While Izmir and Antalya have their own charms, nowhere comes close to the wonders of Istanbul – a city that has an intimate relationship with water. "Istanbul draws its strength from the Bosphorus," writes Turkey's Nobel Laureate Orhan Pamuk. This mighty channel, 20 miles long, is one of the world's great crossroads: broad enough for ships to navigate, narrow enough for bridges to cross.
To appreciate fully its shores, hop on a public ferry at Eminonu and buy a return ticket for TL17.50 (£7.70) to Anadolu Kavagi, a seaside town near the Black Sea. The journey takes 90 minutes each-way and zigzags between Europe and Asia. As Pamuk observes: "To be travelling through the middle of a city as great, historic and forlorn as Istanbul and yet to feel the freedom of the open sea – that is the thrill of a trip along the Bosphorus." It demands a second outing – this time take the commuter ferry from Eminonu to Kadikoy. Board a ferry to coincide with sunset and you'll see the Sultanahmet peninsula with its minarets silhouetted against pomegranate skies. At TL1.40 (60p) it's one of the world's great bargains; can there possibly be a better commute?
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