Istanbul Beaches

Istanbul, with its population of around 16 million people, is surrounded by the sea. However, due to pollution, there are very few beach areas suitable for swimming within the city. Most of the cleaner beaches are not located close to the city center. As a result, many Istanbul residents choose to travel to cities and towns in Southern Turkey, such as Bodrum, Antalya, Marmaris, Fethiye, for their summer holidays. Unlike the touristy cities on the southern coast of Turkey, the beach season in Istanbul is relatively short, lasting approximately three months—from mid-June to mid-September.

While there are no specific beaches in Istanbul visibly frequented by gay people, there are several swimming areas where it’s more likely to come across other gay individuals. These areas provide opportunities for everyone to enjoy the sea, regardless of their background or sexual preferences:

 Unfortunately, gay cruising places including beaches are not as busy as they used to be since the widespread use of the internet and cell phones, especially after gay mobile applications were launched. As in other big cities around the world, cruising areas, especially isolated parks, are where people should be a little cautious with the people they come across. It’s important to take precautions to ensure your safety. We recommend that you do not carry your valuable things on you when you go to outdoor cruising places, just in case.
 

Cruising Beach Areas in Istanbul

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  Princes' Islands Beaches
Beaches and rocky coastal sections along the isolated back sides of Istanbul's Princes' Islands are known as summer cruising spots, the most popular one being in Kinaliada, which is the first stop of the ferry boats coming from the mainland. After getting off from the ferryboat in Kinaliada, walk to the right hand side along the street by the beach for about 15-20 minutes until you reach a hard-to-notice concrete pathway going down the hill to the shore. This hidden pathway is on Fazıl Ahmet Aytaç street at this specific point on Google Maps. After walking down to the shore - paying attention not to slip - walk another 10 minutes to your left hand side to reach the cruising section. Do not expect a visible gay scene and stay away from groups of young boys, if there are any. You will need special slippers while walking along and swimming around this shore, with many small rocks and mussels that may hurt your feet. Rubber sea-slippers are sold in the stores and supermarkets near the ferry station for this purpose.

  Sarayburnu Waterfront
Sarayburnu is a coastal area in the old city, located behind Topkapi Palace near Sultanahmet. There is no visible gay scene here. However, some local gay men occasionally gather during summer, though they are not the majority. You will also find many single men and groups of heterosexual friends drinking, along with young boys from Istanbul's ghettos swimming and lounging on the rocks. Although it sits along the waterfront, this is not a traditional beach. Instead, it is a rocky shoreline by the coastal road, with large boulders and concrete structures lining the edge. Swimming is not particularly recommended, and strong currents can be dangerous for inexperienced swimmers. It is best to avoid staying too long after dark.

  Yesilkoy Beaches
There are a number of public beaches around Yesilkoy district on the European side of Istanbul, around 25-30 km away from Taksim. During the weekend days in peak summer season, Ciroz Beach in Yesilkoy and public beaches around Menekşe are where some Turkish queer men hang out to meet young boys coming from the nearby ghetto neighbourhoods of Istanbul. These boys can be problematic especially when you are not familiar with the local heteroflexible gay culture. It is advised to stay away from crowded groups of teenagers. As a matter of course, cruising occurs in isolated, rocky sections of the beaches.  There are IETT public buses from Harbiye, Taksim and Eminonu districts that go closer into the Yesilkoy coast, passing near these beaches. These beaches are about 15-20 minutes walking distance away from Florya and Yeşilköy stations of the Marmaray subway system.





Other Regular Beaches in Istanbul

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  Adalar (Prince's Islands)

Adalar is the plural for "ada" which means island in Turkish. This is a group of small islands in the Marmara Sea close to the mainland on the Asian side. The beaches on these islands seem to be the only decent swimming option left close to downtown Istanbul. They consist of 9 islands, 4 of which are considerably popular and inhabited. Private cars and motor vehicles are not allowed on any of the islands. So you need to walk, hire a bicycle to get around.

