The Turkish Riviera

The Turkish Riviera is the most stunning part of Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. A relatively recent discovery for British and Irish holidaymakers, it is growing rapidly in popularity.

Side
The old town of Side is set on a peninsula with sandy beaches to either side, surrounded still by the ancient city walls. It boasts an impressive ancient Hellenistic theatre, the largest in the area, with seating for 17,000, overlooking the sea; a charming museum and the stunning Temple of Apollo, a romantic spot at sunset. The old town is limited by the walls and the sea, which has been a bonus, meaning that the accommodation here is mostly pensions and mall hotels. The long stretch of sandy beach a few kilometres outside the old town, known with good reason as ‘kumkoy’ or ‘sand village’, has become the centre of tourism development in the town and is now home to large four and five star hotels and good quality self-catering accommodation. Side has something for everyone: great beaches, history, an abundance of shops, lively nightlife and a good choice of restaurants.

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Antalya
Antalya, the ancient city of Attaleia, is the largest on the Mediterranean. It is typical of Turkey, a thriving modern city, with a historic heart in the centre of Kaleici, within the old city walls. This area has seen something of a renaissance in recent years, with many of the wooden Ottoman mansions being restored and turned into boutique hotels. No cars are allowed in the narrow streets of the old town so it is a good place to soak up the atmosphere around the charming harbour. The symbol of Antalya is the fluted minaret or Yivli Minare built by the Seljuk sultan Alaeddin Keykubat in the 13th century. Culture vultures will find plenty of interest in the Archaeological Museum which has artefacts from the Paleolithic Age right through to Ottoman times. Antalya has a backdrop of stunning mountain scenery, and the city is set high on cliffs, with many of its grandest hotels overlooking the sea on the outskirts of the town. The beach area of Lara, approximately 12kms to the east is home to the best beach in the area, known for its golden sand, which is rapidly becoming a resort in its own right. To the west, the long pebble beach of Konyaalti is also popular. Heading up into the mountains, you can make the most of the beautiful scenery by visiting the spectacular Duden or Kursunlu Waterfalls to see a completely different side to the Turkish landscape. At Sakilikent, just 50kms away you can even visit a ski resort, where they usually have snow on the pistes until early April.

The Altlin Portakal, ‘Golden Orange’ film festival is held in the autumn. Antalya has a large number of 5 star hotels, many of which have meetings facilities, and this, together with the Pyramid Congress Centre which can hold up to 3000 delegates make it a popular venue for conferences.

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Perge
Just 18kms from Antalya, Perge was an important city in Pamphylia and was visited by St. Paul during his missionary journeys. Today, the city gate flanked by lofty towers, theatre and baths are of interest.

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Aspendos
Just 50kms east of Antalya, Aspendos was an important centre of trade during Roman times. Today, the most impressive aspect of Aspendos is her stunning theatre, which was built in approx, 162AD. It seats 15,000 and has been beautifully preserved. Each year it hosts the Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival which takes place in June and July and gives you the opportunity to see performances of classics in a magnificent setting. The aqueduct, which supplied water to the city is also still relatively intact and is an impressive sight.

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Belek
Belek is Turkey’s premier golf resort but don’t let that put you off as it also has plenty to attract the non-golfer too. The setting is spectacular with long, golden sandy beaches, and a backdrop of mountains. Belek has won awards for environmentally friendly development and there are many rare species of plant and wildlife indigenous to the area. Accommodation is mostly of the 5 star variety with all facilities laid on including sporting and other activities, spa treatments and entertainment. Many of the hotels are also set up to cater for children with kids clubs and other facilities.

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Alanya
Once a pirate stronghold, Alanya is now a modern resort, famed for its beautiful sandy beaches. Its harbour is dominated by the Kizilkule or Red Tower, which protected the dockyards in Seljuk times, the remains of which can still be seen in the waters. High on a promontory is the old fortress or kale with its well preserved walls, towers and Byzantine church. It takes about an hour to walk up (or you can catch a bus) but it is well worth it for the views alone. Alanya itself has no less than three blue flag beaches and has a full range of accommodation with plenty of good shops and restaurants, together with lively nightlife. An unusual sight is the Damlatas Cave with its strange rock formations, which is said to relieve those who suffer from asthma. A boat trip will take you to the Fosforlu Magara with its phosphorescent rocks, Kizlar Magarasi, where pirates imprisoned their female captives and the lovers’ caves or Asiklar Magarasi. Just 15kms to the east is the idyllic scenery of the Dim Cayi River.

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Kemer
Kemer was one of Turkey’s first purpose-built resorts, carefully planned to blend in with the surrounding scenery. At its heart is the attractive marina, a stopping-off point for gullets on the blue cruise. Around it are sophisticated shops, bars and restaurants catering for the resort’s well-heeled clientele. Kemer Beach is a clean pebble beach, but the main resort areas are on the beaches located a little further out, namely Kiziltepe, Goynuk, Beldibi, Camyuva and Tekirova. Surrounded by pine forests, they offer a range of accommodation including five star hotels, all designed to blend in to the natural environment.

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Phaselis
The three harbours of this Lycian port city were once a major commercial centre. In the shelter of Mount Tahtali, it is a popular stopping off point for yachts, and its clear waters and sandy beaches are popular with sun-seekers. The remains are mostly Roman and include a theatre, baths, aqueducts, Hadrian’s Gate, an agora and an acropolis.

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Olympos and Yanartas (Chimaera)
The ancient city, which was prominent in Lycian times, is set on the southern side of Mount Tahtali, surrounded by oleander and laurel bushes. It is in a charming spot set on a 3 mile long beach amidst unspoilt nature, and the ruins include baths, a temple, Roman theatre and necropolis. To the north of Olympos, past the attractive beachfront hamlet of Cirali, high on the hillside is the legendary burning flame of Yanartas, literally ‘burning stone’. Caused by natural gas escaping from the rocks, it is immortalised in the legend of the Lycian hero Bellerophon, mounted on his winged horse, Pegasus, slew the fire-breathing monster, the Chimaera. In Byzantine times it was a religious site, and there are remains of a temple here probably dedicated to Vulcan.

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Demre
Also known as Kale, the ancient city of Myra, is mostly famous for its connection with St. Nicholas, who was bishop here in the 4th century. His church is the focus of the annual ceremony which takes place to commemorate him on or around his feast day of 6th December. It is well worth seeing the Roman theatre which remains here, overlooked by spectacular rock tombs, dating from the 4th century BC.

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