What to See & Do in Antalya, Turkey

What to See & Do in Antalya

You can certainly spend more than one pleasant day in Antalya, but you can also see all there is to see in a day, and move on to other sights and beaches (maps).

You can even reserve a half-day or full-day city tour before you leave home.

Konyaaltı Beach (Konyaaltı Plajı)
The eastern end of this l-o-n-g dark sand and pebble beach--the part just downhill from the Sheraton Voyager and Hillside Su hotels, is organized as Antalya Beach Park. More...

Lara Beach (Lara Plajı)
Antalya's l-o-n-g eastern beach is not quite as pretty as Konyaaltı, but the sand is softer and there's plenty of it. More...

Kalekapısı (Antalya City Center)
The center of Antalya is a tower in the old city walls, called Kalekapısı (KAH-leh-kah-puh-suh, Castle Gate). Just down the hill from it is Kaleiçi (Old Antalya), but why not start your walk by going around the old walls to...

Hadrian's Gate (Hadriyanüs Kapısı, Üçkapılar)
One of the many building projects of the great Roman Emperor Hadrian, this three-portal marble gate in the city walls is still an Antalya landmark. Walk through it to enter...

Kaleiçi (Old Antalya)
This was the Roman town, then the Byzantine, then the Seljuk Turkish, and finally the Ottoman Turkish town. The huge, modern city of Antalya didn't really start to appear until after World War II. More...

Broken Minaret Mosque (Kesik Minare, Korkut Camii)
Enter Kaleiçi through Hadrian's Gate, follow Hesapçi Sokak and soon you'll see this Antalya landmark. Built as a Roman temple, it was a church in honor of Mary, then converted to a mosque. Now it's just a picturesque ruin. More...

Hıdırlık Kulesi (Old Stone Tower)
This ancient fortress-like tower stands between Kaleiçi and Karaalioğlu Parkı, with views of the Gulf of Antalya and the Roman (Yacht) Harbor. Restaurants at its foot are great for fine views. More...

Karaalioğlu Parkı
Antalya's largest and finest city park, it streches along the craggy coast for hundreds of meters, giving you fine views of the Mediterranean from its shady benches. More...

Roman (Yacht) Harbor (Eski Liman)
Though it once sheltered Roman triremes, the old harbor, surrounded by restaurants, now serves as a mooring for day-cruise yachts. Talk to the yacht owners any evening about the cruise they'll take the next day. More...

Bazaar (Çarşı)
Just inland from Kalekapısı is the center of Antalya shopping, Antalya's old, historic bazaar (çarşı), with lots of jewelry shops. Here, at the beginning of Kâzim Özalp (Şarampol) Caddesi is also the place to find lots of bank ATMs and currency exchange offices (döviz buroları). More...

Antalya Museum (Antalya Müzesi)
Board the westbound tram at Kalekapisi or Hadrian's Gate and take it to the western end of the line for Antalya's excellent archeological museum. Artifacts from the many rich cities in the region, including lots of Roman marble statuary and sarcophagi, are preserved here. More...

Day-trips & Excursions from Antalya
Antalya makes a fine base for excursions to other places on the Pamphylian Plain and even into the mountains, dramatic places such as Termessos, Karain Cave, Perge, Side, Aspendos, Köprülü Kanyon National Park (for river rafting), Selge, Phaselis, Olimpos and Çıralı. More...

Antalya Maps

Antalya Hotels

Antalya Restaurants

Antalya Transport

Antalya Homepage

Mediterranean Turkey

Where to Go

Turkey: Bright Sun, Strong Tea, by Tom Brosnahan

Good airplane & bedtime reading!

Above, the Grooved Minaret (Yivli Minare) and, to the left of it, the lower Kalekapısı (Castle Gate) tower, marking the center of Antalya.

Below, Hadrian's Gate, left from when Antalya was a Roman city.