All About Antalya

On the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, the Antalya city takes place and it is like created for traveling due to its stunning beaches, unique coves, breathtaking ancient sites, full of surprises nightlife, and ravishing waterfalls, fauna. According to my experience, it will be better to see amazing coves by joining an Antalya Boat Tour. The city is rich in waterfalls, so a waterfall tour can be an easier way to see them instead of renting a car and getting lost on the maps. Kaleici, the old city, I mean, is accessible on foot and has great historical structures worth seeing. 

1. Antalya: The Capital City of Turkish Tourism

Before coming here, I read an article that said “Antalya is the capital city of tourism in Turkey”. My first impressions do agree, actually. By looking at the people downtown, I knew there were so many tourists, but to my surprise, despite the crowd, the city seemed to be quite hassle-free. Speaking of downtown, for sure, Kaleici is one of the main attractions. A great place to have a walk, stroll around local bazaars, taste local food and sweets such as doner, baklava, Turkish delights, etc., and buy souvenirs. I was pretty impressed to see how vibrant the place is.

And of course, there is much more to see in Kaleici. After a couple of minutes’ walk from the Bazar area, you get to the wide-open square, which has a perfect panorama viewpoint. Here you can view the beautiful Antalya bay along with the marina. The marina looked really great, and it was interesting to see a few wooden excursion boats that literally looked like old pirate ships. While trying to figure out how to get down to the marina, I saw a lift near the big square, and I was in the marina in a minute. A very practical solution, and yes, the lift is free. After taking some photos and finding out about the prices of boat trips, I saw a small breakwater and walked straight to it, another perfect spot for taking photos.

2. What about boat tours, waterfall tours, and their prices?

The city has so many coves, bays, and hidden beaches that you can reach one or several of them by boat. All along the summer season in Antalya, yacht tours and boat tours are often chosen by both foreign and domestic visitors. When it comes to fees, the Antalya boat tour prices are between 30 and 60 euros. Besides, the city has so many heaven-like waterfalls that I saw the brochures about "Antalya waterfall tours" everywhere, and the Manavgat, Duden, and Kursunlu waterfalls can be visited with those tours. On my tour, I could only visit Duden but next time I will have a waterfall tour.

As I was taking photos it was weird to see padlocks hang on the railings of the breakwater! I guess due to the big astonishment on my face a local guy came to me and explained that the couples were coming here and hanging the padlocks on the railings which were symbolizing that their love was locked from that moment till eternity they can never be separated. Wow, how romantic.

3. Where can be seen in Antalya by a walking tour?

It was time to move, but where to? With that question in my mind, I saw a group of tourists, and I heard their guide say, “Now we will walk to Kaleici." What a great idea, so I decided to follow them from a distance. After going up the stairs as a bit of cardio work out we reached Kaleici. I learned that Kaleici in Turkish means something like an inner castle and a few small old walls that I saw around made sense. This must be the most beautiful place in Antalya, my inner voice said.

The narrow old streets full of authentic shops, bars, pubs, restaurants, etc. were so nice, and also there were many traditional, lovely houses here with magnificent gardens and flowers. The Yivli Minaret, the Clock Tower, the old port, and Hidirlik Tower are so very enchanting. However, attending a daily tour in Antalya might be a better idea to learn more about the history of Kaleici because it is charming too.

4: Is Antalya good for nightlife?

From giant discos packed to the brim with loud music to more low-key pubs and bars, Antalya's nightlife is quite a show. And of course, it is easy to guess how crazy and fun these bars, cafes, and such will be in Antalya’s nightlife. What I mean is you shouldn’t miss the chance to spend time on some of your Antalya tours, no matter if you are a backpacker, luxury, or blue cruise traveler. 

I expressed my appreciation to the tour guide from a distance and sat in a cafe for a coffee break. As I was having coffee, I made friends with some locals and they asked me whether I had seen the waterfalls of Antalya or not.  

I had seen the advertisements but did not visit one. They told me that there were these chains of high mountains surrounding Antalya, known as the Taurus Mountains and that the snow they received during winter melted in spring, which was the main source of the waterfalls. This advice encourages me. Luckily, Lower Duden, right on the seafront of Antalya was very close to me. As I was looking for a taxi, I saw this beautiful historical gate right in the middle of the city. The Hadrian Gate. What a great Roman structure! Another perfect spot for wonderful photos. Then I got a taxi, and after about 20 minutes of driving, I was in Duden Waterfalls. It was really an amazing place where you could watch the river fall from the cliffs into the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It's literally a mesmerizing view.

For the rest of the day, I had two choices. So had to make a decision between visiting the famous historic sites of Antalya, Aspendos The Grand Roman Theatre and the ancient city of Perge (about an hour drive from downtown) or I could go for a swim in one of the famous beaches of Antalya known as Konyaaltı. And i went for the second choice as Antalya is known for its beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear sea. On the other hand, I felt kind of guilty thinking that I ignored history. But on the way to Konyaalti, I saw a sign saying “Archeological Museum” and it was very close to the location where the Konyaalti beaches started. This was a nice surprise, so I did not miss the opportunity to have a short visit, which I did not regret. It was quite a big museum and was full of Roman statues, historical relics, and such. I should admit that the big statues here are really impressive and worth seeing.

I visited Antalya on my own and I think I missed some breathtaking sights, so here are some tour links that you should prefer to visit more destinations in a limited time.

8 Day Antalya Family Holiday
10 Day Antalya Dream Vacation

Antalya, what a lovely city!!