Antalya
Discover Antalya
Antalya is a city in Pamphylia on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and the chief resort of the "Turkish Riviera". It's a metropolis with a population of 2.7 million in 2022, the fifth largest city in the country. The city was named for its first documented ruler Attalos II (220-138 BC), king of Pergamon, though it was obviously settled much earlier. Attalos' life and wife resembles soap opera, and his epiphet Philadelphos - "brother-loving" - hints at insecurity over how his relationship with back-from-the-dead brother and co-ruler Eumenes II might be portrayed. He based his fleet here - there were few alternatives along this exposed coast, and Attaleia (Ἀττάλεια) grew up around what's now called the Roman harbour. It never grew large as it lacked a hinterland - it's hemmed in by mountains with difficult routes to get inland, although a fertile coastal plain extends up to the east. Early visitors included St Paul the Apostle (Acts 14: 25-26) and Ibn Battuta, who in 1331 AD recorded how Christians, Greeks, Jews, and royal court each inhabited their own walled enclave, while the Muslims lived in the main body of town all within an enclosing wall.
Famous Beaches
Taste of Antalya...
Lots in old town and town centre. Names like Sheffield Pub, Edinburgh Social House and Dubh Linn tell you which demographic they're aiming for. Konyaalti beach strip west has The James Joyce and The Barrels. Lara town centre has Lucky Sports Bar and Patrick Irish Pub, but on the beach strip further east it's just the hotel bars. Lots of inexpensive pansiyons in Kaleiçi the core of Old Town and Kılınçarslan its southern extension. This is southwest of the centre with 10 km of pebble beach, and some industry around the marina at its west end. Western package holidays don't base here, so prices are lower than in Lara. Lara hotel strip stretches east for 20 km. Nearest to town is Şirinyalı: this is bustling but has not much beach, so prices are lower. Rates increase along the long sandy beach east from Kundu to Aksu; this is prime territory for western package deals. The access road is officially Yaşar Sobutay Boulevard but is better known as Lara Turizm Yolu. Hotels have more room to spread out further east, as far as Aksu Creek: facilities beyond there are described as the separate resort of Belek. Standard precautions about traffic, water and sun safety, care of valuables and avoiding drunks. Antalya like any other big city has its quota of dodgy individuals, sharp-edged trash and stray dogs; but tourists have little reason to be in down-at-heel districts. Antalya has 4G from all Turkish carriers, and the signal extends along the resort strip beyond Alanya.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options36.900330.79281 Antalya Airport (Antalya Havalimanı, AYT ). Flights from all over Europe and Russia bring hordes of tourists, mostly on package deals. Other destinations include Erjan, Amman, Beirut, Tel Aviv, Baghdad and the Gulf States. There are daily domestic flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW), Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Samsun, Diyarbakir and Gaziantep. The two terminals are 2.5 km apart with no shuttle or walkway, so make sure to head for the correct one. T1 handles all domestic flights and those by Turkish, Pegasus, Sun Express and Ryanair wherever they originate. Most other airlines use T2, including Corendon the Antalya-based budget operator. The airport has the standard facilities and is usually slick, but when flights are delayed the passengers back up and it gets chaotic. (updated Aug 2023) Buses from Istanbul run hourly and take 12 hours via Gebze, Izmit, Eskişehir, Kütahya, Afyon, Sandikli and Burdur, for a fare in 2023 of 600-800 TL....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Antalyakart is the plastic transport card you need for the tram or public bus. Buy it or reload it at kiosks along the tramway, at the airport and at the bus terminal; you probably need banknotes for this. The upfront cost is 45 TL as of July 2024, and single rides thereafter are 20 TL. A transfer within between five minutes and one hour of boarding is 7.50 TL. You can also buy disposable paper cards for 10 TL, and pay 23 TL per ride. These don't allow transfers, nor can they be re-loaded, but you can load a suitable amount on purchase. Or use contactless payment at the card-reader or turnstile: no upfront charge, pay 25 TL per ride, no transfers. Discount cards are only available for citizens with Turkish ID, who pay a little more upfront but get cheaper rides. AntRay Line T1 runs from Fatih in the north of the city to the Otogar (transfer to Line T3), İsmetpaşa downtown (transfer to Line T2) and Meydan then northeast to Yonca Kavşak.
Where to Stay
Lots of inexpensive pansiyons in Kaleiçi the core of Old Town and Kılınçarslan its southern extension. This is southwest of the centre with 10 km of pebble beach, and some industry around the marina at its west end. Western package holidays don't base here, so prices are lower than in Lara. Lara hotel strip stretches east for 20 km. Nearest to town is Şirinyalı: this is bustling but has not much beach, so prices are lower. Rates increase along the long sandy beach east from Kundu to Aksu; this is prime territory for western package deals. The access road is officially Yaşar Sobutay Boulevard but is better known as Lara Turizm Yolu. Hotels have more room to spread out further east, as far as Aksu Creek: facilities beyond there are described as the separate resort of Belek. Standard precautions about traffic, water and sun safety, care of valuables and avoiding drunks.
Money & Budget
Lots in old town and town centre. Names like Sheffield Pub, Edinburgh Social House and Dubh Linn tell you which demographic they're aiming for. Konyaalti beach strip west has The James Joyce and The Barrels. Lara town centre has Lucky Sports Bar and Patrick Irish Pub, but on the beach strip further east it's just the hotel bars. Lots of inexpensive pansiyons in Kaleiçi the core of Old Town and Kılınçarslan its southern extension. This is southwest of the centre with 10 km of pebble beach, and some industry around the marina at its west end. Western package holidays don't base here, so prices are lower than in Lara. Lara hotel strip stretches east for 20 km. Nearest to town is Şirinyalı: this is bustling but has not much beach, so prices are lower.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Standard precautions about traffic, water and sun safety, care of valuables and avoiding drunks. Antalya like any other big city has its quota of dodgy individuals, sharp-edged trash and stray dogs; but tourists have little reason to be in down-at-heel districts. Antalya has 4G from all Turkish carriers, and the signal extends along the resort strip beyond Alanya. 5G access is limited to certain parts of the city. Free WiFi could be found in public squares and cafes. Antalya has a sizeable expat community, mostly composed of Russians, Ukrainians, Brits and Germans. Their groups could be found online.