Eğirdir Island (Yeşilada)

Yeşilada (Green Island) lies approximately one kilometre north of Eğirdir town and is connected to the mainland peninsula by a narrow 1.5-kilometre causeway traversing the shallow southern reach of Eğirdir Lake. The island, measuring roughly 500 by 300 metres, is one of Isparta Province's most pleasantly scaled destinations: small enough to walk across in 15 minutes, yet furnished with waterside restaurants, a Byzantine church, and lakeside terraces that make it a natural stop for an unhurried lakeside lunch. The island takes its name from its year-round green vegetation, kept lush by the lake's humidity. At the island's highest point, a small Byzantine church dating from around the 9th–10th century survives in a well-preserved exterior state; it served variously as a mosque under Ottoman rule and is now a historic site without active religious use. The interior is typically closed to visitors but the exterior masonry rewards a short walk from the restaurant strip. Around the island perimeter, a rough track allows a 20-minute circumambulation with views over the lake in all directions, taking in the Eğirdir peninsula to the south and the open lake stretching north toward the Taurus massif. The island's restaurants specialise in locally caught freshwater fish — primarily carp and trout — with mezes of local vegetables. Dining is informal; fish is typically priced by weight at 150–300 TRY per portion depending on species. On summer weekends the island fills with domestic tourists from Antalya and Isparta; weekday lunches are considerably quieter. Reaching the island on foot or by bicycle from Eğirdir town takes about 20 minutes via the causeway.