Antalya

Antalyais known as theTurkish Rivieradue to its rich archaeological and natural resources; the sun, the sea, its nature and history along with some of the cleanest beaches in the Mediterranean, making it a very popular resort inTurkey.

Along the 630km of coastline, the province ofAntalyahas many ancient cities,harbours, memorial tombs, beaches, secluded coves and green lush forests, most of which are easily reached from the city centre. In Antalyas modern city you will find an internationally acclaimed marina, ancient castle and traditional Turkish architecture, a palm fringed boulevard and a huge selection of hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and shops that create a major tourist centre.

During the year, the city hosts a number of sporting competitions that include a triathlon, golf tournaments, tennis, archery, international beach volleyball and canoeing. The Cultural Centre, which opened in 1995, hosts art and cultural events in music, theatre and creative arts.

The most popular part of the city for visitors is the central old quarter where theRomanwalls known as Kaleici are located, and the citys museums are also very popular. The historic city centre ofAntalyahas structures dating from many eras; Roman,Byzantine,Seljuk,Ottomanand modern Republic ofTurkey. Kaleici (Inside the Kale or Inner Kale - Kale itself means castle or fortress) is located in the eastern centre part of the city along the coast although originally the entire city was within its walls. The harbour dates back toRomantimes and has undergone full restoration to the quay and harbour walls.

AntalyaUlu Mosque

AntalyaUlu Mosque(Grand Mosque), also called Yivli Minare Mosque(Fluted Minaret Mosque), was built in the 13th century by aSeljukSultan and is today a symbol of the city. The adjacent mosque, still in use today, has an open air caf with great views over the bay.

Hadrian's Gate

The Hadrian's Gate, (kaplar in Turkish meaning The Three Gates ) built to honour theRomanemperor Hadrian, who visitedAntalyain the year 130 and its also said the Queen of Sheba passed through the gates on her way to visit King Solomon.

MediterraneanCivilisations Research Institute

In the old town there are many renovatedOttomanhouses that have become pansiyons, shops, restaurants and bars and well sign-posted is themediterraneanCivilisations Research Institute. This comprises of two restoredOttomanhomes and exhibits part of the private collection belonging to Turkeys richest Ko family, who sponsor the institute and houses a fabulous library of books on archaeology and antiquities.

Archaeological Museum

Also not to be missed is the Archaeological Museum with one of the top five collections in Turkey.

Beaches close to Kaleici

Daily Boat Tours

From the harbour there are a variety of boats trips on offer, full and half day, which all take in the Duden Waterfalls and local beaches.

KonyaaltiBeach

KonyaaltiBeach, situated between Antalyas cliffs and Beydalar Mountains, is shingle, clean and well maintained with free entry. It has a nice promenade with cafs backing onto the beach and can be reached using the tram.

LaraBeach

LaraBeach 10km southeast of town using the dolmus, has fine sand and a small fee is charged for entry here.

Kursunlu Waterfalls

The high cascading water of Kursunlu waterfalls, 18km northeast of Antalya, are accessible by bus or dolmus.Weather in Antalya

The region has two climates; on the coast the area is typicallymediterraneanhaving hot dry summers and mild rainy winters, and the interior area, which is affected byCentral Anatoliaand the Mediterranean, the temperatures reach 35C with hardly any rainfall. In winter the temperature can go down to 4C, rarely reaching the freezing point, and the wettest months are December and January with an average rainfall of 250mm per month and an average annual humidity of 61%.Things to do in Antalya

Visit theAntalyaMuseum Walk the Saklikent Gorge Go to the ruins at Perge and Termessos Stroll throughKaleiciand the old houses of Antalya Photograph snowdrops in Akseki Buy a Dosemalti carpet Sample the local delicacies like jam and honeyDolphin Land Antalya

This dolphin show park is next to theAntalyaAquapark and offers visitors a chance to see these extraordinary intelligent and skilful dolphins, sea lions and a white whale perform and who are so close to the audience you feel you could reach out and touch them.

The show is in two parts and lasts for one hour; the first part has the two sea lions and a the whale called Mila performing unbelievable tricks and then there is a 15 minute break where you can get refreshments in the caf or take photographs of these beautiful mammals. The second part of the show has the very sweet dolphins Alisa and Suare performing for 20 minutes giving the audience a breathtaking and fantastic show.

