Marmara Islands

From CruisersWiki

40°32.210'N, 027°35.970'E40.536833;27.5995 waypoint

Marmara Adasi Region - For details click on a name or an area

This is a group of islands lying 10 miles N of the Gulf of Erdek on the W side of the Sea of Marmara. The largest island of the group is Marmara Adasi (Προκόνησος- Prokonnisos), which is also the largest island in the Sea of Marmara. Its peak is 720 m above sea level. The south side is very wooded and green, while the north side has been heavily quarried for marble since Greek and Roman times. The island’s dazzlingly white and flawless marble has been highly prized by sculptors and architects for thousands of years. It (Greek Μάρμαρο -Marmaro) not only gives its name to the island but to the whole gulf: Sea of Marmara.

Charts

Turkey

296 Marmara Adaları

2942 Ports in Marmara Denizi - A Marmara Adası

2941 Ports in Marmara Denizi - D Saraylar

See also Sea of Marmara.

Weather

See Turkey.

Passages

List popular passages/routes, timing, etc.

Islands

• Marmara Island
• Pasalimani Adasi
• Avsa Island

Communication

Also see World Cruiser's Nets.

Navigation

Warning: While the approach to the islands is straightforward from all directions, the coasts of the islands themselves are fringed with isolated rocks and reefs and careful navigation is needed when sailing between the islands. There can also be strong gusts in the channels between the islands when the usual fresh N/NE winds are prevailing.

Berthing

Ports

Yacht quay

Port Marmara, Marmara Island

Port Marmara, Marmara Island/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Port_Marmara.2C_Marmara_Island

harbour Port Marmara, Marmara Island [[Marmara Islands#Port Marmara, Marmara Island|Port Marmara, Marmara Island]] (Prokonnisos) 40°35.09′N, 27°33.61′EPort Marmara, Marmara Island40.584833333333;27.560166666667

Port Marmara is the main harbour in Marmara Adasi and is situated on the SW corner of the island, protected from S and W by a long breakwater and from E by a stub breakwater and the headland beyond it. Depths in the entrance are around 6.0 – 7.0 metres and in the centre of the harbour between 4.0 and 5.0 metres. The quay along the breakwater and on the western side of the harbour is usually filled with fishing and cargo boats and yachts are normally directed to anchor moor bows or stern-to on the northern quay, where there is space for around 6 - 8 yachts. An attendant is usually present to take lines and connect to water and electricity if required - 2019, 75 TL for 11m boat incl. Elect. & Water. Shelter here is good in the prevailing N/NE winds, although strong gusts off the mountains will be experienced in the harbour with winds above force 5-6.

Note: the depths at the quay range from 1.5 to 2.5 metres only (the deeper water being in the centre of the quay) and around 3.0 metres about 10 metres off the quay. Yachts with deep rudders and/or keels are likely to have problems if there is any swell in the harbour. Shelter inside is good, although strong N/NE winds send in some swell, which is more irritating than dangerous.

Port Marmara from S breakwater

Breakwater of pure white marble

Birol Restaurant

Chart of Asmaliköy

Asmaliköy, Marmara Island

Asmaliköy, Marmara Island/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Asmalik.C3.B6y.2C_Marmara_Island

harbour Asmaliköy, Marmara Island [[Marmara Islands#Asmaliköy, Marmara Island|Asmaliköy, Marmara Island]] 40°36.9′N, 27°42.4′EAsmaliköy, Marmara Island40.615;27.706666666667

Asmaliköy (Greek Αφθόνη - Afthoni) is a small harbour on the E side of Marmara Adasi. Asmaliköy is very attractive, totally untouched by the outside world despite its relative proximity to Istanbul. It has a few houses, some very attractive made of wood. There is only one çay hani (tea house) and a most rudimentary store. Go stern-to the concrete wharf in the centre of the quay, where there are depths of 3.5 – 4.0 metres. Alternatively, go bows-to the breakwater itself, but note that it gets shallow very quickly. It is best to proceed very carefully and keep a good distance between your boat and the quay. It may even be wiser to take a line ashore in the dinghy. There is a basic restaurant ashore.

