L’Isola Guest House

When I was looking for a nice place to spend the night on the Princes Islands, I ran across this small guest house on Heybeliada — primarily because it got astonishingly high ratings on another website, actually the best rating on the whole island. So I decided against Büyükada, for Heybeliada. Which was a great decision, because Büyükada was massively overrun by tourists on this Easter weekend. And — as I found out later — Heybeliada is a real gem, completely underrated. It’s quiet, nice, beautiful, less spoiled.
L’Isola, in that matter, is just like the island. Small, enjoyable, no big fuss, all real. The place is run by Arsen, a young guy that lives on the island as well, and he does all the work himself. Four rooms, all nicely furnished, spacious, and clean, with nice views of either the garden or the Marmara Sea. It’s conveniently located in the middle of the island — not too far away from the ferry, and a good starting point for walks across the island. It’s super quiet — unless the seagulls are having a fight on one of the neighboring roofs.
Arsen is also preparing the breakfast — and it’s actually a class affair for a small guest house like this. We were monstrously lucky with the weather, 25 degrees and sunny, we had wisely chosen Room No. 1, which has direct access to a really spacious roof terrace, and he was serving our breakfast right up there on that terrace. You might have to defend your food against one or the other cat, but this only adds to the charm of the place.
He serves cucumber and tomatos, olives and süzme peynir (soft white feta cheese), cherry preserve, a delicious omelette, and he can brew a decent cup of filter coffee. Add bread and butter, and the morning is yours. Simply lovely.
Restaurants on the island are not really expensive (if you go to the right ones, like Mavi) — but if you want to save some money anyway, or feel like cooking yourself, Arsen will gladly let you use the kitchen and have your meal sitting in the small courtyard of the guest house.
You feel like spending the day of your check-​out on the island walking or biking or eating and take a late ferry home? If no one is booked in your room for the following night, you can leave your stuff in the room until departure. Otherwise, Arsen will always keep your stuff at the house until you pick it up on your way to the ferry.
He is a really nice and endlessly helpful guy that will be glad to tell you what to enjoy on the island, and what to avoid. His tips are always great, trust him. And reserve a little time for a chat and a coffee with him. We were lucky to have plenty of time, and to meet his sister and his mother as well, so we had nice talks at the house, sitting in the sun, having coffee, petting the cats.
For a guest house, the five stars are well deserved. Yes, you can stay at a fancier place on Heybeliada. But I bet you won’t find a friendlier one.