drying up of centuries-old plane trees on the coastline as a result of improper fertilization negatively reflects on the tourism of the island. However, many people who are in love with the island continue to spend the summer months in Marmara.<\/p>\n Most of the local people living in Marmara center are the Turkish people migrated from Crete, as a result of \u201cpopulation exchange\u201d between Turkey and Greece im 1923. Local people make their living from fishing, tourism and olive cultivation. Life is quiet and easy in Marmara and nothing is complicated. There is not much to do apart from swimming, sunbathing, playing backgammon, sipping your sage tea or raki and chat with friends\u2026But if you look for somethings different, you may also go for an island tour, fishing, hiking, biking and listening live music in some bars.<\/p>\n Most of the good hotels are located in and around the center. There are 3 or four hotels in the center and all of them has sea view rooms. Marmara is not a noisy place, even in the center, therefore you may feel in silence even in the center. Alternatively there are many nice beach hotels as well.<\/p>\n There are two beaches in walking distance, in Marmara, center;<\/p>\n Aba Beach; <\/strong>the long and wide Aba Beach is maybe the most popular (and never too much crowded) beach in the island. If you like to lie on the pebbles but walk on the sand in the water this is the perfect option for you. There are enough beach clubs, cafes and restaurants along the beach and you may choose your ideal place.<\/p>\n Aba Beach is located on the east side of the town and in a 10-15 minutes walking away from the center. During the peak season you may take on the dolmu\u015f boats as well.<\/p>\n Kole Beach;<\/strong>\u00a0this beach is much smaller than Aba Beach but it has a sandy character and is just 3-5 minutes walking distance from the center. There are a few cafes and bars in Kole Beach.<\/p>\n Ice cream (especially the mulberry \/ karadut), un helvasi (helvah made of flour), sage tea (adachayi), koruk (a refreshing drink made of unripe grapes), midye dolma (stuffed mussle), peynirli patlican (fried eggplant with cheese), tuzlu bal\u0131k (salted sardines) and so on.<\/p>\n G\u00fcndo\u011fdu is a cute, picturesque and midsize village. It’s 4 kms away from the center and if you like hiking you can get there within 45 minutes (you will face many slopes but also enjoy beautiful landscapes).<\/p>\n G\u00fcndo\u011fdu is one of the greenest villages of the island and surrounded with olive trees and secluded beautiful bays . The permenant population is around 250 while during the peak season and holidays this number reach to 1000. Most of the visitors are the local people who had been moved to big cities. The village is beautiful and generally the people are open minded and friendly. The main activities in the village are socializing at the sea-side cafes, play backgammon while sipping sage tea or koruk and fishing. In the village there is a playground for children, soccer, basketball and beach volley fields, three small groceries, some places for having breakfast and light food, a bakery and a simple but a lovely bar on the beach (the bar is open during the summer season only). There are also two small half sandy beaches on the two sides of the village. If you ask what is the local speciality to eat in G\u00fcndo\u011fdu, it is \u201ckasik helvasi\u201d\u00a0(a traditional sweet halvah which is difficult to find elsewhere) and \u201cbazlama\u00e7, a kind of yummy pita – potatoes bread coocked with olive oil on fire.<\/p>\n \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 is on the west part of the island and 7 kms away from the center. It is the most touristic settlement of the island after \u201cMarmara, the center\u201d. Originally the local people of this village are from the eastearn Black Sea region of Turkey. \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 is famous with its 1000 years old plane trees and the name comes from these trees.<\/p>\n In \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 you can find a few nice and budget hotels and guest houses with sea view rooms at the beach. In \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 you may have your lunch at your hotel or try a few place serving fish and some light food. If you are interested in the cultural heritage and the history of the island you may visit the small private museum of the village (there is no entrance fee).<\/p>\n Although the Manast\u0131r is not a village, it has started to become a new settlement due to the houses built in recent years. This is one of the most beautiful and popular beaches of the island, it is completely sandy and has turquoise waters. This bay is located between \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 and Marmara and has a distance of 3-4 km from both sides. You reach to Manast\u0131r by taxi or by minibuses running between \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 and Marmara. There is a nice beach-bar and a cafe-restaurant on the beach.