Is Antalya Worth Visiting? Guide to Turkey's Mediterranean Gem

If you ask yourself, is Antalya worth visiting, our answer is yes. The name Antalya refers to the city centre and larger region covering eastern Mediterranean Turkey. We adore all of Antalya, from the bustling old town and modern city centre to outskirt towns like Kalkan and Alanya. So do not just take our word for it.

On an average year, not hampered by COVID travel restrictions, 15 million international tourists visit Antalya city and surrounding coastal resorts. In addition, 6 million domestic tourists arrive via car or bus from all over Turkey. Surely 21 million people cannot be wrong about Antalya. This says everything.

Records also show the area is Turkey's second most popular tourist destination after Istanbul, but for beach holidays, rather than cultural tourism, Antalya ranks number one in Turkey. Antalya, backed by the Taurus Mountains range and fronted by Turkey's the Mediterranean Sea and beaches, is delightful, but if we have not already convinced you to visit, read on to find more reasons to book that flight ticket to Antalya, Turkey.

12 Reasons Why Antalya is Worth Visiting

1: Stunning Historical Sites

The history of Antalya city, originally called Pamphylia in ancient times, spans thousands of years. Previous ruling empires include the Seljuks, Romans, Ottomans, and Byzantines, so there are many interesting historical sites to visit. Old Town Kaleici, Antalya's beating city centre, features a spectacular walled interior, cobbled alleys, an old mosque, old Ottoman houses and the big Hadrian's Gate. Historians say Aspendos theatre is the best-preserved ancient ruin in Turkey. Then there are Termessos, Perge, and Alanya's red castle and city walls sights, awaiting acceptance to Turkey's UNESCO World Heritage site list. Further afield, into outskirts regions, places like Phaselis and Side ancient city ruins make Antalya an integral part of Turkey's history. More about historical ruins to visit in Antalya.

2: Choose Your Shopping Delight

Discover little shops and boutiques, but always practise Turkish bargaining skills when at local markets. It is fun when buying leather handbags, souvenirs, genuine fakes, or jewellery. Otherwise, head to all-inclusive city malls for modern brand names. Marinas in Antalya feature the best high-end designer boutiques to empty your bank account in one go. Indeed, shopping in Antalya is a marvellous experience, unmatched anywhere else in Turkey.

3: Ideal Accommodation Choice

For hotels, Antalya steps up as Turkey's king of hospitality. The region is known for their hotel professionalism, and the choice accommodates everyone from basic B&B to all-inclusive five star plus hotels with sea views. Lara beach is famous for large, themed, all-inclusive hotels, luxury condominiums, and a long sandy beach. Antalya city is also home to Mardin Palace, Turkey's most expensive hotel, when it opened. Book an old Ottoman-themed hotel in Kaleici for quaint boutique hotels to perfectly emphasise Antalya's historical value to Turkey.

4: Relax - Safety First

We often meet holidaymakers in Turkey who feel safer in Antalya than their home country. Crimes against foreign tourists are extremely rare but don't lay yourself open to opportunity crime. Always keep your handbag nearby, use licensed taxis, and make sure someone knows where you are going. Solo female travellers and families with children will feel safe.

5: All Rounder of Turkey

Antalya accommodates everyone visiting Turkey, from families to groups of friends to solo travellers and couples. The diversity of shops, bars, restaurants, hotels, beaches, places to stay, and attractions is mind boggling. Since many nationalities visit Antalya, the area is like a mini-United Nations, accommodating all cultures and preferences. Of course, traditional Turkish vibes are on every corner, but enjoy different themes for each day of your holiday in Antalya.

6: Come to Incredible Beaches and Sun

As voted by Trip Advisor, Antalya is home to Turkey's best beaches. The most popular, Kaputas, Lara, Konyaalti and Cleopatra, host thousands of beach lovers who flock for Turkey's Mediterranean lifestyle. For quieter beach choices, head to Cirali and Phaselis, of which the latter perfectly twins with ancient ruins. Finally, Konyaalti beach, a famous city area, features a promenade and nearby food restaurants and shops for a perfect beach and sea life. Read about the fantastic beaches in Antalya.

