16 Best Beaches in Istanbul + Seaside Fish Restaurants (Public & Private)

Istanbul has real beaches, and the best ones come with a fish restaurant attached. The city sits on two seas: the calm Marmara, close to the center, and the Black Sea, which hits the Şile and Kilyos coasts with strong waves. Turkey ranks third in the world for blue flag beaches, and Istanbul holds its share of them. Most visitors never find out.

This guide lists the 8 best public beaches and the 8 best private ones, and notes the food situation at each, because half the point of an Istanbul beach day is grilled fish, meze, and a cold drink afterward. For the broader picture of how the city eats from the sea, start with our guides to the best seafood restaurants in Istanbul, the fish markets of Istanbul, and balık ekmek, the grilled fish sandwich you can eat by the water without leaving the city center.

The 8 best public beaches in Istanbul

The public beaches are some of the prettiest in Istanbul, but their facilities may fall short of the private clubs, and they can get crowded on summer weekends.

1. Caddebostan Beach

On the Asian side of Istanbul and close to the center, this stretch holds three beaches, of which one is still public. There is a rescue boat, an ambulance, and a swim line that keeps you visible to the lifeguards. Toilets, showers, and changing cabins are available.

It’s a nice sandy beach you’ll share with local beachgoers, with sunbeds if you want to work on a tan. Caddebostan sits in the Kadıköy district, which makes the food plan easy: swim in the morning, then head back for lunch at one of the restaurants of Kadıköy.

2. Şile Ayazma Beach

Şile has a few blue flag beaches. This one faces the Black Sea and is considered the largest beach in Istanbul, with at least 35 lifeguards and two ambulances across Şile. It’s on the Asian side, a long ride from the city center.

There’s a nature park nearby and a lighthouse from 1859. Şile also holds two of the food stops later in this list, the Fora fish restaurant and the beach bars at Uzunkum, so it rewards a full day.

3. Yeşilköy Çiroz Beach

Yeşilköy is on the European side. The beach has about 500 loungers and 500 umbrellas, and though it faces the Marmara, it runs two lifeguard towers with 12 lifeguards, a rescue boat, and an ambulance. If you’re planning a picnic on the sand, there are toilet cabins and safety cabinets for your basket. If sandwiches on the beach don’t appeal, the neighborhood has plenty of small local cafes for a warm meal.

For the sporty, there’s beach volleyball and a mini soccer field. Anyone who wants to see the gardens behind the beach without walking can rent a bike or electric scooter cheaply at the city hall. Stay for sunset and you get the view with free music on the beach.

4. Tuzla Public Beach

Many consider this one of the best beaches for women, since it’s reserved for women on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

One of the cleanest places to swim in the city, Tuzla sits on the Asian side along the calmer Marmara shoreline, on a mix of sand and gravel. Cannonballing off the extended floating platform is the local pastime.

This is also one of the better public beaches to eat at. A few kiosks sell food and drinks, but the fish menu at Palmiye Balık Restaurant, the municipality-run facility formerly known as Palmiye Sosyal Tesisleri, is the real draw. Because the municipality owns it, prices stay reasonable, and the whole facility was recently renovated top to bottom.

5. Şile Uzunkum Beach

Uzunkum is another Şile beach facing the Black Sea. The sand is fine, with no jellyfish or seaweed, so heading into the water is tempting. The Black Sea’s waves can be overwhelming, though, so you may want to stick to the shallow end and play in the surf.

The beach bars here serve good food and cold Turkish beer, which makes Uzunkum an easy place to lose an afternoon. Some basics like sunbeds and umbrellas cost extra. It’s also one of the most photogenic beaches on this list, a true blue flag beach.

6. Florya Güneş Beach

If you want some culture with your tan lines, the Atatürk summer house is within walking distance. There are malls nearby, including Florya Mall, and the Istanbul Aquarium.

The beach is large, with 1,500 sunbeds, so finding a spot to relax is easy. There’s parking for 300 cars, though it still fills in summer, and safety deposit boxes for valuables.

Florya has two beaches, and Güneş is the local favorite, probably because security and cleaning run daily. The clean water makes it one of the best public swims in Istanbul, and you can play beach volleyball to the music broadcast. There’s a small entrance fee, far below what a private beach club charges.

