The Turkish Riviera is the southern coastal strip of Turkey and one of the most popular summer holiday destinations. The region is particularly popular among all-inclusive vacationers. Between sun, sea and beach, the region between Antalya and Alanya also has numerous ancient sights and natural spectacles to offer.
While the Turkish Riviera is flat and has long sandy beaches, the Aegean coast is characterized by mountainous landscapes and romantic bays.
The city of Antalya also has a beautiful old town to offer - this is called Kaleiçi. The clock tower is located on the edge of the old town, which is why we started our exploration tour from there. Near the clock tower is another attraction, the Yivli Minare - a mosque, which the locals often refer to as the city's landmark. The best views of this impressive structure are from nearby Republic Square. Other sights in the city include Hadrian's Gate, the marina and the Archaeological Museum.
If you are looking for peace and relaxation, Belek is ideal for it, it is also wonderful to hike in the pine forests around Belek. If you want to experience something more than Side has a lot more to offer.
Antalya, on the other hand, is known for its historical and cultural wealth, its magnificent beaches and its luxurious resorts.
Alanya is the epitome of a relaxed and carefree tourist attraction. The choice between Side and Alanya ultimately depends on your personal preferences. If you are interested in history and archaeology, Side might be a better choice. On the other hand, if you prefer a livelier holiday with beautiful beaches, Alanya might suit you better.
In Side, which is characterized by tourism, there are numerous restaurants and cafés as well as many colourful shops and souvenir shops that invite you to stroll around. In particular, the pretty old town and its ancient ruins, along with the picturesque beaches, are among the city's best-known and most popular sights.
Barbarossa: “When Emperor Redbeard, worthy of praise,
Set forth for the Holy Land,
He had to lead his pious host
Through mountains desolate and bare.
Therein arose great hardship;
Cilician Gate - a term surely familiar to many travelers to Turkey is, in the literal sense, a natural geographical feature: a mountain pass that so effectively separated the coast from the Anatolian Highlands that, in times past, traversing it was possible only with the utmost difficulty.
Climbing – During our recent trip from Antalya toward the Saklikent ski resort, we passed a mountaineering camp—featuring a row of log cabins and tents—situated in a lush, forested high valley; it immediately piqued our interest.
Gulets - Turkey is nearly completely surrounded by water. There is the Mediterranean to the south and west, the Aegaen and the Marmara Sea to the west and north, and the Black Sea to the east.
Canyoying is a new and exciting outdoor activity. By Canyoning (also called Schluchteln or Schluchting) you can understand committing a gulch from above to down (in the early time of the sport canyonings from below upwards) in the most different variations.
Alaoda - If you drive the road between Karaman and Mut, you should take a short break at the village of Geçimli (Malya) and ask passers-by for directions to the church grotto and the monastery of Alaoda. There was no signage at that time.
Diving - The rough rock drops down vertically into the depths. The stones seem to shine. Like the flowers of the dandelion, huge amounts of long-tentacled plate corals grow on the rocks. Starfishes of orange and red are everywhere.
Tahtali - We went back home for a short while, uploaded the latest on XC paragliding competition Turkey second phase to Alaturka website and hit the road on Thursday night. The next target of XC paragliding competition Turkey was Tekirova near Kemer in Antalya region.
Tahtali – We spent the rest of the day on a short excursion to Adrasan, checking out the beach and swimming spots. It is a truly dreamy place, featuring a dark sandy beach and gloriously blue, shimmering turquoise water.
Ölüdeniz – And here we go again! The paragliding scene issues one last call for the season: Off to the Air Fest in Ölüdeniz, near Fethiye a combined festival featuring artistic airshows, paragliding, a multitude of aerobatic performances presented by international pilots, and live music on a stage situated right on the magnificent beach of Ölüdeniz.
Antiocheia ad Cragum - About 18 kilometers east of Selinus, which is now known as Gazipasa, the ancient city of Antioch ad Cragum once stood high on the rocks above the sea.
Stefan Neuhauser – The photographer and mountain guide was born in 1964 in Kempten in the Allgäu region of Germany.
Sapadere Canyon – This visit has been on our itinerary for a long time, but it has been postponed repeatedly, quite unjustifiably: a visit to the waterfall in Sapadere Canyon.
Jeep Safari - It is often possible to come across amusement rides named “Jeep safari” on board Jeeps in the tourism centers along the Riviera coast.
Alanya Harpoon Fishing - It was still quite early on Sunday morning when we set off on the short drive to Alanya Castle Hill to take some photos.
Belek once was a small village next to Antalya until... As everywhere along beautiful beaches, hotels have been built. But how is it different from other places with similar beaches? The starting point was to introduce a variety of sporting activities during holiday time for visitors.
Kilise Tepe - Our invitation from the Municipality of Mut, especially by the Kaymakam….. includes one more special event when we were going to Kilise Tepe, about 25 Kilometers outside of Mut.
Trebenna - We have heard of the ancient city of Trebenna several times, but so far without any concrete information about the historical background or even the exact location of the city near Antalya.
Suna & İnan Kıraç Research Institute on Mediterranean Civilizations, within the Vehbi Koç Foundation, is an international cultural institution
Üçağız - A Lycia Story in the Country of Lights. A friendly fishing town with a natural harbour which is a good shelter for boats, islands situated randomly in the front.