After Mersin, the next city we visited was Antalya. We explored all its beaches and in this post I’ll tell you which one we liked the most and which one wasn’t for us. We walked around the city’s most popular spots, tasted the local cuisine, checked prices in different places and tried to survive the heat that reached up to 45 degrees.
The first area we visited was Konyaaltı. It has a stunning coastline. A stone-paved path stretches toward the mountains and continues along the beach with running tracks, bike lanes, lots of greenery, benches and palm trees. It’s honestly a beautiful area. If you wonder why there were so few people around, the answer is simple. It was 42 degrees during our visit. Nobody wants to walk in that heat. So we headed straight for the sea.
Even though it was the peak of the season, the beaches were surprisingly empty. The beaches here are pebbled and the water is crystal clear. Since it was early in the day, the sea was calm enough to see the stones on the bottom even when you swim further out. It felt like cold springs were coming up from below. In this heat, a refreshing sea like this feels perfect. Imagine if the water was as hot as the air. It wouldn’t be enjoyable at all.
The coastline is really long. As you walk, you’ll see that everything is well planned. There are beach clubs at intervals where you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds. Showers, cabins and changing rooms are placed all along the beach. If you don’t want a beach club, you can bring your own umbrella and enjoy the beach for free.
What makes this place special isn’t just the sea and the facilities but also the mountain views in the background.
Last year I wasn’t too impressed by Antalya. But after seeing other resorts like Kemer and Alanya this year, Antalya felt much nicer. I especially loved this pebbled beach and that’s why the water is so clear.
This isn’t a small resort. It’s a massive city surrounded by mountains. Those beautiful peaks on the horizon... That’s why many people buy homes or invest here. But the heat was brutal. The road was almost melting. You could see the heatwaves rising from the asphalt. Even the wind felt like a hot blow dryer. It’s hard to describe how intense the heat was. The only way to cool down was either jumping into the sea or staying inside with the air conditioner on. We saw people lying in the shade. Some even set up tents under the trees.
But honestly, when it comes to the coastline, cafes and sports areas, I think Antalya is unbeatable. Everything is neat, well designed and the atmosphere is great. People are friendly. This is the starting point of the coastline and naturally, the beaches stretch all the way along. So there’s no shortage of space. That’s probably why the beaches aren’t overcrowded. I hate packed beaches. Here, because the beach is long and wide, everyone easily finds a spot. Some lie on the stones, some move further along. People spread out and it never feels crowded.
The road here took us up to a terrace, which also leads to the Old Town. The Rixos Hotel, where we stayed last year, is nearby. The elevator is free, but as soon as you get in, a wave of hot air hits you like a sauna. Once you reach the top, the wind helps a little. From there, you get a view of the entire coast of Antalya.
We climbed up to the terrace and even higher. The heat was exhausting. Even the dogs looked knocked out. Visiting places like this in May or September is a better idea. It’s off-season, but the best time in my opinion.
Next we visited Düden waterfall. This waterfall is right inside the city. It’s massive and flows straight into the sea. There are only a few waterfalls in the world like this. Some daredevils even get close to it by boat and end up right under the falls. Apartments in the background, a waterfall in the middle and then the sea. It’s an amazing sight. Just imagine people living with that view.
We found a cool spot near the waterfall to cool off. We grabbed iced coffee and iced Red Bull. The place is called Düden Wonderland. They serve breakfast, kebabs, even lamb chops. We ordered a cheese gözleme. It was 120 lira. Gözleme is one of the classics of Turkish cuisine. It may look simple, but if done right, it’s delicious. The chicken skewers were 215 lira. Sometimes they’re so spicy they set your mouth on fire, but this one was really tasty.
Then we headed to Lara Beach. It took about half an hour. This is a private beach for hotel guests only. The sand is dark and hot. The water was a bit murky. As soon as we entered, security showed up asking where we came from and where our wristbands were. The beach is packed with sunbeds. It felt like a stadium. Compared to the beach we stayed at, this wasn’t really our vibe. It was way too crowded.
We tried the public beach next, but it was tiny, squeezed between hotels. Walk a few meters and you’re back in a hotel zone. You can pay extra to use a beach club here, but at least the water is clear. Lara’s beaches might be great for big hotels, but we prefer quiet, pebbled beaches. In my opinion, Konyaaltı was much better.
After the public beach, we visited the Upper Düden waterfall. This is where the waterfall flowing into the sea begins. The entrance fee was 10 lira, about 30 cents. The views were stunning. We stopped by the Değirmen restaurant inside the park for some Turkish tea. Even though it was 40 degrees outside, the tea felt nice. We also had chicken skewers. The portion cost 8.4 dollars.
Then we checked out some small coves nearby. Entry to one of them was 60 lira. It was a mix of stones and sand, a bit messy. The water was clear, but when mixed with sand, it got murky. The scenery was great, close to the mountains.There are plenty of places around Antalya worth visiting. The ancient city of Perge, Kurşunlu Waterfall, ruins, cable cars, Aktur Park, Aqualand, the Aquarium...But honestly, in this heat, the best plan is just to cool off in the sea. And for me, the best beach was Konyaaltı.
We stayed in an apartment we rented for three days. It cost 70 dollars. It had air conditioning, was spacious and had everything we needed. I prefer apartments over hotels. We cooked our own meals.
Going out during the day was impossible. In the evening, we headed to the Old Town. We started at Hadrian’s Gate. And it was still boiling hot. Last year, this place was packed. Now, it’s much quieter. Maybe because of the exchange rates. Republic Square was still lively and from there we walked to the shopping street.
And that’s how we wrapped up our tour. I’ll keep sharing the best moments from Antalya.