Exploring the Turkish coast (or Rivera) is my holiday from the long bike ride. After all, I worked hard cycling 2600km through three countries, so I think I earned a little time to relax! With its turquoise waters and some of the most pristine beaches, the Turkish coast seemed like the perfect destination. So, I booked a flight to Antalya and started making my way south, first exploring Antalya’s Kaleiçi, the charming old town, as well as the ancient city of Perga.
That said, growing up, Turkey was never really on my must-visit list. Yet somehow, this is now my third trip to Turkey in just two years! I’ve already explored Gallipoli and visited Istanbul with my dad. (Read my tips on Things to do in Istanbul.)
And this time, I headed to Turkey because… well, to be honest, the weather looked great, the turquoise waters were incredibly inviting, and the off-season timing seemed perfect. Plus, I absolutely love Mediterranean food! It sounded like the perfect recipe for a relaxing holiday. Don’t you think?
But I also couldn’t wait to visit the ancient city of Perga. It had been a while since I’d wandered among ancient ruins, and I was definitely ready for some history.
Antalya, Kaleiçi
The best blog about ‘where to go’ in the Antalya region was from the local Turkish travellers, BIZ EVDE YOKUZ. Following their tip, I booked a hotel in the old town of Kaleiçi straight away. And it didn’t disappoint.
Entering Kaleiçi through Hadrian’s Gate was the perfect start to exploring the charming streets of the old town. The shops were cute, the buildings a beautiful mix of old and newly renovated, and the people were incredibly friendly. So far, I would definitely recommend visiting Antalya Kaleiçi!
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The Beach
My stay got even better after finding the private and small Mermerli beach. With an entry fee of only 3 Euro a day (incl. chairs and umbrella) I spent a bit of time there. The relaxing has certainly begun.
Luckily, at end of October, the tourists left already left and it wasn’t too crowded.
I stayed in Antalya Kaleiçi 5 days and although I don’t usually plug places to go to, I decided to do it here. There are (as almost everywhere now) lots of tourist spots that are same same (especially the restaurants). So if you do want something different, and more local, here are my tips:
- Stay at the Delight Deluxe Hotel. I fully enjoyed it!
- Eat at ROKKA only. It might not look fancy from the outside but it has the best home made and healthy Turkish food I have eaten so far. Especially the falafels and the lavash bread with some of the most flavoursome and creative dips. And clearly I am not the only one raving about ROKKA (read here).
- Relax at the Turkish Bath ‘Sefa Hamam’. I have tried a few when visiting Antalya Kaleiçi but this one felt the most authentic. It is not often that you have your body scrubbed and washed by a stranger.
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Perga Site
Of course, Turkey also has plenty of ancient history to explore. Besides visiting the Antalya Museum to see the statues from Perga, I also took a taxi to the ancient city of Perga, or Perge, itself.
The historical and ancient city of Perga, once the capital of Pamphylia Secunda, lies about 18 kilometres east of Antalya and holds the vast remains of what was once one of the most prosperous cities in the region. It was so nice to wander around ancient ruins again. I find the sheer size of the amphitheatres especially impressive, they always make me feel incredibly small in comparison.
And I couldn’t help but wonder: how long did it take them to build such grand theatres back then? The Ancient City of Perga was definitely great to see.
A small travel tip
Find a taxi driver who agrees to use the meter for the journey to Perga. My taxi driver was even kind enough to wait for me for an hour before taking me back to Antalya. In the end, it worked out much cheaper than the “official” tourist taxi prices everyone seemed to be trying to charge me. The off-season is great for little things like this!
It was a great idea visiting Antalya Kaleiçi and the Ancient City of Perga. What a great trip to Turkey!
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Visiting Antalya Kaleiçi and the ancient city of Perga was definitely a great start. I can’t wait to explore more of the Turkish coast, heading towards Kas – read my blog about ‘Diving in Kas’ – and the sunken city of Kekova next (following the guidance of my local Turkish travel bloggers).
Afterword:
Few years later and I have seen quite a lot of Turkey! I am a big fan of this amazing country with the culture, history and landscape it has to offer! Read about my travels to Turkey in more detail. x
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