Who would believe that the most basic pleasures such as “bring your towel, umbrella, folding chair and set up” will one day turn into a luxury? Bozcaada is one of the last remaining places where you can swim with civilized people, garbage-free, well-kept public beaches. There is neither a barbecue shop, nor a car that pulls over and squeezes lemon for your enjoyment with its music… On the other hand, there are shabby beach clubs for those who cannot be comfortable without a business. Those who can give up neither the yard nor the sun can prefer Ayazma Beach, where there are restaurants lined up along the coast. With its cozy places where you can get out of the sea and sit down, and the wind blowing in spite of the summer heat, you can say “oh!” We have compiled the most popular beaches and businesses of the island for a sea getaway.
Bozcaada Bays and Beaches Map
You can view the map in detail by zooming.
- salhane
- Port
- Ayazma Beach
- Sulubahce Beach
- Habbele Beach
- Beylik Bay
- Aquarium Cove
- First Virgin Bay
- Second Virgin Bay
- Ayana Beach
- Third Virgin Bay
- Tuzburnu Bay
- Tekirbahce Bay
- Poyraz Harbor
- Meadow Beach
1. Where to go to the sea in Bozcaada Center?
1.1 Saloon
The most beautiful spot to swim in the center of Bozcaada is the open Salhane pier. The place at the end of the side bay with a view of Bozcaada Castle is also a very enjoyable bar. Since the pier was built in recent years, it is quite new and well-maintained. You descend directly into the shallow waters from the stairs. You can choose to wear sea shoes so that sea urchins or hard rocks do not sink into your feet. Click for location. Number 1 on the map.
1.2 Port
Bozcaada port, where there are many stairs to enter the sea, is your second option after Salhane, but if you ask us, Salhane should be your first choice because the sea traffic continues here. You have to be on the lookout for boats, no matter how clean. When you arrive at the port, you will see various cafe establishments along the port such as Ritim Cafe and Biz Bize Cafe. Here you can both eat and drink and get a mini beach club service to swim in front of them. Click for location. Number 2 on the map.
2. Most Popular Bays
2.1 Ayazma Beach
Let’s start with the island’s most popular bay, Ayazma Beach. If you don’t have a car, you can easily reach the center of the island with the services that depart every 10 minutes. Already, other popular bays are lined up on both sides of Ayazma. If you are a fan of the cool sea, we can say that Ayazma is the beach for you. The water here is enough to make your teeth click. In May, we were able to stay in the sea for 3 minutes, but in July, when the weather is scorching, it is incredibly relaxing. Despite the cool waters, the beach is sandy, so families with children also prefer it.
Both the beach and the bay of Ayazma are beautiful, but the most attractive thing is that you can hang out in the comfort of a beach club. There are 4 businesses lined up along the coast. Your beer, potatoes, watermelon cheese are right next to you. You can also meet all your needs for a beach day, such as sunbeds, umbrellas and showers. For this reason, it is highly preferred, and even in the season, be prepared to encounter a crowd that will not fall to the ground if you throw a needle. Click for location. Number 3 on the map.
All four of the 4 establishments on the shore of Ayazma are beautiful, but if you’re going for dinner, the performance of Vahit’in Yeri is something else. Since we have already mentioned a lot about him in our Best Bozcaada Places recommendations, we will not go into details now, but we give four options on the beach:
– Vahit’in Yeri: If you are at the beach during the day, when you get hungry, it is a place to sit at their table with a view and make beer – potatoes – squid, and to come to Ayazma alone in the evening. Click for location.
–Korean: Koreli, which has been the second haunt of the beach since 1967, is also a classic Ayazma place as much as Vahit’in Yeri. Even the locals of the island prefer Koreans more than Vahit’in Yeri because of its calmness. Click for location.
– Thenes Restaurant: The modest restaurant business of İbrahim Bey and his family. Their homemade meatballs are especially popular. Click for location.
– Ayazma Restaurant: A restaurant and cocktail bar at the end of the beach. It’s not a well-established place like the other three, but one of those places that changed hands. He has also put his own beach gazebo right in front of the place. Click for location.
2.2 Sulubahce Beach
Sulubahçe is the cove just to the left of Ayazma Beach. The sea is the same, but since there is no operation, it is calmer than Ayazma. One of the free beaches where you can spend the whole day with your own means. It has a mixed sandy beach. The sea is always cold. The road down to the beach is also a bit dusty. Campers live here. Click for location. Number 4 on the map.
