I was in search for sun to escape the cold British winter and after looking at all the destinations across Europe, Antalya, Turkey was the perfect destination.
I’d never travelled to Turkey before and didn’t know a lot about the Antalya region and it come across as a wonderful destination for an adventure.
Upon arrival I received nothing but warm hospitality and smiles from the local Turkish people. It has never been a better time to visit Turkey than now.
Kaleici is the old town location in the city of Antalya. Here you can take yourself back in time and walk around the old cobbled streets as you navigate your way through marinas, mosques and old bazaars.
This was one of the big highlights that made Antalya special to me as the old town of Kaleici simply has it all and you could easily get lost for days exploring all the back alleys.
Hadrian’s Gate acts as a middle road between the old town and the new. It’s been well preserved and for sure worth stopping off at to learn about the history of this gate.
One of my favourite things to do in Antalya, Turkey is to grab a local Turkish tea and take in the stunning ocean view that Antalya has to offer. Especially when the sun starts to set and the sun glimmers across the sea it’s truly spectacular to experience. Do as the locals do and grab a local Turkish tea, relax a little bit and take in the stunning Antalya landscape.
If you have some spare time, Duden Waterfalls is totally worth the visit. It’s a little out from the city centre but if you can rent a car for the day and visit Termessos Colosseum as well, this would make a great day trip. If you can look around all this and head straigh to the stunning falls on display, you wont be left disappointed.
Termessos Colosseum is located on the highest point surrounded by the stunning Antalya national park, the area itself is really cool and totally worth checking out. It’s not a boring drive, that’s for sure.
All the ruins leading up to the Colosseum lay around on the ground battered up and untouched but yet still maintained and reserved. I liked visiting Termessos for this reason that it had mostly been left untouched almost like it had been abandoned, in a good way. Try and aim to get to this place early in the morning and have the whole place to yourself. It’s awesome to hang out here for a while and cast your mind back to what happened here once upon a time.
Konyaalti was a nice idea as it’s only a walking distance away from the main beach. Here you can find a number of cafes that line the strip and locate a chill local vibe here. Nice location to soak in some sun and waves as well as grabbing a Turkish tea and watching the sunset.
Some of the many reasons why you should visit Antalya on your next visit to Turkey.
by Dave Brett
