Explore: Istanbul Port
General Info
Guarding the western entrance to the Bosphorus, Istanbul bridges the divide between Europe and Asia. Its thousands of years of history make it an unmissable stop if cruising this part of the Mediterranean. The Golden Horn is the name given to its harbor.
Position: 41°01.27’N, 28°59.17’E (off Karakoy)
Clearance
This is a Port of Entry.
For the full details on clearance go to the Turkey Formalities page.
It is advisable to clear in and out when visiting Istanbul. All the offices of the necessary officials are in the same building on the waterfront at Karakoy. Clearance can take a while but is straightforward.
Last updated: May 2017.
Docking
Marinas
There are several marinas in Istanbul.
- Setur Kalamis has an adjacent yacht harbor, Fenerbahce marina. This marina is on the southern shore, SE of the old city.
- Atakoy, is on the northern shore, west of the city.
- Marinturk Istanbul “City Port” is situated in Pendik, next to Tuzla.
- West Istanbul Marina and Marina Istanbul located in Buyukcekmece Bay opened in 2012. While these are further from the city center, they tend to be inexpensive and uncrowded and getting into Istanbul is easy by public transport.
Anchorages
There is not really a safe anchorage in the vicinity of Istanbul. The bay at Bebek, midway between the two suspension bridges over the Bosphorus, is the nearest.
Karakoy is not a safe place to berth.
On approach, beware of the ferry traffic crossing from one side to the other.
When proceeding up the Bosphorus, VTS must be monitored on the appropriate VHF channel. See Bosphorus for details.
Last updated: May 2017.