7: Weather and Climate

Anyone living in Antalya annually enjoys over 300 days of sunshine. Summer visitors should expect hot temperatures that lay the groundwork for golden kissed suntans and spend days on Konyaalti and Lara city beaches. Night-time temperatures in Antalya also mean open-air bars and clubs to party the night away or alfresco style dining in rooftop restaurants. We love visiting in Spring and Autumn times, which feature delightful day temperatures but are not too hot, so we can still get active exploring and enjoy the clear views that Antalya offers.

8: Come to the Turkish Riviera

Antalya features the Turquoise Coast, otherwise called the Turkish riviera. Featuring the glory of nature, hidden bays, exciting landmarks, and sandy coves, many people book shared or chartered cabin day and overnight trips to sail the coastline down to Fethiye. For luxury yachts, Antalya delivers that as well. Along the Turkish riviera sailing routes are plenty of small coastal villages, local towns, ancient ruins, exciting walks, sunken cities, and delightful tour places to drop anchor for swim breaks—more about the Turkish Riviera.

9: Adventure and Activity Sports

The Antalya area does adventure and sports with style and passion. White water rafting trips, canyoning, and paragliding all feature high on the list of adrenaline sports. Additionally, Antalya even has a winter ski resort. Belek, is Turkey's golfing capital, and courses easily match the professionalism of those in Spain or Portugal. About adventure sports in Turkey.

10: Tourist Attractions and Things to Do

Besides beaches, tourists are never bored in Antalya. Duden waterfalls are the best natural place of beauty, with the result tumbling over the small hillside into the Mediterranean Sea. But there are many other waterfalls to see, and we love chilling out at Manavgat waterfall. Antalya City Museum is one of the best collections in Turkey, featuring artefacts from ruined cities all over Mediterranean Turkey. Antalya Aquarium is great for kids to hang out and learn while having fun. Start your holiday with a local Turkish bath, or head to Lara’s sand sculpting festival or the annual Aspendos Ballet and Opera festival in the historical theatre of the same name. Do explore Kaleci's old town and the Roman Hadrian's Gate.

11: Easy to Get Here

Antalya city has an airport with the same name. But this isn't any old airport. The operating company invested billions in making the state-of-the-art travel hub, a place where flight passengers get through quickly and smoothly. Antalya airport is Turkey's number one air travel hub hosting flights worldwide and other places in Turkey, like Istanbul. Likewise, the Antalya region sits on the D400 highway from east to west of Turkey, which makes getting here by car or bus easy. Lastly, since the area features heavily on the Turkish riviera, many international yachts and boats arrive via official ports of entry.

12: Enjoy the Lycian Way and History

Antalya is the start of the beautiful Lycian way, Turkey's top trekking route, with people travelling from all over the world to complete it. Covering 516 kilometres of the great Mediterranean Sea coast, the way covers smooth ad rough terrain, with good camping sites and pensions providing overnight accommodation. Trekkers also complete the course in stages. However, the highlight is the many beautiful sea views backing the Taurus Mountain range and ancient ruined Lycian cities like Termessos. Find out more about the Lycian way.

Summary About Visiting Antalya

So as you can see, Antalya offers delightful parks, natural beauty spots, mountain ranges, exciting walks, historical value, exciting nightlife, street tours, and variety for every traveller. The number of things to do, food choices, places to stay, beach hot spots, museums and beautiful landscapes mean Antalya is worth visiting.

Districts of Antalya – Turkey: Altogether, 19 communities form one province that storms ahead of others for tourism and foreign property sales in Antalya. Now on par, to compete with Istanbul for the number one spot, Antalya is Turkey's second most popular area for tourists and foreign house sales. Rich historical timelines, ideal weather climate, fabulous beaches and the best Mediterranean shopping and nightlife scenes explain why people flock to Antalya.