<\/p>\n Topa\u011fa\u00e7 is located on the south side of the island and 12 kms away from the center. Although there is nothing interesting in Topaga\u00e7, the nature surrounding the village is beautiful. Topa\u011fa\u00e7 is an agricultural village and founded on the largest and most fertile flat lands of the island. Fruits, vegetables and butter coming from Topa\u011fa\u00e7 are delicious and always is the first choice of the islanders.<\/p>\n The name of the village comes from the ball shaped pine trees that you can see around the village. There is a long sandy beach in Topa\u011fac but most of the times it’s windy and there is no any facility on the beach as well. There is no any restaurant or accomodation option in Topa\u011fa\u00e7.<\/p>\n Saraylar is the second biggest settlement of the island and located on the northeast. Its distance from the center is 25 kms and you will need 30-40 minutes of driving to get. Saraylar is also the oldest settlement of the island since the oldest marble quarries of the world is located here and still being mining.<\/p>\n If you are interested in marble mining and its history we recommend you to visit the area with the help of a guide. Saraylar marbel quarries are still the largest in the world and covers 11 percent of the island’s surface area. Here you can find one of the earliest marble factories of the world (and only two samples left in the world) but the complex needs restoration. In Saraylar there is also a small open air museums where you can see some of the marble works dating to Roman period. A marble sculpture symposium is held every year in Saraylar with artists from different countries. You can see interesting sculptures created by these artists along the beach.<\/p>\n The village has a cosmopolitan population and mostly consisting of the people and their families working in the quarries. Although there are two beaches and a few small hotels Saraylar is generally not preferred for sea and sun tourism.<\/p>\n Asmal\u0131 is the smallest and the least visited village in the island. It\u2019s 18 km\u2019s away from the center and 6 km\u2019s east of Topaga\u00e7 Village. Unfortunately the village has no any attraction and facilities apart from the beautiful green landscapes around.<\/p>\n Marmara Island is the most mountainous and highest island in Turkey. Ilyas Mountain and the NATO peak (710 meters) is also the highest point in Marmara Sea. If you would like to climb to the peak the expedition may take at least 3-5 hours depending on your performance. At the top you will see a deserted and desolated NATO base left from 50\u2019s. Here you will also see stunning views of the Marmara Sea and the other islands around.<\/p>\n Marmara Island is one of the few places in Turkey where the wild horses live and roam freely. The total number of the feral horses are around 400 and they have been living in three different location as a 5 or 6 different groups. If you are interested you may follow and photograph the horses<\/p>\n In the recent years unfortunately there is no any organized boat tour in the island. But we are expecting a boat tour organisation during 2021 summer season, to discover the villages and the other islands around Marmara. But if you like you may also rent a boat privately for a tour and fishing. Marmara Island is the region with the richest fish beds in the Marmara Sea. Some of the fish types you can hunt are as follows;; bream, bonito, bluefish, mackerel, mendole, sardines, anchovies, silverfish, garfish, scorpionfish and more kinds.<\/p>\n The island of Marmara is a great place for hiking, although there are no special hiking trails. The island municipality has some projects to create a trekking route.<\/p>\n 90 percent of the area of Marmara Island consists of mountainous and hilly areas. For mountain bike lovers, there are excellent routes between villages and olive groves. For this reason, a two-day, 53-kilometers cycling tour is organized with the participation of hundreds of cyclists every summer.<\/p>\n There are scheduled minibuses operating between the villages and the center. While there are 4 to 10 shuttles between Merkez and \u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 depending on the season, there are fewer departures than other villages (usually two or three times a day). Unfortunately, there is no public transport to go from one village to another. You have to use a private car or taxi for this. There is no possibility to rent a car or motorbike on the island.<\/p>\n There are 4 options for transportation. The best and fast way is using the fast ferries (deniz otob\u00fcs\u00fc in Turkish)<\/em> departing from Istanbul.<\/p>\n Taking a fast ferry is the most practical, fast and comfortable option to go to Marmara Island. Fast ferries run between spring and autumn, usually departures start on April 23 and end on October 29. During April, May and October you will find ferry departures only for the weekends. This is also a good opportunity to leave Istanbul on Friday evening, to stay in the island for two nights. And during the high season (in July, August) you may find up to 10, 12 ferry departures daily.