From Istanbul you can board a small public ferry that connects all major towns along the Bosphorus toward the Black Sea zigzagging between the Rumelian and Anatolian sides of the city twice a day. A sight to behold are the hundreds of Ottoman-era waterfront houses that stretch along both coasts. Poyraz is the last stop before the Black Sea. The area is always windy. If you are not afraid of climbing, on top of a steep hill lie the ruins of an ancient Byzantine fortress that offer a sweeping vista over the Bosphorus and the entrance to the Black Sea. Be sure to run back to the docks in time, though, as the ferry doesn't wait for latecomers