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TravelTips24 : Europe : Mediterranean Europe : Turkey : Mediterranean Turkey : Antalya Province : Antalya

Antalya

Antalya is the largest city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, and is the hub of the so-called Turkish Riviera.

Culture and History

Travel to Antalya & Visa Requirements

Antalya has an airport which caters for the charter flights full of holiday makers. International flights are mostly from / to Germany and Russia, although other destinations are available.

By air

Antalya is the closest airport, served by inexpensive flights from Istanbul. (As low as $50.00, early booking is also available for lower prices).

Buses to Antalya

The Turkish bus system is comprehensive and you can get about anywhere from anywhere. Better spend a couple of Lira more and you will have an unforgettable journey. Ulusoy has buses with seats that resemble business class in airplanes. Some even have an onboard WLAN. Also Varan, Kamil Koc..

Fares are low. Simply show up at the bus station (“otogar”) and announce your destination. From most cities, there are an overnight bus options (with Antalya [1]).

By boat

Most travelers arrive in Marmaris from Rhodes, Greece, then bus it overland.

You can also ferry it from Kastellorizo, a tiny Greek island just off the Turkish fishing village of Kas.

By train

The nearest train station is in Burdur, 122 km north. Although Turkish State Railways (TCDD) [2] ceased to operate direct passenger trains to Burdur from Istanbul, you can still buy a ticket for Pamukkale Express, which has sleeper berths as well as a coach car. You should get off the train in Dinar station and transfer to the connecting bus provided by TCDD (no extra payment other than your train ticket). Once in Burdur, all you need is to catch a minibus for Antalya, which takes one and a half hour and costs 9 YTL/person one-way. All this may seem a little bit hassle, but it is still an option if you are on a tight budget, keen on reducing your carbon footprint or hold an Inter Rail pass.

Tours & Getting around Antalya

Antalya offers a variety of public transportation, such as public busses, trams, mini-busses, taxi cabs and dolmus.

By bus

In Antalya, buses pass from anywhere to any destination in the city. Fares are low and most buses offer airconditioning and TV even for short distance routes. To travel to remote places you may need to travel to the bus terminal first. The bus terminal has its own buses with distinctive blue stripes. As of 2007 bus terminal to city to airport travel is possible every two hours. Moreover, to reach the airport, "Havas" buses can be used which are more expensive but more frequent, and they depart from "Güllük PTT". There are publıc buses from the aırport whıch leave on the hour and some half hours and costs 1 New Turkish Lira. To catch the public bus from the International Terminal to go next to the Taxi stand to the blue "D" sign which also has the bus schedule posted on it (don't mind the taxi drivers they will try to charge you 20+ Euros).

By dolmus

Dolmus literally means "filled up". Dolmus is a large cab, a station wagon, a regular taxi or a minibus that travels a certain route. Most major public transportation stations have a dolmus station, where you just take a seat in the dolmus that travels your desired route. In Antalya dolmus does not wait until it fills up. Instead, it is scheduled. However, if empty dolmus will move slowly hoping to find more passenger. Still it has to abide its schedule and cannot stall much.

By taxi

There are taxi stands all over the city where the drivers have their base and tea pot. Each taxi is metered and there are two different rates. After midnight (24:00) till morning (06:00) it will cost 50% more than the daytime fare. For popular destinations there are price lists showing the rate in Euro. A fair rate is about TRY 0.8 to 1 per kilometer. To the airport there is almost no alternative than the taxi and it will set you back with 15 Euro (ca 28 TRY) during the day.

By tramway

The tramway has been donated by the German city of Nuremberg and connects the western Konyaalti Beach and Antalya Museum to the eastern part of the city center. It runs all 30 min. in either direction and costs 1 TRY per person. Tramway can be used for sightseeing as it passes most beautiful places of the city center.

By car rental

Car rentals are available in the bus terminal, air port and city center. It is adviced not to use car to reach city center (specially Cumhuriyet, Atatürk, Isiklar streets, and old city), as finding a car park might be a problem. Be sure to abide non-parking restrictions, the municipality is very strict about it. There are destination signs on roads to help travelers. Also most of the younger locals know English will be pleased to help about your destination. You can also obtain city map from tourist information desks in the city center.

By bicycle

Using bicycle in crowded roads might be dangerous and tiresome. However, there are few bicycle-only roads passing sea-side having incredible sight.

Antalya attractions and sightseeing

Antalya is rich in history and art.

  • The old quarter, Kaleiçi, has narrow, winding streets enclosed in ancient city walls. Although there are other entrances, it is best to enter and exit the old quarter from charming Hadrianus Gate, built by the Roman emperor Hadrianus as the entrance arch to the city.
  • There's a great archaeology museum and plenty of historic buildings and ancient ruins nearby.

Antalya city tours

Most of Antalya's historic buildings can be found along the narrow, winding streets of Kaleiçi, the old quarter. Historical, architectural and archaeological sites of note include: Yivli Minaret, Karatay Medresesi, Hıdırlık Tower, Ahi Yusuf Mescidi, Iskele Mosque, Murat Paşa Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque, Balibey Mosque, Musellim Mosque, Seyh Sinan Efendi Mosque, Hadrian Arch, and the Clock Tower. Many structures date back to the Hellenistic era. Also The Antalya Museum has a notable archaeology collection.

  • Walk around and chill at Karaalıoğlu Park or observe fishermen at lively Yacht Harbour
  • Shop at great malls; 5M and Deepo Outlet Center.

