Antalya holidays

Why visit Antalya

Few coastal cities in Turkey combine so much in one place. Kaleici is a lived-in old town of guesthouses, courtyards and Roman gates rather than a museum piece, and it opens straight onto a yacht harbour. West of the centre the long pebble sweep of Konyaalti runs beneath the mountains, while sandy Lara stretches east past the large hotels. Within an hour lie some of the best-preserved Roman sites on the coast: the theatre at Aspendos, the streets of Perge and the seaside temples of Side. Museums, waterfalls and mountain villages fill the gaps.

What Antalya feels like

The mood shifts with the seasons. Spring brings orange blossom, wildflowers and snow still bright on the peaks, and the ancient sites are quiet. Summer is hot and dry, the harbour cafes fill after dark, and the beaches run busy from June to September when the sea is at its warmest. Autumn holds the heat in the water long after the numbers thin. Down in Kaleici the lanes stay cool between stone walls, cats doze in doorways, and the call to prayer from the Fluted Minaret carries over the rooftops. The Taurus mountains are never out of view.

Landmarks and ruins worth your time

• Kaleici and the old harbour: The walled old town of narrow lanes and restored Ottoman houses, dropping to a horseshoe harbour that was the city's Roman port.
• Hadrian's Gate: A three-arched marble gateway built to mark the emperor Hadrian's visit in the second century, still the grand entrance to the old town.
• The Fluted Minaret (Yivli Minare): A Seljuk-era brick minaret with fluted sides, the emblem of Antalya, rising beside a former mosque near the harbour.
• Duden Waterfalls: Two sets of falls: the upper ones in a shaded park where you can walk behind the water, the lower plunging off a cliff straight into the sea.
• Antalya Museum: One of Turkey's major archaeological collections, rich in Roman statuary recovered from Perge and the surrounding coast.
• Aspendos and the ancient coast: Inland and east of the city lie the well-preserved Roman theatre at Aspendos, the ruined streets of Perge and the seaside temples of Side.

Around the city and coast

• Kaleici: The historic core above the harbour, pedestrian and hilly, full of guesthouses, craft shops and courtyard restaurants.
• Konyaalti: The city's western beach, a long pebble shore beneath the mountains, backed by parks, cafes and the Antalya Museum.
• Lara: The sandy coast east of the centre, lined with large resort hotels and closest to the airport and the lower Duden falls.
• Kemer: Southwest along the gulf where the pine-clad Taurus meets the sea in a string of pebble coves and marina towns.
• Belek: East of the city, a planned resort zone of golf courses and pine forest set behind broad sandy beaches.

The Antalya table

Antalya cooks in a southern, Mediterranean key. Its signature is piyaz, a white bean salad that here comes dressed with tahini and vinegar rather than plain oil. Meze plates lean on hibes, a smooth tahini and cumin dip, alongside grilled sea bass and bream from the gulf. Slow-roasted tandir lamb and skewered kofte come off the coals, and meals often end with kunefe, warm shredded pastry over melting cheese in syrup. Citrus groves ring the plain, so fresh orange juice is everywhere.

• Antalya piyazi (white beans with tahini)
• Hibes (tahini and cumin dip)
• Tandir (slow-roasted lamb)
• Grilled sea bass
• Kunefe (cheese-filled pastry in syrup)

Getting along the coast

The old town is best on foot, its lanes too steep and narrow for cars. A tram runs along the seafront and a modern light-rail line, the AntRay, crosses the wider city, while dolmus minibuses and taxis fill the gaps. The coast is long, so reaching Konyaalti in the west and Lara in the east means a tram or taxi ride. For the ancient sites and the resort towns of Kemer, Side and Belek, intercity coaches leave from the main bus station, though a hire car gives the most freedom. Antalya Airport lies east of the city, one of the busiest holiday gateways in Turkey, with separate international and domestic terminals. Transfers to the Lara hotels are short; reaching Kemer to the southwest or Side and Belek to the east takes longer along the coast road.

Practical pointers

• Cover shoulders and knees to enter mosques, remove your shoes, and women should carry a scarf for the head.
• Keep beachwear to the beach; the old town and its restaurants expect ordinary clothes.
• Tea is a gesture of welcome in shops and workshops, and accepting a glass carries no obligation to buy.
• Tipping is customary in restaurants, usually rounding up or leaving a small percentage for good service.
• Konyaalti is pebble rather than sand, so water shoes make the shoreline kinder underfoot.
• The lower Duden falls are best seen from a short boat trip along the cliffs, or from the clifftop park.
• Aspendos, Perge and Side sit close enough to combine, and the Aspendos theatre still stages summer performances.
• Snow lingers on the Taurus into spring, so you can sometimes swim and see the peaks white on the same day.
• Summer heat peaks in July and August, while spring and autumn are gentler for walking the old town and the ruins.
• The old harbour is the departure point for boat trips along the coast and beneath the waterfalls.

Best for

• Beach time
• Unwinding

Key facts

Antalya essentials

Climate & seasons

Typical stay

• Weekend-friendly
• Short break (2–5 days)

Antalya works as a weekend break just as well as a longer stay.

Getting there

Antalya is served via AYT.

• AYT

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Travel style

• Short-trip friendly
• Beach

Frequently asked questions