Asmaliköy

Saraylar

Saraylar, Marmara Island

Saraylar, Marmara Island/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Saraylar.2C_Marmara_Island

harbour Saraylar, Marmara Island [[Marmara Islands#Saraylar, Marmara Island|Saraylar, Marmara Island]] 40°39.5′N, 27°39.9′ESaraylar, Marmara Island40.658333333333;27.665

Saraylar (Παλάτια - Palatia) is the port from where the marble is loaded on Marmara Adasi. The harbour is totally built of marble blocks and it is decorated by ancient column segments and other architectural fragments--all of the marble rejects of ancient craftsmen. A yacht can either go alongside or stern-to the eastern breakwater, where there are depths of 2.5 – 3.5 metres, or bows to a section of the W quay, where depths are around 1.5 metres. Good holding in mud and good shelter. Several cafes and restaurants along the waterfront.

The ferry quay

Yigitlar, Avsa Island

Yigitlar, Avsa Island/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Yigitlar.2C_Avsa_Island

harbour Yigitlar, Avsa Island [[Marmara Islands#Yigitlar, Avsa Island|Yigitlar, Avsa Island]] 40°30′N, 27°31.52′EYigitlar, Avsa Island40.5;27.525333333333

Yigitlar is a new harbour, constructed on the E side of the island of Avsa, primarily as an alternative berth for the ferry from Erdek on the rare occasions when there are strong W/SW winds in the Sea of Marmara and the ferry’s usual jetty at Turkeli on the W side of the island becomes untenable. The harbour is entered from SSE, parallel with the beach, and there are depths of 6.0 meters in the entrance. The harbour is very large and a visiting yacht has several berthing options (assuming the ferry is not due in the case of strong W/SW winds). The small basin at the W side of the harbour is shallow and mostly filled with local boats. The larger basin on the E side is used by the ferry (but very rarely). The central length of quay between the two basins and directly opposite the entrance has depths of 4.0 – 5.0 meters off the quay but barely 2.0 meters alongside, so a yacht should do an anchor moor if mooring here. The holding is good in sand. In the eastern basin, the West wall has 4 water and electric stands,the depths immediately in front of which range from 2.3 meters in the SW to 2.5 meters in the NW and quickly get deeper. Going stern to should be fine.When the ferry comes in it turns to starboard and spins in its own length with bow thrusters and so should not present a problem to yachts stern to the west wall. The North wall has depths alongside of 3.5 meters and water but not electricity. The E side of the basin, where the ferry berths, has depths ranging from 5.0 meters in the South East to 3 Meters in the corner and a yacht can lay alongside here in good shelter. Although the quay here is quite high and lined with heavy black tyres, a yacht alongside is blown off by the prevailing winds. A town agent will come by to collect a dockage fee (17 meter boat 50TL)and ensure you have water and electricity.

Ashore there is one surprisingly good restaurant for such a sleepy settlement,Bortalina. However, it is the only game in town and is closed off season. There is a variety of restaurants 1 1/2 miles across the island in the much larger settlement of Turkeli. There is a small store in Yigitlas with basics and several bakeries. On the way to Turkeli there is a full Migros market and a BP station that should be able to provide fuel at the dock.

Yigitlar has a beautiful sand beach. The water is remarkably clean as is the dock and town. The locals are very friendly.

Note: the approach from N is straightforward, but in the approach from S be sure to give the headland of Buyukliman Burnu a clearance of at least half a mile as there are dangerous shallows off it.

Yigitlar harbour, showing the central quay and ferry quay

Bortacina Restaurant

Marinas & Yacht Clubs

Avsa Marina, Avsa Island

Avsa Marina, Avsa Island/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Avsa_Marina.2C_Avsa_Island

marina Avsa Marina, Avsa Island [[Marmara Islands#Avsa Marina, Avsa Island|Avsa Marina, Avsa Island]] 40°32.30′N, 27°30.50′EAvsa Marina, Avsa Island40.538333333333;27.508333333333

The basic infrastructure of a new marina has been installed with good depths and masses of protected space. The marina currently consists of little more than two breakwaters and quays. The Turkish Transportation Ministry invited tenders for the completion of the marina here in March 2011 and as of May 2013 nothing further has transpired, so it may be some time before the marina is fully operational. In the approach, the two ends of the breakwaters are indicated by conspicuous light towers. There are gusts in the channel between Avsa and Ekincik with moderate to strong NE winds. Chartlet

Anchorages

The anchorage

Pasalimani Adasi

Pasalimani Adasi/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Pasalimani_Adasi

anchorage Pasalimani Adasi [[Marmara Islands#Pasalimani Adasi|Pasalimani Adasi]] 40°29.4′N, 27°36.0′EPasalimani Adasi40.49;27.6