Entrance Fee to Dlophin Park

The entrance fee 15 Euros for adults, 9 Euros for children aged 3-12 and 10 Euros students over 12. To swim with the dolphins it costs 75 Euros and to take pictures with the dolphins and sea lions it is 12 Euros.

Antalya Aquarium - 5th Largest in the World

AntalyaAquarium is the 5th largest aquarium in the world and the 2nd largest in Europe. It has a tank with a 5,000,000 liters of water capacity. Additionally, the aquarium has the longest aquarium tunnel in the world with 131 meters of length and 3 meters of width. Visitors can view more than 20,000 species in a total of 40 tanks.

The construction started in November 2011 and the aquarium opened its doors to visitors on August 15th 2012. The total cost was 85 million Turkish Lira.

AntalyaAquarium offers a great day out as the complex also has pools where you can swim with the fish, diving school, restaurants, cafes, 5D cinema, playground, snow room, paintball and an exhibition centre.

Entrance Fee toAntalyaAquarium

The entrance fee is 30 TL for adults and 23 TL for children.

AntalyaBeach Park

AntalyaBeach Parkis located on the beautifulKonyaalticoastline surrounded by lush green pine forest, sits along golden sandy shores lapped by sparkling crystal clear turquoise water and is close to Antalyas city centre. The Beach Park offers visitors a wonderful place to escape from everyday stress, whether alone or with the family and friends and has over 100 leisure activities available to guarantee an unforgettable day. The Beach Parks main principles were to establish quality from the outset whilst maintaining permanent guest satisfaction and to protect the environment.

Activities at the park include AquaLand; the biggest water park inAntalyawhere visitors are invited into the magic world of water, with huge waterfalls, water games and pools, open and closed slides measuring 40m up to 100m; DolphinLand with fabulous shows featuring the white whales Mila and Melina, the dolphins Alisia and Suera, along with Susha the sea lion; visitors can also arrange to swim with the dolphins for a fee.

There are numerous cafs and restaurants, an amphitheatre, concert area, the Hotel Su and Gamys Art Studio.

The beaches include Anan Beach, Khan Beach, Sante Beach and Yakamoz No.2 Beach and there is also a diving school available.Konyaalti

The fine pebbly beach is located on the west ofAntalyaand stretches for 7km (4.3 miles) from theBeydaglariMountains and up to the cliffs. Just inwards from the beach there is a park, several bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels and nightclubs. Venues in both the beach area, and the village that surrounds it, are mainly frequented by wealthy local people as this area is yet to attract hordes of foreign visitors, although it does draw many more people at the weekend and as the beach is so long youll hardly notice and will always find space.

Water Sports in Konyaalti

If you are looking for more than lounging on a sun-bed soaking up the sun there are many other attractions available such as the nearby marine animal park and a aqua slide park that are almost next to each other; there are many different water sports available and a vast amount of nearby venues to drink and eat from.

AntalyaBeach Park

On route to the beach is theAntalyaBeach Park with its open air food court and has delicious Turkish ice cream on offer and at night many candlelit tables to dine at. It is easy to access fromAntalyaas you can use the westbound tram from the city centre to Konyaalti.

Mountains

Bey Mountains, which is the extension of Taurus Mountains, lies along to the western shore of Antalya. These mountains are ideal for mountaineering, walking, paragliding, mountain biking, trekking, mountain and rock climbing due to its geographical features and 2000 to 3000 meters of attitude.

Kizlar Sivrisi

You can first try the Kizlar Sivirisi, which has an altitude of 3000 meters. To reach Kizlar Sivrisi, you will need to start walking from Camcukuru Plateau, situated betweenElmaliandAntalya. The path has a stunning view well worth the effort. The walk will take a whole day.

Other Mountainerring Sites in Antalya

Other places that are frequently visited for trekking and mountaineering include Saklikent , Mount Tahtali, Teke Summit and Mount Bakir.

Mountaineering Season in Antalya

Summer and spring months are mainly preferred because of the climate and the rich flora. However, it is worth mentioning that the summer months gets very hot, so you should dress accordingly and carry plenty of water.