There are many wonderful places in Turkey. That’s why we combined our visit to Cappadocia with a few-day road trip on the Turkish Riviera.
Turkey has a very long coastline with the Mediterranean, with a lot of nice holiday destinations. We discovered the Antalya-Fethiye coastline.
There is a direct domestic flight from Cappadocia to Antalya.
I can only recommend the Turkish low budget airline Pegasus, we were very satisfied with them.
What you should definitely visit on the Antalya-Fethiye coastline:
Gulluk Mountain Termessos National Park - Termessos Ruins - Amphitheater
Termessos National Park is located in a valley between the mountains of Taurus, 1050 meters above sea level. Termessos is one of the best preserved ancient towns. The city can be divided into three parts: the old town, the city center and the cemetery. It offers a very nice walk around the national park and ruins for the tourists. At the first part, at the cemetery, the park guard tells a bit about the history, but from there you can tour the ancient city at your own pace. And whoever perseveres and “climbs” to the top of the ruins all the way to the amphitheater, is rewarded with a wonderful view.
Kaş - Small Mediterranean town, port, old town, another amphitheater
Personally, Kaş was my favorite place throughout the coast trip. It is a cozy little town directly at the sea, which can only be reached on a very steep road.
Very idyllic place. The cozy little streets are decorated with beautiful Mediterranean plants and flowers, the streets are full of restaurants and many of them are entertaining guests with live music. In the restaurants you can try out basically all types of seafood.
Next to the main square, there is a small harbor - this is the meeting point for the open water diving trips in the mornings.
At the end of the small town, we can try the acoustics of an amphitheater that has remained in very good condition.
Montana Seyir Tepesi - panoramic view of the Gulf of Ölüdeniz
If you have at least half a day in Ölüdeniz and you love hiking, go to this lookout because the most beautiful view of the city and the beach peninsula is from here.
This viewpoint is not so easy to find, so I will link the map for you.
Kumburnu Plajı
Beach at the tip of Ölüdenizi peninsula. There is a small entrance at the beginning of the peninsula, but it is worth entering, because it has a very nice little bay and a good beach place at the very end.
Butterfly Valley
The Butterfly Valley is only a few km away from Ölüdeniz. It can be reached by car on a small curvy serpentine road. Already on the way there, there is a stunning view of the sea, and above the lookout you can admire the beautiful (in principle butterfly-shaped) bay in the deep.
Other very nice attractions:
Antalya - Old Town, Düden Waterfall
It is very nice to walk in the old town of Antalya, its narrow little streets are full of cozy restaurants with tables outside.
If you have accommodation in the old town, it is sometimes a big challenge to drive your way through the narrow one-way streets overloaded by hundreds of pedestrians. And if, for example, your hotel is at a dead-end, the cars can only be parked one after the other, but you can't turn around, so you have to leave the car key at the reception so that if someone wants to get out with the inner car, the receptionist can back up with your car from the dead-end, so that the inner (stucked) car can also go out of the dead end.
In the evening there is a lot of hustle and bustle in the cozy little streets of the old town, as well as in the pedestrian street of the modern city center, where many vendors sell their porticoes, Shisha- and Candy shops are awaiting the interested tourists. You can also take a walk in mosques for example, which have been transformed into very beautiful souvenir shops.
Before moving on from Antalya, it is worth visiting the Düden Waterfall.
Tip:
Strolling through Antalya’s Old Town, make sure to buy freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a street vendor. It is very delicious and full of vitamins and they sell it at a very reasonable price compared to prices that you would pay here at home. For a few Turkish liras you can buy a glass of pure pomegranate juice.
Phaselis Koyu - ruins of the old port city
The ruins of Phaselis Koyu, the old port city’s ruins, have stayed in a good condition. The small peninsula entices visitors to take a pleasant walk.
Konyaaltı Strand - beautiful beach area with picturesque mountains in the background
Konyaaltı Beach is the most beautiful beach in Antalya. It is located southwest of the city. It is a sandy beach and has the charm of very beautiful views of the mountains in the background.
Arykanda Antik Tiyatrosu - Amphitheater
It is again a nice amphitheater that is still in good condition after thousands of years.
Myra Antik Kenti
An amphitheater and rock tomb garden near Lycia, excavated in 1922.
Ancient palace in Theimussa
The city of Theimussa dates back more than 3,000 years.
The rock palace offers beautiful view of the sea.
Amyntas Rock Tombs
Rock tombs carved into the steep slopes of the southern hills of Fethiye - similarly like on the photo above. This ancient form of burial is a very special and unique sight.
These were the most spectacular places in my opinion on the Antalya-Fethiye coastline.
However, this small section is only a fraction of the Turkish Riviera, which has many other beautiful places for holidaymakers and adventurers.
Turkey is such a diverse country, that I think everyone can find something here for his/her taste.
I hope you enjoyed my Turkish blog series with Turkish Riviera, Cappadocia Hot Air Ballooning, and Cappadocian Attractions.
Stay tuned, because new blog posts will come about other beautiful places in the near future!
Have a nice day,
Berni
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