You can take a short scenic cruise on the Mediterranean from the boats anchored in the harbor. Assume that the right price is about half of the first price you are offered. Don't believe their assurances that the boat is leaving right away--the boat will leave when the owners think there is no reasonable chance that more passengers can be persuaded to board. Morning cruises tend to be calmer than afternoon cruises.

Antalya souvenirs & shopping

The usual souvenirs, kilims, blue eyes, fake designer clothing, shoes, aromatic herbs, waterpipes and more. Pharmacies sell most prescription drugs completely legal just over the counter and at low prices. A wide array of generics (drugs containing the same agent as a brand medicine, but from less known companies) is also available. Bestsellers include Viagra, Prozac, Ventolin, Xenical, various contraceptive pills and antibiotics.

A word of caution

The export of antiques or objects considered so is strictly forbidden and will cause a lot of problems not to say hefty fines to those caught when leaving the country. Possession and possibly even commerce in Turkey is legal - just the export is banned. Be on your guard and don't believe sellers who may try to convince you of the opposite. Also, customs back home target more and more faked goods such as video, CDs, shoes, watches and the like. The odds of being caught are minimal, but you should know that you are moving on illegal terrain.

Antalya Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Food is extemely cheap, and good. Full meals will cost you about 5 to 10 New Turkish Lira, about 3 to 7 US Dollars. Service is amazing, and only matched by its genuine friendliness. One caveat to be aware of is to make sure the quoted price is the same as the price written on the menu. One must experience the desserts, it is a must.

Antalya nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Antalya has a lively nightlife in summer. Options include bars with nargile (Waterpipe), games, live music and sitting around, discotheques with glamorous visitors, etc. On Konyaalti's Beach Park one club follows the next.

Some of traditional houses of Kaleiçi (Old City) has been turned into bars. Their gardens shaded by trees offer a nice escape with a beer from the peak of summer heat. A pint (500 mL) of beer costed 3-5 YTL in April, 2008 there.

Mr Blues Pub, 5 minutes from the Broken Mosque, on the Hidirlik Sokak. Munir Soykam, the owner is a genuine fan of blues, mainly electric. Very pleasant environment.

Antalya cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Whitegarden Hotel / Pansiyon, Kaleiçi, Hesapçı Geçidi 9, ☎ 0242-241 91 15, 0242-247 41 66, [3]. Simple, clean and cheap hotel in the old town offers friendly service and good Turkish breakfast.20 ytl.  edit
  • Terra Anatolia House / Pansiyon, Kaleiçi, Hesapçı Geçidi 5, ☎ 0242-244 37 35, [4]. This is a bed & breakfast type small hotel in the oldcity area of Antalya.25 Euro.  edit
  • Sibel / Pansiyon, Kaleiçi, Fırın Sok. 30, ☎ 0242-241 13 16. Very nice hotel owned by a warmhearted French woman who also speaks German and Turkish. Rooms have aircon, satellite TV and private bathrooms. It is quiet at night and the breakfast is delicious.25 Euro.  edit

You can just stroll around (with luggage) and you won't have to wait for long until you'll be offered 'Pansiyon' (Hostel) accommodation. Almost every second house in the Old Town is a small hotel. A couple of years ago summers used to be packed but those days seem to be gone. The big share of visitors to this region are package tourists being channeled through 'all inclusive' programs outside the city. The going rate for a double room with ensuite is TRY 20-35 per night/room. In Lara, a suburb of Antalya, there are a lot of well designed 5-star hotels.

Splurge

  • Hillside Su, [5]. Famous for its all-white beaches, rooms and interiors. edit

Get out

Kemer to the south west is a touristic sea side region popular with the historical places, night life and hotels which is half an hour from Antalya city. Alanya to the south east is a popular tourist destination 2 hours away. Side to the east is popular with golf links and luxury hotels. Kaş which is about 2 hours drive from Antalya can be another excellent choice for extended holiday if you decide to run away from the whole crowd. Trains and buses arrive in the travel hub of Denizli. From there, dolmus take you the 10 miles or so to Pamukkale. During high season, buses run direct from tourist centers including Istanbul, Antalya, Ankara, Fethiye, Bodrum, Marmaris and Selcuk. Kalkan which is half an hour further west of Kas. A beautiful upmarket harbour town with cobbled streets and high quality restaurants. Nearby Patara has the best golden sand beach on the Mediterranean coast, and can be visited even if you are not staying there. Cirali is a coastal town even closer, with several mid-range, quiet pansiyons to stay at, including Hotel Canada, with pleasant gardens. The beach at Cirali is protected from development because sea turtles come onto shore every year to lay their eggs. The beach at nearby Olimpos is also a nice, pebble beach. Accommodations in Olimpos are more backpacker style, with treehouses especially popular with younger travelers. Demre is located about twenty miles from Antalya, and is the site of the St Nicolas Church, assoicated with the real Santa Claus (don't miss the larger than life Santa Claus statue in town.) Also just outside Demre are Lycian rock tombs in the cliffsides. The Antalya region has some of the finest Roman ruins in the country, including Perge and Aspendos, with the largest, most well preserved Roman amphitheater anywhere.

  • If you intend to head north by hitchhiking, take public minibuses #25 or #57 which stops at city bus stops near the otogar. These minibus lines take you to a highway junction with traffic lights out of city, situated amidst pine woods. This junction is not the last stop so be sure not to miss the stop situated there. (fare: YTL 1.35/person)

This page was last edited at 01:33, on 22 September 2008 by Wikitravel user Vidimian. Based on work by Peter Fitzgerald and David, Wikitravel user(s) Morph and Cacahuate, Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel and others.

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