Antalya

Sites

Ancient cities

Antalya is surrounded by ruins you can walk through, from the Romans, the Greeks and civilisations older still. Whole cities, with theatres, temples, streets and harbours, sit in the forests and on the coast within a short drive. Three picks, each in a different direction, so plan one per day. All are easiest by car or a booked tour.

• Termessos. A mountain city about 45 minutes north-west of Antalya, high in the Taurus Mountains. Alexander the Great gave up on taking it. The ruins are spread through a pine forest and the theatre sits on a cliff edge with a view down to the sea. It is a hike, so bring water and good shoes.
• Phaselis. An ancient port about an hour south-west, past Kemer. Ruins among pine trees between three small bays. You can swim right next to the harbour, so make it a beach day too.
• Side. A Roman city about an hour and a half east. The modern town sits inside the ruins. See the theatre, then the Temple of Apollo by the water at sunset. Traffic from the city can be very slow, so allow extra time. Aspendos, the best-preserved Roman theatre in the region, is on the way and still hosts concerts and opera, so a show there pairs well with the trip.

Kaleiçi

The old town, and the one place everyone should see. A walled maze of narrow streets, Ottoman houses, small mosques and shops, running downhill to the old harbour. Enter through Hadrian’s Gate, the Roman arch on the east side, and wander. Finish at the harbour or at the Hıdırlık Tower for the view at sunset.

Düden Park

Where the Düden river drops off the cliffs straight into the sea. The parks along the cliff top run west from here for a few kilometres, so on a sunny day walk the cliffside path to the waterfall and soak in the view.

Beaches

Three options, from west to east.

• Konyaaltı. A pebble beach with great views of the Taurus Mountains. Bring a towel, a chair and an umbrella and it is completely free. Or rent a lounger or a cabana at one of the private beach clubs, which serve food and drinks. Beach Park rents paddle boards. The sea is flat calm almost every early morning, and a paddle at that hour is a local favourite.
• The cliffs in Lara. The cliffside beaches are unique: you dive straight into the sea from the rocks. Worth a try even if it is not the closest beach to your hotel. Our pick is Konserve Public Beach.
• Lara beaches. Further east, proper sand beaches. Very pretty, but much like a beach in the US.

Food and drinks

Topçu Kebap

The place for the Antalya classics. Order these three:

• Piyaz. A white bean salad with a tahini dressing. Antalya is known for it, and tahini is what sets the local version apart. It comes with tomato, onion, parsley and often a boiled egg.
• Şiş köfte. Spiced minced meat pressed onto a skewer and grilled over charcoal. Eat it with the piyaz and flatbread.
• Kabak tatlısı. Pumpkin dessert. Slices of pumpkin cooked slowly in syrup until soft and candied, served with tahini and crushed walnuts.

Sıralı Kebap

A great selection of Southeastern Turkish cuisine, the kebab heartland around Gaziantep and Adana. Not fine dining, but upscale, and a bit on the pricier side. Book a table if you go for dinner.

Go to the Lara branch: Çağlayan Mahallesi, Lara Caddesi No:419. There are other Sıralı locations in Antalya that serve only meze.

Kanatçı Ali Asker

Chicken wings, Turkish style. Very different from the American kind: no breading, no sauce. The wings are marinated, threaded on skewers and grilled over charcoal. They come with flatbread, onions with sumac, and grilled tomato and pepper.

Supla

Turkish breakfast. Not one plate but a table full of small dishes: cheeses, olives, tomato and cucumber, honey and clotted cream, jams, eggs cooked with sucuk or in the pan with tomato and peppers, and endless tea. Go hungry and take your time. Map.

Çakırlar

The breakfast village, just inland from the west end of Konyaaltı. Almost every place there is a breakfast garden, and locals go on weekends. Yamaç Kır Bahçesi is a good one. Order the serpme kahvaltı: the spread. Dozens of small plates for the table: cheeses, olives, honey and clotted cream, jams, eggs, and bread from the wood oven. Priced per person.

Seraser

Fine dining in Kaleiçi, in the garden of the Tuvana Hotel. The one to book for a proper dinner in the old town. We considered it as our wedding venue, which tells you how pretty it is.

Konak Dondurma

Antalya is famous for its ice cream, especially the kind made with goat milk. Try the yanık dondurma, the burnt one. The milk is cooked until it caramelises, so it tastes like burnt caramel. It is unique to Antalya, but it is an acquired taste, so pair it with a regular flavour. There are branches all over the city, and any of them will do.

Coffee

• 404 Coffee.
• The Beaver Coffee Shop, any branch. The Beaver Valley one sits in the Taurus Mountains, so go there for the setting.

Bars

Kaleiçi. The old town is full of bars. The best stretch is the south half of Hesapçı Sokak. For cocktails, go to Pio Gastro. Their cocktails are fantastic, the best in the city. Do not leave Antalya without a night there.

Lara. Pablito and Big Man Lara sit on the cliffs, so you drink facing the Taurus Mountains across the bay. Go for the view. More bars follow as you go east along Lara Caddesi. For live jazz and blues, 251 Soul.

Konyaaltı. Beach Park, the strip of bars and cafés along the beach, is a good place to spend an afternoon or a night drinking by the sea. The streets around Konyaaltı Kent Meydanı, the main square, have a lot of bars too.