Rafting in Antalya

White water rafting has become a hugely popular sport.

Rafting is the term used to describe descending down river rapids with a group of people and a guide in an inflatable boat. Everyone sits along the sides of the boat and there are foot straps in the bottom of the raft to help everyone to keep balanced. This is the perfect introduction to white water sports and a great way to spend a day with friends or family, with thrills and fun guaranteed.

Belek in Turkey is the perfect place to practice the art of rafting thanks to its fabulous weather conditions and also the numerous places available for rafting. There is a good volume of water which is essential and many canyons. There are also quantities of rafting tours that are on offer in this area. 

The rivers are graded in accordance with their difficulty and this starts with Class 1 up to Class V and V1. Class 1 is easy and for beginners to Class V for the experienced and Class V1 for experts. In Belek however they offer three levels of white water rapid rafting and these are classified as beginners, intermediate and experts and these activities are always supervised by an expert instructor regardless of the group’s level of experience. This means that those with no experience can take part in the rafting however the participant must be a competent swimmer otherwise they will not be allowed to participate in rafting.

The best time for rafting is the spring months of April, May and June where you can find rapids of Class 111 to V1 and in some points on the Koprulu River class V. However you can raft until the end of the summer and even winter dependant on the weather conditions. 

When going rafting you will need to bring a swimsuit and towel and the centre will provide Neoprene wet jacket, helmet, life jacket and neoprene boots. Any rafting tour operator not offering these items of clothing / equipment should be avoided as these constitute the minimum safety regulations.

There are many tour operators that offer rafting day trips and this is such a popular sport in Turkey that you are sure to find something that suits. A rafting trip is an exciting day out and provides the opportunity to race the rapids whilst taking in the breathtaking scenery of the cedar forests especially if you are in the Koprulu Canyon national Park. Trips can last from one to six hours and also include a three course seafood lunch. 

Possibly the most popular white water rafting spot in Turkey is Koprulu Canyon and there are designated holidays for just this. Rafting is a very popular sport in this area as the waters are perfect. The water is amazing and look close enough and your will notice some areas where spring water flows from the cracks and gizers.

The water itself is refreshing but on a hot day not cold, most rafting tours will take in the Insuyu Bridge which is home to some of the most stunning clear blue pools of water. The canyon is approximately 14km and the Kopru River can get up to 400 metres deep in places.

Whatever your pleasure, the sport of white water rafting is not for the faint hearted, however as long as you stick with a recognised guide though you are guaranteed a day that you will never forget.