<\/p>\n You can check the timetable \/prices and buy your ticket here; IDO.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n There are three ports of call that you can take on the fast ferries (deniz otob\u00fcs\u00fc) for Marmara Island;<\/p>\n Notes;<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n This option is more complicated and tiring and takes more time. You may think about this option if you would like to come to the island during winter or if you have a or motorbike. The ferries have departures everyday all year round. But you may find ferry only for Saraylar Village which is 25 kms away to the center, during some winter days. There are five or six ferries which are privately owned and the departure hours may change without prior notice, therefore be sure with the departure hours and port exactly. It is also recommended you to arrive the port earlier if its a summer weekend or holiday, since the capacity of the ferries are limited. If you do not have any private vehicle you may take on a scheduled bus leaving for Tekirda\u011f or Barbaros from Istanbul Esenler Otogari<\/strong>; Istanbul Seyahat.<\/a><\/p>\n If you are planning to arrive to Marmara Island through the south of Marmara Sea, GESTA\u015e<\/a>\u00a0car ferries are the best option. In Erdek port you can find at least one departure everyday. The journey takes around 2 to 2,5 hours and the ferry stops in other islands like Pasalimani, Av\u015fa and Ekinlik as well. It is recommended to arrive Erdek Port earlier to have a space on the boat, during weekends in the summer and in holidays.<\/p>\n You have one more alternative way to arrive Marmara Island from Istanbul by your car; you may take a “IDO jet ferry”<\/a> from Yenikapi Port for Bandirma. The journey lasts 2 hours and from here you will need to drive your car 20 minutes to Erdek. In Erdek you can take the Gestas ferry for Marmara. This option is perfect if you want to arrive to Marmara Island with a minimal driving (20 minutes only).<\/p>\n Marmara Island The\u00a0Marmara Island\u00a0(\u201cMarmara Adas\u0131\u201d in Turkish and \u201cElafonesos or Proikonnisos” in ancient languages)\u00a0is the largest island in the\u00a0Archipelago of Marmara\u00a0located in the southwest of the\u00a0Marmara Sea in Turkey.\u00a0\u00a0Administratively, it’s belong to\u00a0Balikesir Province of Turkey, along with the nearby Av\u015fa, Pasalimani and Ekinlik Islands. Marmara Island has 117 km2 surface area, five villages, a central … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":215747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Marmara Island | Tours, Trekking, hiking, beaches and mountains near Istanbul","_seopress_titles_desc":"Marmara Island Turkey; beaches, mountains, flora, trekking, hiking, sunbathing and swimming for a weekend from Istanbul. How to go \/ transportation and where to stay. 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\n
Settlements, Villages and Where To Stay<\/span><\/h3>\n
Marmara; the central town<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n![\"marmara](\"https:\/\/travelingturks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/marmara-adasi-merkez.jpg\")
<\/a>Accomodation in “Marmara”, the center<\/span><\/h5>\n
Beaches in “Marmara”, the center<\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/a>What to eat in \u201cMarmara\u201d the center?<\/h5>\n
G\u00fcndo\u011fdu Village<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/a>\u00c7\u0131narl\u0131 Village<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nManast\u0131r Beach<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
Topa\u011fa\u00e7 Village<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSaraylar\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nAsmal\u0131 Village<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
<\/a>Whats more to do on the island?<\/span><\/h3>\n
Climbing to Ilyas mountain<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n
Photographing wild horses<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\nIsland tour and fishing
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\nHiking and Trekking<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\nMountain Biking<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\nHow To Move Around The Island<\/span><\/h3>\n
Transportation; How To Go To Marmara Island<\/span><\/h3>\n
1- IDO fast ferry from Istanbul<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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2-\u00a0Ferries From Tekirda\u011f Ceyport or Barbaros Port<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/a><\/p>\nDuration of journeys;<\/span><\/h5>\n
\n
Contacts of the ferries<\/span> (Turkish language only)
\n<\/em><\/h5>\n\n
\n<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n3- GESTAS Ferries From Erdek<\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/h4>\n4-<\/strong> Driving..<\/span><\/h4>\n
\n