Guide to Turkey - Antalya

Beaches

Stretches of sun-warmed shingle melting into the horizon. Golden sands fringed by pine trees. Waters so clear you can see the sun playing on the seabed. Yep, the beaches along Antalya’s shoreline will float your boat whether you’re a pebble devotee or sand seeker. Take Antalya. Its long shingle beach is a beauty. Locked between a palm-dotted promenade and azure seas, its setting is made even more dramatic by the mountains looming up behind the town. When you’re not snoozing on your sunbed, grab a drink or a bite to eat at one of the seafront cafés. Or bounce over the waves on a jetski, banana boat or water-skis. Things are just as lively over at Side. Here, two main beaches unfurl into 10 kilometres of duvet-soft sand lined with sunbeds and beach cafes. With plenty in the way of watersports - like parasailing, windsurfing and ringo rides - they’re both buzzing with life. And if you hanker after quieter times, just stroll along to nearby Sorgun, Kumboy or other outlying sands and soak up the peace and quiet. At Kemer and Belek, you’ll find drop-dead gorgeous swathes of sand and pebbles backed by shady pine trees. And at Lara Beach, the beach really is the business. Carpeted in coarse golden sand and washed by sapphire and turquoise seas, it’s perfect for dozing and drifting through the day. Last but not least, the waters around Antalya are a dream for scuba divers and snorkellers. Warm, clear and calm, they’re filled with marine life, coral beds and fascinating shipwrecks. So don a wetsuit or grab a snorkel and face mask and dive in – you’ll be amazed.

Eating out

• This chunk of coast is brims over with restaurants. There are tantalising kebab houses. Ottoman-style cafes. Fast food joints. Steak and seafood palaces. You name it – they’re here. Of course, the bigger the resort, the bigger the choice. In Antalya, Kemer and Side, you can surprise your palate with a different taste sensation every day. Sizzling doner kebabs one night. A la carte French or a fiery curry the next. And even in places like Lara Beach and Belek, you can cherry-pick from a mouth-watering menu of eateries, from traditional restaurants to swish hotel terraces. Manavgat is great for dining out too, with restaurants serving fresh trout caught from the very river they overlook. But no trip here would be complete without sampling some genuine Turkish ‘meze’. These hors d’oeuvre-style treats are a meal in themselves or perfect appetite-whetting starters. Regional specialities include ‘gozleme’ - scrumptious fried aubergines served with cool yoghurt – and mussels stuffed with pine nuts. And fresh fish and seafood are fixtures nearly everywhere. Cue lemon-soaked calamari, tasty octopus stews and succulent slabs of tuna sprinkled with fresh parsley. Oh, and don’t miss out on authentic ‘shish’ kebabs from a ‘kebapci’. Fresh cubes of lamb, chicken or beef laced onto wooden skewers and grilled over hot charcoals, they’re a far cry from the Saturday night versions back home. And make sure you end your meal with a rosewater-infused pudding like ‘sutlac’ or some syrup-drenched ‘baklava’. Finally, sip some refreshing ‘cay’ – black tea – or pulse-pumping Turkish coffee. And one last tip. The top local beer is ‘Efes’. Served icy cold, this light and refreshing lager really hits the spot when the sun’s hot.
  
  
• Secret Garden, Antalya – Lip-smacking Italian and Turkish food await at this fine dining gem. Eat by candlelight in the garden. Drink in the magnificent views from the clifftop patio. Or snuggle against Antalya’s old town walls. Treats include seafood pastas, excellent meze and a top wine list.
  
  
• Orfoz, Side – Sink your teeth into juicy tuna and sea bass straight from the boat at this friendly eaterie near the marina.
  
  
• Sultan Sofresi, Manavgat – Overlooking the river at Manavgat, this welcoming restaurant does a mean line in fresh trout and traditional Turkish delicacies. Don’t miss ‘Sultan Boregi’ - the house speciality of deliciously crumbly cheese pastries.
  
  
• Aphrodite, Side - Great people-watching and top-class fish dishes are the draws at this long-running favourite on Side’s main square. The ‘kuzu baligi’ or mutton fish - it tastes like swordfish - is really something to write home about.
  
  
• Kral Sofrasi, Antalya - One of Antalya’s best-known restaurants, this harbourside haunt lives up to its name of the ‘King’s Table’. Serving fabulous Turkish and Mediterranean fare, everything’s made from fresh local ingredients plucked from Antalya’s daily markets.