Buyuk Ada (Grand Island) is the biggest one as the name suggests, and it is the most vibrant one. There are public ferry boats to Adalar from Kabatas pier on the European side (closer to Taksim, easily accessible from Sultanahmet by tramcar) and from Kadikoy and Bostanci districts on the Asian side. The ferry boat from Kabatas stops on each inhabited island one after the other, in order of Kinaliada, Burgaz, Heybeliada and Buyukada. The ferryboat journey takes about 60-105 minutes from Kabatas (via Kadikoy) with roughly 15 minutes distance between four main islands. You can hop-on hop off in this order between the islands by taking the next arriving ferryboat. You can get to Kabatas with the T1 tramcar line. If you are staying around Taksim, you need to take the funicular line from Taksim subway station.

Click Here for Conventional Ferry Boat Lines to Prince's Islands
Click Here for Google map locating Prince's Islands of Istanbul

  Beaches on Asian Side
Several beaches along the Marmara Sea, on the Asian side of Istanbul have been reorganized and vitalized by the local municipalities in 2010's and opened to public service. Bostancı, Caddebostan and Erenköy public beaches are the ones worth visiting, if your expectation is not very high. These public beaches will be busy with families during the weekend days.

  Kilyos Beaches
Kilyos, aka Kumköy is a small fishing village by the Black Sea shore of Istanbul on the European side, which is surrounded by green forests all around it. It has sandy beaches, hotels, pensions, cafes and restaurants. Roughly forty five minutes drive from downtown Istanbul, the village is a good option for an escape from big-city life at least for an afternoon. Especially preferred by the local people living in the European part of Istanbul, it is a perfect place for nature lovers who would go there for swimming and picnicking. The sea of Kilyos is rather chilly and wavy and there is flow in some parts. It is not advised to swim very far from the shore especially in isolated parts of the beaches for this reason. If you have time to visit the outskirts of Istanbul during your holiday, you can take a public bus to Sariyer first, departing from Taksim and Kabatas. You can find dolmus cabs, public bus or taxi to Kilyos from there. On the way back you can stop in Sariyer district for a cup of Turkish tea in a sea-side cafe or eat fish in a small restaurant.

  Sile Beaches
Şile is a lovely resort town on the Black Sea coast on the Asian side, 50 km from Uskudar (a district by the Asian shore of Bosphorus, across from Besiktas). The famous, extensive beaches of Sile are reached partly by a motorway, and partly by a narrow road winding through the forest. The ruins of a Genoese fortress and the lighthouse are also worth seeing in Sile. To the west of the town the beaches extend uninterrupted, and to the east there are a series of small, sandy bays. The summer months are quite crowded and lively. Rarely, you can see gay man cruising along the breakwater of Sile. It may take more than two hours to get to Sile from European side of Istanbul, so it is recommended only if you have plenty of time to spent in Istanbul. A daily visit is possible in practice, but accommodation is readily available in the numerous hotels and pensions if you have time for an overnight stay or longer. There are public buses (Bus line 139) to Sile from Uskudar district on the Asian side.

Comments:
"There is an unofficial nudist beach in Sile (Istanbul) Uzunkum vicinity: Uzunkum is long beach. At the beginning there are some clubs. Take sea your left and walk along the beach. Pass small island and keep walking until rocky section. Pass this rocky part. another beach start. at the end of this beach nudity is possible especially weekdays. At weekend you have to keep walk along another rocky section. after rocky section small sandy beach accessing only shore. Its little bit difficult so sea shoes must be worn. At 2014 summer weekend and 2015 summer weekends skinny dipping was possible. You can go there by public transportation departing from Uskudar district."

Click here for a more comprehensive travel guide to the beaches in Istanbul

See also
Public transportation in Istanbul
Conventional Ferryboat Lines  
IETT Public Buses