Places to See (West Coast from Antalya)

Antalya:

Beaches in the city are not spectacular but will do good after a long day of expedition. 4 and 5 hotels do have pools to have you refreshed if immediate access to a beach is not available.

The Old Town surrounded by Roman walls guard the harbour which was the trade center for milleniums. Kaleici with its renovated Ottoman architecture small houses, Roman Harbour, Yivli Minare, and Antalya Museum are the major places to visit in the city itself.

Konyaalti beach is public beach, particularly crowded on weekends.

About half an hour drive from the city high on a hill, is the Karain cave, a paleonthologic site where excavation is still going on.

Termessos

Termessos is located about half an hour drive north of Antalya.

Kemer - Beldibi

Kemer is about 1 hour drive from Antalya. It is one of the tourist centers of the region. The city itself is small and newsly built and full of shops, bars, hotels. It has a nice yacht marina. Very nice hotels and vacation villages are spread to the area.

A small park separates the marina from one of the most beautiful cove beaches in the region. The park, called Yoruk parki, for its steppe theme and people with their original mountain outfits offers a nice relaxation place under the shade of the pine trees. You can also eat gozleme (a dough filled with meat or cheese, cooked on a steel plate) and ayran, the famous Turkish drink made with mixture of yogurt, water and salt. It is very nice refreshment and a nice way to cope with the heat in summer months.

Down the park, you will see one of the most beautiful beach sceneries in Turkey. Though it is crowded, it is very nice beach. You can also try water sports for a fee.

Phaselis and Olympos

Covered with pine trees, Phaselis ruins, dating back as early as 6th century BC is one of the most enjoyable ancient cities in Turkey. The city is built on a very small peninsula, two small coves on each side . One of the coves is quite small while the larger is a mooring spot for boats cruising the Lycian coast. The coves have small gravel beaches, and are separated by a 5 minutes walk through the ruins and under the shade of pine trees.

Olympos ruins, on the other hand, may be reached after a 3 kilometers (2 miles approx.) drive on a bumpy road. A jeep is strongly recommended for a better ride. The ruins are scattered on a small hill and around the river crossing the city. In summer time the river is dry.

The ruins are mostly hidden among the trees and the entrance to the beach is through a path covered by trees and through the rusns of the ancient city. The beach is a "small gravel" beach and the water is crystal clear. It is possible to reach this beach through Chimera (the legendary eternal fire visible at night) exit on the Antalya- Kas road and you would get better driving conditions but you should walk about 10 minutes along the beach to the ancient city of Olympos.

An interesting lodging facility in the area are the "tree houses" with no roof, like the ones you would find in old, Robinson-Crusoe-type novels. The accomodation is free if you eat at the restaurants who built the houses. The site is isolated from "modern life" except that there are many tourists visiting the beach during day time. Still, it may be a good place to relax, sleeping to the sound of crickets at night time.

Chimera- Eternal Fire of Olympos

Tekirova and Demre

Descending from the mountains to the plains of Demre you will see that the plains are almost covered with patches of plastic. These are the green houses of the farmers. Farming of tomatoes and citrus is still the major source of income for the inhabitants of the town. Tourists stop by for a daily visit to St. Nicholas (Santa Clause) Church and the Myra tombs. Demre has silent beaches, and is mostly used by the locals.

Since this is not a touristic town, there is not many type of accomodations in the city. Moderate degree of comfort can be found in hotels and some guesthouses.

Ucagiz, Kalekoy, Kekova

Ucagiz is a tiny village on the Mediterranean about half an hour ride from Kas. Here you can see Lycian tombs half submerged on the sea. There is no beach within easily accessible on foot from this tiny place, but it is possible to rent a small fishing boat for a few hour cruise around Kekova island and swim in the Turquoise waters. You can also see the remains of a submerged ruins of an ancient city while cruising.

Kalekoy and Kekova is also reachable from Kas on daily tour boats at about USD 7-10 per person. Kalekoy has a small castle on the of the hill which offers superb views of the Mediterranean and the Kekova island facing it.

Kas - Kalkan

Kas is a small touristic city right on the sea. The mountain rises high from the sea level. The town is mostly visited by Turks, mostly from Ankara, as well as some tourists. There is no sand beaches but the water is nice and you can take daily boat trips to neighbooring places, such as Kekova and Kalekoy.

Kalkan is a tiny village and its marina welcomes yachts cruising the Mediterranean. There are not many hotels but a lot of guesthouses (pensions). The price are higher compared to the other places along the coast but this is to be expected since the town is really small, there is not much choice. It is a calm place, and has a few bars, in case you would like to have a drink.

Patara

Westbound from Ucagiz and Kas stands Patara. This ancient city had one of the most important harbours of Lycia. The ruins are well preserved and only a few hundred feet from a wonderful sand beach that stretches for miles along the Mediterranean coast. The beach is reachable through the ruins making the place one of the most interesting mixtures of nature and history.

Letoon - Xhantos - Tlos - Saklikent Gorge

These are major sites in the region between Patara and Fethiye. They are about 1-2 hours drive away and can easily be accessed on day trips.

Letoon ruins are on the fertile plains on a flat surface. Temples are the highlight of the site.

Xhantos was the capital city of Lycia. The ruins and tombs are scattered around the area but there is not much left from the city it once was.

Tlos was a very important ancient city of Lycian region. The characteristic of the region are tombs carved on the hill and the fortress on top of a hill built later on by the Ottoman offers a superb view of the plain down below. You can also visit the theater easily almost on the road.

Saklikent Gorge is a nature's gift to the region. The gorge is about 17 kilometers and you can visit the first few hundered meters easily. The river flows along the gorge and you will have to put your feet in the water in order to walk further. There are also many rock that block the way and you will return back when you see one you cannot climb. The gorge is pretty crowded, but the scenery is very nice, especially at the entrance of the gorge. The river flows a medium pace but the water is very cold and even on a hot day you will feel really chilled. It possible to taste some nice Turkish meals sitting at the small restaurants by the river.

Fethiye - Oludeniz

Fethiye is the second biggest city along this coast after Antalya. It does offer many hotels from simple to luxourious, bars, discos, and beaches which are a few kilometers from the city center, such as Calis beach. Sovalye island facing the city is a nice place for a daily boat excursion. It is a calm place and has a small gravel beach.

The city was first famous for its Oludeniz, once a calm camping retreat, now a destination for the package holidaymakers. Oludeniz is still very nice and about 20 minutes drive on a public minibus. There are still limited camping sites left, in addition to many hotels and guesthouses. You can also stay in Hisaronu if you like the nightlife, or Kayakoy if you would like to sleep listening to the sound of the crikets at night time.