ANTALYA Economic Travel Guide
Journey to heaven on earth..
King of Pergamon, 2. Upon Attalos’ order “Go and find me a paradise on earth”, the raiders traveled to many places and when they finally came to Antalya, they looked at this unique beauty and said, “We found a paradise.” they said. Antalya was named Attalia in the name of the king Attalos, who helped found this city..
Antalya, one of the 4 big cities of Turkey, is a southern coastal city on the border of the Mediterranean.. It is not only a touristic place with 5-star hotels, but also a livable city.. With the relocation of offices of many brands and international companies over time, the number of people who migrated to this city to live and work from all over Turkey has increased and continues to increase..
Since Antalya was an important port city in Roman times, the city’s history is rich; It is one of our must-see cities with its many Roman ruins, waterfalls and turquoise blue sea.
TRANSPORTATION TO ANTALYA: HOW TO GET TO ANTALYA?
By plane: Antalya airport is 13 km from the city center and very close to Side and Manavgat.. It is possible to reach the city center from this airport, where you can find flights from both Turkey and different cities of the world, by public buses, shuttles organized by airline companies and Havaş buses.
By bus: There are tens of bus companies serving in Turkey and all bus companies have flights to Antalya.. Going to many destinations in Turkey by bus is more practical and affordable than traveling by plane or trains that do not have a wide network.. Going from Istanbul to Antalya takes 12-13 hours by bus, so traveling at night will save you the day.. Buses give a minimum of 2-3 breaks of 30-40 minutes, cold drinks and snacks are served in the bus.. Buses are an ideal vehicle for foreign tourists who want to travel cheaply, and the most preferred companies providing quality service are companies such as Ulusoy, Pamukkale, Varan.
By car: You can reach Antalya both with your own vehicle and with the car sharing method, which is becoming more and more widespread in Turkey.. Having at least 2 or 3 drivers in the vehicle will enable you to complete this long journey with the least fatigue and in the most enjoyable way.
ANTALYA CITY TRANSPORTATION
You can reach the city center from the airport by Havaş or public buses located just outside the airport.
Renting a car in the city will give you great comfort. Apart from the airport, there are many national or local companies that you can rent a car from in the city center.
You should get Antalya Card, which is valid for bus and tram in city public transportation.. It is impossible to travel without this card because it is not unusual for someone to give you their card to use on the bus, so no one has done us such a favor.
Your Antalya card from tourist offices, You can get it from the kiosks at some stops and you can load it as you use it.
If you are staying in the city center or nearby, you can usually walk around the city, but you can visit places that are a little bit outside the city, such as Side and Manavgat. If you want to travel, you can choose buses or use your own vehicle.. Another vehicle commonly used in the city is minibuses.. Minibuses, like buses, do not pick up or drop off passengers from outside the stops (unlike Istanbul!)
Although Antalya is on a flat area and its streets and avenues are wide, there are no bicycles or bicycles. A city where motorcycles are not common. Unfortunately, these two alternatives seem risky due to the carelessness of drivers in general.
ANTALYA ACCOMMODATION: WHERE TO STAY IN ANTALYA?
For accommodation in Antalya; It offers an incredible choice with 5-star luxury all-inclusive hotels, hostels in the city center, seasonal rental houses, boutique hotels with cute courtyards that can be preferred in the old city center.. Apart from this, although there are not many tented accommodation areas, if available, you can park your caravan by the sea or on a suitable beach.. You can choose the most suitable accommodation for you by checking booking.com and Airbnb.
THINGS TO DO IN ANTALYA
Swimming: Antalya is one of the rare cities where you can swim from almost anywhere.. Its beaches are almost never empty due to its turquoise blue sea and mild climate even in winter.. Although the Konyaaltı beach, which is very close to the city center, is a bit stony, it is highly preferred because it is free except for private beach clubs.
Tramway: It also covers the city center from Muratpaşa to Konyaaltı. you should get on the historical tram that runs parallel to the beach.
WHAT TO EAT IN ANTALYA? WHAT TO DRINK?
Piyaz: Especially if you are in Antalya in winter or autumn, you should definitely eat piyaz. It may be a bit heavy in the summer, but you will not find the taste of the pizza you eat here anywhere else.. Meatballs are usually ordered next to this delicious sauce, but we guarantee that you will eat only the bread and the meatballs and you will not touch the meatballs. It is the most popular meatball restaurant preferred by the locals and it is a few minutes’ walk from the clock tower located in the middle of the city center.
SHOPPING IN ANTALYA
Antique items, traditional Turkish-Ottoman motif carpets or You can buy items such as rugs and magnets.
You can easily find any item and brand you want from many shopping malls in the city.
ANTALYA CITY TOUR
1. DAY:
The main places you will see on your city tour on the first day are the old city centre, Kaleici, Three gates, Clock tower, Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, Yivli Minare Mosque, Tophane Park, Kesik Minare (Korkut). Mosque), Marina and Karaalioğlu Park. You can click here for the map view of the walking route we have prepared for this route..
Kaleiçi: Antalya’s first settlement, the old city center. This center was called Kaleiçi because it was surrounded by inner and outer walls during the rule of the Romans.. Especially in April-May, when there are not many tourists, walking around the narrow streets of Kaleiçi gives an incredible pleasure.. A place where you will not understand how time passes and you will definitely not believe where you are with cute houses, boutique hotels and restaurants with courtyards, small shops selling antiques.. To be honest, since we went to Antalya a few times and always coincided with the most crowded periods of summer, Kaleiçi was always crowded and we stayed away.. We realized on this last visit that we missed a lot.. We felt ourselves in a small Spanish city and every building and structure we saw fascinated us. In addition, the restaurants and cafes here are very lively and crowded in the evening and at night.
The Three Gates, located at the point where you pass from the main street to Kaleiçi, is a historical entrance gate.. It connects the old city center with the new city center. In addition to its archaeological and historical features, it is a structure that is impressive with this feature.
The historical clock tower, located in the middle of the city center, is one of the important works of the city.. It creates an incredibly beautiful and romantic image, especially with night lighting.
In this region, the Tekeli Mehmet Pasha Mosque, the Yivli Minare Mosque and the minaret of Korkut were damaged in a fire in 1896. Its mosque is one of the places to visit.
Tophane Park: This small park will greet you when you continue in the direction of Konyaalati beach from the clock tower.. You can take the elevator down from the park to the marina.. You may have to wait in a long queue in front of the elevator, as it is very preferred by tourists, especially in summer.
You can join a yacht charter that takes half an hour- 45 minutes from the marina to explore both the city and the cliffs. and you can watch the waterfalls from the sea.
Karaalioğlu park is a delightful park located on 7000 square meters and containing 120 different plant species.
Today’s total walk will take about 2 hours, so we suggest you spend the rest of your time on the beaches depending on the season.. If you wish, you can walk to Konyaaltı beach, or you can go to Lara beach by minibus or bus.. If you want to spend the day here while you’re at the marina, you can take a short break at Mermerli Restaurant, located just to the right of the stairs leading from the marina to the city center, and swim at the restaurant’s own beach..
In the evening of this pleasant day, you should take a short walk on the cliffs, rest at the point where the Düden waterfall meets the sea, and watch the sun set over the Bey Mountains lying right in front of you. .
Our Antalya video on our Youtube channel..
2. DAY:
We recommend that you rent a car on this route, which we recommend to go to Side & Manavgat by driving a little further away from the city center..
