An island we visited for 1-2 days in late May.
Getting There
First off, having cars on this island is ridiculous. It's genuinely tiny. Unlike Gokceada, which has distant villages justifying vehicles, Bozcaada could easily solve its transport needs with electric vehicles like Istanbul's Princes' Islands. No need to bring a car when visiting. Taxi prices are reasonable.
Food & Drink
The wine scene is definitely overhyped. Most of the traditional wineries, like Talay, Ataol, Camlibag and the like, are quite bad. The only ones worth visiting for both wines and atmosphere are Amadeus and Corvus. If you have any wine-tasting ambitions, stick to those to avoid souring on the whole experience. Wine prices are generally below the Turkish average, which is probably why people come here. But if you're genuinely looking for quality wines, this isn't the place.
Velidede's products are truly superb. Eat plenty. Restaurant food quality is generally good across the island, just unnecessarily expensive.
Tips & Advice
Excluding beach time, one night's accommodation is more than enough for regular tourist activities on this island.
My Place Reviews
Restaurants
Hasan Tefik Restoran ve Zeytinyağı★★★★★
Nice atmosphere, quality food. The octopus was delicious. The sardine stuffed grape leaves were truly a real specialty.
Bars
Tenedion Winehouse2024★★☆☆☆
You can only try Camlibag wines. A tasting of 9 wines at 5 cl each is 150 TL. Price-wise it's really affordable but the quality of the wines is truly mediocre, like they've turned to vinegar. Before committing to the 9-wine tasting, it's worth trying just 1 first to see if it appeals to your palate. Even though the grapes change, the style stays the same.
Other than that, the place feels a bit abandoned, and the people doing the explanations aren't very knowledgeable about wine. They seemed like they were doing you a favor by being there.
Ataol Saraplari2024★★★☆☆
Nice setting, the staff are pleasant to chat with, but the wines are mediocre. You can try 5 cl for 30 TL. Worth trying to see the island style, but definitely taste one before ordering more to see if it suits your palate.
Cafes
Bozcaada Vasil Coffee&Bakery2024★★☆☆☆
Supposedly a place with gluten-free options, but since the season hasn't started yet they don't have any gluten-free food.
Service is very slow, and the food portions are small. Prices are expensive for the portions.
Hotels
Ayapetro Otel2024★★★★★
Way more quality than what you pay for. The owners are incredibly attentive. Beautifully designed, breakfast is nice.
Our only negative comment is that since the room insulation is poor, you hear a lot of noise from other rooms and the hallway, and there's a bit of smell coming from the toilet drains. But I think these are problems common to all the old houses on the island in general.
Attractions
Bozcaada Castle2024★★★★★
Looks really beautiful from the outside.
Shops
Bozcaadalı VeliDede2024★★★★★
Great products, they have gluten-free options too. Their mastic coffee is tasty, and the pistachio coconut one is amazing :)
Amadeus Sarapcilik / Winery2024★★★★★
By far the best winery on Bozcaada. For 30 TL you can taste 5 cl from all their bottles. The grape varieties, especially the whites, are very original. Absolutely a must-visit.