2.3 Habbele Beach
Habbele Beach, the beach after Sulubahçe, is the second most popular beach on the island. There are beach businesses at one end. At the other end is the beach part where you can bring your umbrella and folding chair and set up as you wish.
The sea is sand and stone mixed. This is one of the island beaches where minibuses depart from the center. When you pass the facility on the beach, you will see Bertiz Hotel. Even if you are not a daily hotel customer, you can choose to benefit from the beach.
Another important feature of Habbele Beach is that there is an unobstructed beach section suitable for wheelchair access in Bozcaada. In this section, there is a parking lot for the disabled, an umbrella and two beach chairs. Click for location. Number 5 on the map.
2.4 Beylik Bay
Beylik Bay is on the other side of Ayazma Bay. The thing that makes this place famous is the Mercy God (but God didn’t seem to have much mercy 🙂 ) shipwreck, which ran aground in the bay in 2015. The wreck was located in the bay until 2019 and was a real tourist attraction. However, it was removed when metal parts that rusted over time began to threaten the ecosystem of the bay and release asbestos. It was very good. You can reach the center by minibuses departing hourly. Click for location. Number 6 on the map.
2.5 Aquarium Bay
We are now moving away from Ayazma. We descend to the southernmost part of the island. With its sheltered location, the Aquarium is one of the island’s most popular swimming spots. The water is very nice. There is no business or sunbed and umbrella service. Still, it is in great demand because Ayazma Beach is no longer enough for Bozcaada in the season. Those who cannot find a place there take shelter in the Aquarium or Habbele. You can reach by minibuses departing from the center. Click for location. Number 7 on the map.
Less Crowded Beaches
First Virgin Bay for Swimming
After Beylik Bay, you come across many untouched bays, large and small, until Aquarium Bay. You must have a car under you to reach these places. You can catch what you want and go to the shore by car. This is the first bay that we had the opportunity to visit. Click for location. Number 8 on the map.
Second Virgin Bay for Swimming
The untouched cove, which you will come across very close to the roadside. You cannot go directly to the shore by car, but you can park your car in the pockets on the side of the road and walk. Click for location. Number 9 on the map.
Ayana Bay
Ayana Bay, on the other hand, is one of the untouched bays on the route, but at least it has a name. It is also one of the stops of minibuses. The beach, which is quite wide and long, is partly stony and partly fine sand. With its shallow sea, it is one of the ideal spots for families with children. It is the choice of those looking for a more peaceful environment to escape from the crowded bays of the island. Just keep in mind that there are no showers, sunbeds, WC, umbrellas, or anything to eat and drink. Click for location. Number 10 on the map.
Third Virgin Bay for Swimming
When you pass the first virgin bay and Ayana Bay and continue on your way, you will see this third discovery. You cannot get down to this third one by car, but you can park your car in the pockets on the side of the road and easily walk to the shore. Click for location. Number 11 on the map.
Tuzburnu Bay, Neco Beach, Ataol Beach
Neco Beach
The swimming point in Bozcaada, which also has another lighthouse, Tuzburnu Lighthouse at its southeast end. One of the untouched coves where there is no business. When you continue towards the center of the island in Tuzburnu, you will come across Ataol Beach & Bungalow management and Neco Beach, which is connected to Korukcu Villas. Even if you do not stay here, you can get service as a beach. You can reach the bay by minibuses departing from the center hourly. Click for location. Number 12 on the map.
Tekirbahce Bay
Tekirbahçe Bay, which is one of the closest bays to the center of Bozcaada with a distance of 3.5 kilometers, is located in the region where the hotels are clustered on the island. For this reason, it is a bay parceled out by the hotels and holiday resorts here. Some of them you can come from outside and take advantage of the beach, while others are only for guests staying. You can join some of these small beaches from the outside. In our opinion, it is an option that can be bypassed, but still have the information. Click for location. Number 13 on the map.
Poyraz Harbor
The closest bay to the center of Bozcaada is Poyraz Harbor. There are no facilities in the bay. If you have sea shoes, you will be comfortable because there are mossy rocks and sea urchins that will cause you to slip and fall in the water. The water is shallow, smooth and temperate. Click for location. Number 14 on the map.
Meadow Beach
Çayır, the northernmost beach of Bozcaada, is the point where kitesurfing can be done on the island. In the past, there was a kite facility and even a kitesurfing tournament was held here, but we did not encounter such a service on the beach when we went. For this reason, we can say that it is one of the untouched beaches where there is no facility for now. Click for location. Number 15 on the map.
