Heybeliada (Princes' Islands)

Heybeliada is the second-largest of the Princes' Islands and the favorite of Istanbulites who find Büyükada too crowded. It's a long ridge of pine forest running east-west, with two small bays (the main pier on the north, and the quieter Çam Limanı cove on the south) and a hill (Değirmen Tepesi) at the western end that gives a panoramic view across the Marmara to the Asian side of Istanbul.

The classic walk is to climb from the pier to Değirmen Tepesi through the pine woods (about 1 hour up, 45 min down), then continue around the southern shore. The bay at the top is the most-photographed spot, with the silhouette of the Halki Theological School visible across the water. Halki itself is a small island just off Heybeliada; the Greek Orthodox seminary on its hill is a major symbol of ecumenical Orthodoxy but is not open to visitors.

The waterfront town around the pier is small — a few fish restaurants, an ice-cream stand, a row of old wooden houses, and bicycle rentals. Lunch is best on the north shore (closer to the pier) or by boat in Çam Limanı cove. The whole island can be walked in 3-4 hours, or biked in 90 minutes.

Ferries from Kabataş take 85–110 min; from Büyükada the inter-island ferry is 15-20 min. See the [ferries page](/ferries/) for full schedule info.