7. Burgazada Madam Martha Public Beach

Burgazada is one of the Princes’ Islands, so you’ll need the ferry to get here, and the sea floor is rocky enough that swim shoes are necessary. The ferry is worth it for the food alone: the island’s restaurants serve fish and seafood at a level you’ll struggle to find elsewhere in Istanbul. Barba Yani here made our list of the best meze restaurants in Istanbul.

Beyond the table, the Princes’ Islands are quiet and meditative. You can climb to the monastery, rent a bike and ride around the island, or visit the Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum, dedicated to the Turkish writer. By the time you’re back at the ferry terminal, you’ll have earned the nap home.

8. Anadolufeneri Beach

This one is more for watching ships than swimming. It’s on the Asian side along the Black Sea coast, and the sea floor is very stony, so bring swim shoes if you want to go in. What it offers is a brilliant lighthouse, beautiful views, and quiet. Pack a picnic and you’ll have a beach with almost no tourists on it.

The 8 best private beaches in Istanbul

Private beaches charge entrance fees, but they have a reputation for better upkeep. If the crowds at the public beaches wear you down, try these eight.

1. Tırmata Beach

Tırmata is known for being women-friendly. Every group must include at least one woman or it will be denied entry, a rule meant to keep the beach family-oriented. With a 5,000-person capacity, it rarely feels overcrowded.

It’s an upscale beach, quieter than the alternatives. Once you pay the entrance fee, the rest, including sunbeds, parasols, and showers, is complimentary. Activities run from a kitesurf school to horseback rides on the sand, and there’s a beach cafe and a proper restaurant for when you’re done. A shuttle runs from the nearest metro station.

2. Milyon Beach

If you want a clean sea and an even cleaner beach, Milyon is the place. It’s known for its beach parties, and daytime brings live music, backgammon, board games, chess, soccer, and volleyball.

The food carries the day too. In the morning you can sit down to breakfast, and later you’ll be choosing between the fish options at the restaurant. It’s family-friendly, pets included. You can contact Milyon Beach here.

3. Uzunya Beach

Uzunya Beach Club is a private sheltered cove at Kilyos, an area popular with younger crowds. Hiking is big here, and you can stay overnight at the camping grounds.

The restaurant is the reason to plan lunch around this beach: you walk up to an aquarium, pick out the fish you want to eat, and wait while the chef gets to work. Few places in Istanbul make the line from sea to plate this short.

4. Ada Beach Club, Heybeliada

The beach club sits on Heybeliada, another of the Princes’ Islands, a short ferry ride away with shuttle buses on the island. Activities include mini golf tournaments, sightseeing boat tours, swimming, horseback rides, nightlife, and cycling tours. There’s free unlimited internet, which may be exactly what you want after a dip in the cool water.

5. Solar Beach

Solar Beach is among Turkey’s largest private beaches and runs more like a vacation resort. Located at Kilyos, it has child and pet care centers, health centers, markets, shops, fashion shows, surf clubs, beauty centers, water sports, and jet ski championships. If the sea is too rough, there’s a swimming pool.

It’s open 24/7 with live music, and the nightlife is something else.

6. Şile Aqua Beach

Şile has free beaches, but Aqua charges an entrance fee. The sea is at its best in the morning, and though this is Black Sea coast, the sandy shore is a calm place to sit with a drink from the beach bar. Chill, picturesque, family-friendly.

7. Loc’ada Büyükada

Loc’ada is a hotel on Büyükada, the biggest of the Princes’ Islands, with lovely architecture and a small private beach. The dining room operates like a meyhane, the Turkish tavern format built around shared plates and slow evenings. Staying there is a little expensive, which keeps it somewhat exclusive.

8. Şile Fora Beach & Fish Restaurant

If your idea of a beach day ends with rakı and meze, Fora is the place built for it. The restaurant seats 100, works with local suppliers, and runs its own private beach club, which you can reserve during the summer months. Of everything on this list, it’s the purest version of the Istanbul formula: sea first, fish table second, in either order.

Final words

Whether you want an escape from the city or a break partway through your stay, every beach here earns its spot for the surroundings, the sun, and the water. Pick the ones with a fish restaurant nearby and the day plans itself. And if the weather turns, the eating side survives any season: the fish markets sell the day’s catch year-round, a balık ekmek by the water takes ten minutes, and our Istanbul food guide covers everything beyond the shoreline.