The main anchorage on the island lies on the W side, between it and the smaller, uninhabited island of Koyun Adasi. The anchorage is either approached from the N, when care should be taken to avoid the numerous offshore islets and reefs along the coast of the island, or from the W, when a yacht should pass just S of the isolated danger mark at the S end of Koyun Adasi, since there are dangerous reefs extending nearly half a mile NE of the headland of Incirli Burnu at the SW end of the anchorage. Once inside, anchor offshore in 5.0 – 10.0 metres where convenient. The holding is good in sand and weed – once your anchor is through the weed, which may call for several attempts. A simple restaurant is ashore and a small bakery. The locals in the village are very friendly and the island’s former importance as a wine-producing area is evinced by the ruins of a winery established here by the Compagnie Vinicole de Constantinople.

Pasaliman: the restaurant

Ruined winery

It is still largely an agricultural community

Amenities

Provisioning

Bim/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Bimprovisions Bim [[Marmara Islands#Bim|Bim]] supermarket in Port Marmara.

Migros/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Migrosprovisions Migros [[Marmara Islands#Migros|Migros]] supermarket 3/4 mile from Yigitlar.

Local store/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Local_storeprovisions Local store [[Marmara Islands#Local store|Local store]] βasic provisions only in Saraylar.

Local store/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Local_storeprovisions Local store [[Marmara Islands#Local store|Local store]] οnly bread in Asmaliköy.

Butcher/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Butcherprovisions Butcher [[Marmara Islands#Butcher|Butcher]] in Port Marmara.

Small bakery/wiki/Marmara_Islands#Small_bakeryprovisions Small bakery [[Marmara Islands#Small bakery|Small bakery]] in Pasalimani.

Eating out

• Port Marmara

Birol/wiki/Marmara_Islands#.27.27Birol.27.27eatingout Birol [[Marmara Islands#Birol|Birol]] next to the small boat harbour is reasonably good value (but check your bill carefully).

• Port Marmara , Turkeli and Saraylar

Restaurants/wiki/Marmara_Islands#.27.27Restaurants.27.27eatingout Restaurants [[Marmara Islands#Restaurants|Restaurants]] several restaurants.

• Yigitlar

Bortacina/wiki/Marmara_Islands#.27.27Bortacina.27.27eatingout Bortacina [[Marmara Islands#Bortacina|Bortacina]] restaurant near the harbour, has a good reputation.

• Turkeli

Erol un Yeri /wiki/Marmara_Islands#.27.27Erol_un_Yeri_.27.27eatingout Erol un Yeri [[Marmara Islands#Erol un Yeri |Erol un Yeri ]] on the beach is modest but good.

• Asmaliköy

çay hani/wiki/Marmara_Islands#.27.27.C3.A7ay_hani.27.27just tea. çay hani [[Marmara Islands#çay hani|çay hani]]

Transportation

Ferries to Istanbul and Erdek.

Tourism

History

Give a short history of the island.)

Places to Visit

If you can arrange land transportation, a visit to Saraylar (Παλάτια - Palatia) on Marmaris Island is worth your time. The dirt road is steep and winds through many sycamore trees and green vistas. Saraylar is the port from where the marble is loaded. It is an attractive town but it is surrounded by the moonscape of the marble quarries. The island has been quarried for marble since antiquity. The harbour is totally built of marble blocks and it is decorated with ancient column segments and other architectural fragments--all the marble rejects of ancient craftsmen. On Pasalimani and Avsa, there are attractive walks through the countryside, which is dotted with vineyards, and several nice beaches around the islands.

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

• Marmara Adasi at the Wikipedia
• Avşa Island at the Wikipedia
• Marmara Islands at the Wikivoyage

References

See Turkey.

Comments

We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.

Verified by

Date of member's last visit to Marmara Islands and this page's details validated:

• July 1999 --Istioploos Travels with S/Y Thetis
• May 2011--Athene of Lymington 14:18, 24 May 2011 (BST)
• May 2013 --Monterey
• July 2017 Asmali --Conch 16:08, 25 July 2017 (BST)
• July 2019 s/y Cisco II - Sandybig 7 July 2019

Contributors to this page
Names: Istioploos, Atheneoflymington, Lighthouse, Haiqu, Monterey, Sandybig