Voyeur Turkey

ANTALYA

Introduction

Founded as a port by King Attalus of Pergamon in 158 BC, Antalya has been owned by the Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Selçuk Turks, Ottomans and even briefly by the Italians. The fourth largest city in Turkey, much of it is a typical urban sprawl, but the old centre, Kaleiçi, is an utterly delightful maze of steep narrow streets lined with carpet shops and boutique hotels in restored Ottoman houses, curving down to the ancient harbour, while the Konyaalti seafront is a wonderful place to take the evening air.

Who goes there?

Antalya, with its mix of historic sights, fine restaurants and designer shops, is for the more sophisticated traveller. Although everyone will enjoy a day here, families with smaller children would probably do better to stay in a resort with a beach.

Where in the world?

Antalya lies about a third of the way along Turkey's south (Mediterranean) coast. Antalya itself is the fourth largest city in Turkey and has its own international airport, about 20km (12 miles) east of the city centre.The city is in a stunning setting, tucked into a crescent-shaped bay surrounded by the rugged Taurus Mountains.

Beach

Konyaalti Beach, to the west of the old city, is a sweeping shingle beach, more a seafront playground than a bathing beach, with plenty of restaurants and cafés, shops and snack bars - as well as several very glamorous hotels. This is where locals come for their evening stroll, Lara, the main tourist hotel strip on the far side of the town, is actually on the cliff top with artificial bathing platforms built onto the rocks below. To get real sandy beach, you need to head out of town about 11km (7 miles) west to Büyük Calticak and Kuçuk Calticak, while places such as Phaselis, with its magical mix of pine forests, ancient city and golden sand, or Belek's white sand beaches are within easy daytrip distance.

Beyond the beach

Antalya Museum on Konyaalti is a world-class archaeological collection housing the finest exhibits from classical sites right along the Mediterranean coast, including the ancient city of Perge and Aspendos, with its superb Roman theatre, both easily reached near Antalya airport. In town, most of the other sights are within the old city, Kaleiçi, described by a 17th century traveller, Evliya Çelebi as being surrounded by a 4.5km (3 mile) wall with 80 towers and 4 gates. Start at the top near the 13th century clock tower and statue of Ataturk and work your way down the hill past the Fluted Minaret and Karatay Medrese to the old harbour, now a ritzy marina with its quay lined by restaurants and cafés. On the cliff at the far side of the harbour, an ancient lighthouse, the Hidirlik Kulesi marks the edge of another historic district with a web of tiny alleys of old wood-framed Ottoman houses, around the triumphant Roman Hadrian's Gate, and the ruined Kesik Minare Camii, a 5th century Byzantine church later converted to a mosque. The privately-owned Suna-Inan Kiraç Institute is an excellent museum of Mediterranean civilisations in a former Greek Orthodox church.

Family fun

There may not be sandy beaches in town, but there are two great water parks with spectacular slides - Aqualand (near Konyaalti) and Aquapark (Lara), which also has dolphin shows, while the museum has a brilliant children's section if you want to try and cram a little culture into them in passing. There are plenty of boat trips from the harbour.

Retail therapy

This is a fabulous place to shop, with everything from designer leather to antique carpets, spices and Turkish delight to fake Rolex and jazzy glass lanterns to tempt the pocket. The whole of the old city is one huge shopping mall, so eager to sell that doe-eyed boys are hired for the season to entice the grannies into the carpet stores! Away from Kaleiçi, are the huge modern Migros Shopping Mall and the Deepo Outlet Center, while out near the airport are several huge jewellery and carpet emporia. Look for a tax-free sticker if you want to buy duty-free and remember that you need a ministry certificate to export antiques.

A night on the town

Start the evening along the Konyaalti waterfront, where all the Turks turn out to enjoy the sunset. If you want to indulge in a cocktail or two, try the terrace bars in one of the five-star hotels along the waterfront. For a beer, head down to the smaller bars down around the harbour front in Kaleici. You will be in the right area for the clubs which start late, serving food until about midnight before blasting the night away until dawn. Best options include Ally's (40-46 Selçuk Mah) and Club Arma (Kaleiçi Yacht Marina).

Eating out

Almost every sort of food you want on is on offer in this very sophisticated city, from a backstreet doner kebab for a few pence to a gourmet meal created by a world-class chef - with a choice of cuisines from Italian to Japanese. Although it is lovely to sit on the waterfront, for quality food, the best places are probably a bit further up the hill in Kaleici in some of the many restored Ottoman mansions, most of which also have terraces and fine views. The seafood is excellent but twice the price of meat.

Getting around

Most people spend most of their time in Antalya in Kaleici, where everything is within walking distance, but steep. Start at the top, walk down and indulge in a taxi back up if tired. Elsewhere, there are dolmus (shared taxis/buses) and a local train service which runs along Konyaalti to the Antalya Museum.

Exploring further afield

Perge and Aspendos are must-see bits of the ancient world, while Side, just beyond, is an attractive resort that combines ancient and modern and a great beach. To the west of the city are the ancient cities of Phaselis, which also has lovely sandy beaches and shady pine forest and makes a wonderful place for a picnic and Olympos, with a shingle beach but also the extraordinary Chimaera, a natural phenomenon that belches living flame from the rock. Both are probably easiest to get to by boat, on one of the many trips on offer from the old harbour. Inland the Taurus Mountains offer excellent hiking and the dramatic setting of the ancient city Termessos.

Splashing out

Book yourself into the Sheraton Voyager or the Hillside Su (website: www.hillside.com.tr/HillsideSuHotel) on Konyaalti with their wall-to-wall luxuries, sea views, and balconies or choose a lovingly restored Ottoman mansion tucked into the ancient ramparts such as the tiny Minyon Boutique Hotel. Dine by candlelight in a secret garden at the Gizli Bahçe (Selçuk Mahallesi, Kaleiçi) or have a meal fit for a king at the Kral Sofrasi (Old Harbour, Kaleiçi). Plan your trip for June so you can take in an opera or ballet performance in the Aspendos Roman theatre during the festival in June-July.

Flying in

Antalya International Airport (AYT)

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