About a 3.5-hour flight from Schiphol and you’re there: the Turkish Riviera, a destination where many holidaymakers go in the summer. They come for the culture, the delicious food and especially the warm sun. Nature lovers, sun worshipers and culture barbarians, every type of holidaymaker can indulge themselves on the Turkish Riviera! What exactly does the Turkish Riviera consist of? And how do you make a choice from all those different places? The Turkish Riviera has a Mediterranean climate, also called the maritime climate. This makes it very warm and dry in the summer with an average temperature of about 35 degrees. For most people a good reason to go on holiday to the Turkish Riviera.
Legend
A . Antalya
B . Lara
C . Belek
D . Side
E . Alanya
F . Kemer
Antalya
If you go on holiday to a seaside resort on the Turkish Riviera, you will land at Antalya airport. This is a large city with more than 1.5 million inhabitants (in 2017). The city has a beautiful old seaport surrounded by picturesque streets with shops and restaurants. The city also has a number of large shopping malls where you will find all the well-known major chains. Antalya is located on the coast and has beautiful (pebble) beaches with clear water.
Sights in Antalya
- Antalya Museum
- Yivliminare Mosque
- Hadrian’s Gate
- Düden Waterfalls
- Karaaliglu Park
Lara
Lara is a part of the city of Antalya and is about 15 minutes from the airport. It is a tourist resort that was specially built for tourists, here are the most luxurious and largest hotels. Lara has a kilometer-long sandy beach. Many hotels here have an all-inclusive formula, where you can get food and drinks all day long. Outside the hotels you will not find any pleasant streets with restaurants. There are only some shopping malls that focus on items for tourists such as souvenirs and counterfeit items.
Belek
Belek is located about 30 km east of Antalya. Golf enthusiasts can have a great time in Belek. There are 20 golf courses here! In addition to the luxurious resorts and beautiful sandy beaches, Belek is also located in beautiful green surroundings.
Side
Side is a historic town that used to be an important port city for the region. This coastal town has beautiful sandy beaches that in some places are freely accessible to everyone. Other parts are only accessible to people staying in a resort there.
Sights in Side
- The Roman Theater
- Temples of Apollo and Athena
- Vespasian Monument
- Side Museum
Kemer
About a 75-minute drive from the airport you will find the town of Kemer on a bay. Kemer was originally a fishing village that has grown into a seaside resort. The town has a long shopping street with restaurants. Kemer also has a marina where many tourists depart every day by boat to a place of interest. There is no shortage of entertainment options in Kemer.
When you book a holiday to Kemer, the hotel may not be in Kemer itself, but in one of the surrounding towns. These are Kiris, Gönyük and Beldibi. These are smaller towns that also have a pleasant shopping street with restaurants. From these towns you can reach the center of Kemer in about 15-30 minutes by dolmus (bus).
A number of sights that can be visited from most seaside resorts around Antalya:
- Olympos, an ancient Greek town where you can still find ruins
- Phaselis, amphitheater and snorkeling opportunities
- With the cable car to Tahtaliberg (2365 high)
- Chimaera, the eternal burning fire
- Myra
Alanya
Alanya is a large seaside resort and has its own airport, which saves considerably on travel time to your hotel! A well-known beach in Alanya is Cleopatra Beach, a wide sandy beach with beautiful clear water.
Sights in Alanya
- Damlatas caves
- Kizil Kule
- Alanya Castle
- Dimcay River
In almost all seaside resorts you can book excursions such as a jeep or quad safari, horse riding, boat trip, hammam, snorkeling/diving and practicing water sports.