Nightlife

• Belly dancing shows. Cocktails by the sea. Heavy-duty nightclubs. The Antalya area will tickle everyone’s fancy come nightfall, whether you’re looking to down the tempo or raise the rafters. If you’ve come here to party, Antalya town is the hottest ticket by far. This is the region’s premier nightspot and it draws big crowds in summer. The heart of the action is the Kaleici, the old town, where you’ll find numerous dancespots playing high-decibel techno, R&B and dance music. If all that sounds too much, check out one of the bars - they often double up as discos. Or for something quieter, stroll down to the waterfront. Station yourself at a bar and chill out over a glass of ‘Efes’ to the whisper of the waves. Another party Mecca is Kemer. All along the waterside, you’ll find frenetic clubs and bars to take you through the night. And at Side too, the mood’s more hit-the-floor than hit-your-pillow. Head for the harbour where animated bars and crowded waterholes await. Fancy a more authentically Turkish evening? Then in all the resorts, the hotels oblige with regular theme nights and music shows. We’re talking Turkish folklore nights with brightly costumed belly dancers twirling on stage. Tambourine-thumping Turku music. Even whirling dervishes. All accompanied by authentic ‘meze’ and free-flowing ‘raki’. Of course, you might prefer something more spontaneous. Like padding down to the beach to watch a spectacular sunset. Lingering over supper at a cosy ‘kebapci’. Or just slurping a few cocktails at a stylish piano bar. Whatever kind of evening you’re into, Antalya’s got it ready and waiting.
  
  
• Buda Bar, Kemer Don’t feel like dancing? At Buda, you can sit and drink whilst watching the dancefloor shenanigans on a giant screen. Better still, it’s right on the beach, so you can stay up for sun-up on the sands.
  
  
• Oxyd Disco, Side It may look like a sandcastle from the outside, but inside, this kitschy club doesn’t take any prisoners. Great R&B and chart hits, plus two floors, laser lights, free popcorn and a pool to cool down in. Hot stuff.
  
  
• Inferno, Kemer Bubble parties. Go-go dancers. 48-hour dance fests. Pumping out ear-splitting dance tracks, this place really knows how to live it large. Go and burn a hole in the dancefloor.
  
  
• Club Ally, Antalya Techno, trance and pop blare out of this giant club in Antalya old town. A choice of bars, outdoor dancefloor and throngs of revellers keep things going ‘til 4am or even later.
  
  
• Club Arma, Antalya Dance through hot summer nights under a silvery moon at this mammoth open-air disco, formerly known as Club 29. Overlooking Antalya marina, the music runs the full A-Z from grinding dance tracks to live Turkish bands.

Shopping

If you love the idea of foraging for anything from one-off curios to designer labels, this part of Turkey will be right up your street. All over the region, sleek new malls, noisy street markets and backstreet bazaars provide constant excuses for retail roving. For serious shopping sprees, put Antalya town first on your list. Crammed with higgledy-piggledy streets, its old town is wall-to-wall carpet, jewellery and trinket shops. Cue rows of swan-necked coffee pots. Trays loaded with chunky silver and gold bracelets. And shelves groaning with spices, leather bags and ‘kilim’ rugs. When it comes to what to buy, Turkish carpets come out tops. In wonderfully rich and deep shades, these intricately woven silk or wool masterpieces will enliven even the most neutral of living rooms. And if your spending money doesn’t stretch that far, try the region’s other speciality – painted gourds. These smooth vegetable husks are decorated to look like dolls and make great ornaments. Want more of the same? You’ll find similar bazaars in Manavgat, Side and Kemer. And in Belek, there’s a bazaar as well as the Saturday circus of a market. And of course, there’s another side to shopping in Antalya. In every resort, you’ll find modern stores selling everything from tourist fluff to luminous beach gear and funky clothes. The best bet for contemporary shopping is Antalya itself. Here, the two main streets of Konyaalti Caddesi and Isiklar Caddesi are packed with jewellers, carpet emporia and fashion outlets. And if you’re still sold on glitzy trinkets and designer togs, head for the Migros Mall. This glossy shopping centre on the edge of town is big on boutiques and upmarket department stores.

Transfer time

Manavgat 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, Side approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes from Antalya airport, Belek about 30 minutes from Antalya airport, Kemer 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, Lara Beach 45 minutes to 1 hour