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As much as 65% of the fruit and vegetables grown in Antalya never leave the region due to their popularity with tourists who come here during season.
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The region of Antalya – one of the most popular tourist places in the world – still dazzles with its ongoing development. Dozens of new – and increasingly fancier - hotels open here every year, striking visitors with their architectural designs, equipment and diversity of services. The main advantage of Antalya is its wide selection of different resorts: Kemer is characterized by wooded mountains; Lara, Alanya and Belek have excellent sandy beaches; and Side boasts breathtaking sceneries.
The region where Antalya is located used to be seen as the centre of all mystical phenomena, and was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire. It was influenced not only by Romans, but also by Greeks, Cyprians, Ottomans, Caucasians and several Balkan cultures. At the time of the Byzantine Empire, Antalya was also an important seaport. In the 1980s, Antalya became the Turkish Riviera, which is visited by over 10 million tourists every year.
It’s no wonder that the steady influx of tourists made this region known for its top-class hotels, sports complexes, bars and luxury stores. The warm Mediterranean Sea, verdant Taurus Mountains, hot sun, diverse Turkish cuisine, tasty local beer and raki (anise-flavoured vodka), entertainment (Turkish folk music nights, yachting and riding in SUVs), night clubs, baths (hamams), Turkish massage, rafting in mountain rivers – these are all the things required for a fun and adventurous holiday. This region of Turkey is abundant in natural environments and hospitable locals.
Apart from tourist services, Antalya is also strong at agriculture, growing mostly cotton, flowers, citrus fruits, bananas and olives. As much as 65 per cent of fresh fruits and vegetables grown here remain in the region due to high demand during the tourist season.
The city of Antalya itself is not all about beaches and hotels, though – it’s also home to around 1 million people, and if the trend of recent years continues – there will soon be many more. Antalya also hosts over 30,000 students, who attend the Akdeniz University. The public transport system in Antalya is very well-developed – it has many privately-owned buses and several tram and light rail lines.
There are many points of interest around Antalya, which can all be visited in just one day: Termessos is an ancient city located on the way to the great Taurus Mountains; Perga is situated just 17 km from Antalya; Aspendos, which is 40 km from the city; and Side – just 80 km away on the Alanyan road. If you travel on the road of Kemer, you will pass Phacelis – another ancient city, located on the Mediterranean coastline. You can also visit some natural beauties, like the Düden, Kurşunlu and Managvat waterfalls which will be just what you need on a hot summer's day.
Antalya has around 300 sunny days per year, so the swimming season lasts from May to November. Here, seasons exist only in calendars – in reality Antalya has just spring and summer.
Where to stay
