Antalya · Turkish Riviera
Antalyaawaits you
Where the Taurus mountains drop into the Mediterranean, and a city of a million people keeps a Roman harbour at its heart.
The region
A city on a cliff,
a beach at its feet
Antalya sits on a limestone plateau thirty metres above the sea. To the west, below the cliffs, runs Konyaaltı: seven kilometres of pebble beach with the 2,000-metre Beydağları rising straight behind it. Rose Erela is a five-minute walk from the water.
The old town, Kaleiçi, is twenty minutes away by tram or taxi. Beyond the city, within an hour's drive, lie three ancient cities, two national parks, a waterfall that falls into the sea and, in winter, a ski resort. Antalya counts around 300 sunny days a year. Swimming season runs from May into November.
The best spots
Discover
The best spots
Twelve places worth your time, closest first.
5 min walkKonyaaltı Beach
Seven kilometres of smooth pebbles and clear water, blue flag, beach clubs with loungers and a boulevard for the evening walk. The sunset behind the mountains is the daily show.
15 min walkBeach Park & Aquarium
The green strip along the beach, with cafés, a mini-golf, playgrounds and one of the largest tunnel aquariums in the world. Good for rainy days and small children.
20 minKaleiçi old town
Ottoman houses, courtyard cafés, small hotels in old mansions and a marina cut into the cliff. Go late afternoon, stay for dinner, take the panoramic lift back up.
20 minHadrian's Gate
Three marble arches built for the emperor's visit in the year 130, still the main entrance to the old town. Look down at the grooves the Roman carts left in the stone.
20 minYivli Minare
The fluted brick minaret from 1230 is Antalya's symbol. The square around it, with the clock tower and the Mevlevi lodge, is the best place to start a walk.
30 minDüden waterfalls
The lower falls drop forty metres from the cliff straight into the sea. Watch from the park above, or take a boat from the old harbour to see them from the water.
35 minKurşunlu waterfall
A shaded canyon of pine trees, turquoise pools and small falls. Cool even in August. Bring shoes for the paths and a picnic.
35 minPerge
A Roman city with a colonnaded main street, baths, a stadium for 12,000 and a Hellenistic gate. Most of the statues you see in the Antalya Museum were dug up here.
45 minAspendos
The best-preserved Roman theatre anywhere, seating 15,000, with its stage wall still standing. Opera and ballet are performed here every summer.
45 minTermessos
A mountain city at 1,000 metres that Alexander the Great gave up on besieging. The theatre hangs above a gorge. It is a hike, not a stroll, and worth every step.
60 minOlympos & Çıralı
A three-kilometre beach between two headlands, ruins in the forest, sea turtles nesting in summer, and the eternal flames of the Chimaera burning on the hillside after dark.
15 minTünektepe cable car
Ten minutes in a gondola to 600 metres, at the western end of Konyaaltı. The whole bay, the city and the mountains from one terrace. Best an hour before sunset.
Live Antalya
Beyond the landmarks
Things to do rather than see. Didem can arrange most of these, or point you to who can.
Getting here
Fourteen kilometres
from the runway
- AirportAntalya Airport (AYT) is 14 km away, about 25 minutes by taxi. Flights from most European cities take three to four hours. We can book a transfer for you.
- TaxiAsk for "Konyaaltı, 4557. Sokak". Taxis are metered. Yellow taxi stands are at every corner in the neighbourhood.
- TramThe Antray and the nostalgic tram run along the coast to Kaleiçi and the museum. Cards are sold at kiosks.
- CarFree parking on site. Useful for Olympos, Termessos and the mountains; not needed for the city.
- Check-inFrom 15:00 to 23:00, in person. Check-out by 12:00. Let us know your arrival time.