The City of Canakkale is not a popular tourist destination, but it is near some of the world's most fascinating and ancient sites.
Dardanelles Strait has a transition climate between the Mediterranean and Black Sea climates. Rains fall during the winter, and temperatures reach their maximum in August. Temperatures range from an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) in August to an average low of 9 °C (48 °F) in January and February.
Just 25 kilometers southwest of Dardanelles Strait and Canakkale is the ancient and world-famous archaeological site of the city of Troy, the legendary center of the Trojan War described by Homer in the Iliad. Believed to be the location of the historic city, the archaeological site lies under Mount Ida. Roman Emperor Augustus established the new city of Ilium on top of the original site, and Ilium flourished until Constantinople was established. There are many layers in the ancient ruins, numbered Troy I through Troy IX. Troy I dates between 3000 and 2600 BC. Troy VIIa, dating between 1300 and 1190 BC, is the most probably setting for Homer's Troy. Troy IX dates from the 1st Century BC, when it was called Ilium. The archaeological site was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1998. With over four thousand years of history, it is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. First excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870, the vast remains represent the first contacts between the Anatolian civilizations and the Mediterranean world. The siege of Troy by warriors from Sparta and Achaea and the famous Trojan Horse in the 13th or 12th Century BC are perhaps one of the best known tales of ancient history. Depicting the earliest stages of the development of European civilization, the Troy archaeological site may be one of the most important concrete memories held in the modern world.
The Dardanelles Strait Island of Bozcaada is opposite from the site of Troy about 23 kilometers from the mount of Dardanelles and about five kilometers from the West Anatolian coast. The first island inhabitants, the Pelasginas, arrived in about 2000 BC, and the island was later settled by Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Genoese, and Venetians. Bozcaada then became part of the Ottoman Empire. Today, there is only one residential area on the island, and almost all of it is covered with vineyards that have produced wine since the dawn of history. The island offers 17 miles of beautiful beaches and clear blue Aegean waters. This wonderful place is one of the best holiday secrets in the entire Mediterranean region.
In addition to its idyllic setting, Bozcaada is one of the world's richest scuba diving areas, boasting a wealth of undersea life in seas with a clarity of from 20 to 40 meters of visibility. Scuba divers and all-night diving excursions must have permission to dive there, but skin diving is possible without permission. The island is dotted with out-of-the-way coves and shallower diving locations that make it a safe diving location. The Aganta diving school on Bozcaada Island offers one-on-one diving lessons and private diving tours, in addition to renting diving equipment. There are also many shipwrecks that are very popular with more experienced divers.
Travelers who want to visit Dardanelles Strait and Canakkale by sea can find a list of scheduled cruises on the Cruise Compete website.
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