Çıralı, Turkey

Çıralı, Turkey

Located 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Antalya on Turkey's Mediterranean coast not far from Phaselis, Çıralı is a village set 7 km (4 miles) off the D400 highway among pines, citrus orchards and farmers' fields (map).

It shares a pristine little beach (photos) and atmospheric Roman ruins with the nearby village of Olimpos, but Çıralı (CHUR-ah-luh) (is most famous for the Chimaera (Yanartaş), a natural eternal flame located on a mountainside at the north end of Çıralı village.

In ancient times, the Chimaera was easily visible by mariners at sea, but today it has dwindled to a series of small flames, a less impressive but still remarkable natural phenomenon. More...

The best way to visit Çıralı is by car because it's 7 km (4.4 miles) south of the coastal D400 highway. If you're going by bus from the north (Antalya, Kemer, Phaselis) or from the west (Kaş, Kalkan, Demre) you should ask the driver to let you off at the road to Çıralı, which he may well confuse with the road to Olimpos only one km farther along on the highway (map). Make sure he gets it right.

In summer, dolmush minibuses usually wait at the Çıralı junction to shuttle travelers to Çıralı village.

Maps of Mediterranean Turkey

Olimpos

Çıralı

Çıralı Hotels

Chimaera

Olimpos Transport

Mediterranean Maps

Mediterranean Turkey

Where to Go

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Above, a stream runs through the rocky Olimpos Valley to Olimpos Beach, below.