Antalya
From CruisersWiki
An online cruising guide for yachts sailing to Antalya, Turkey.
| Antalya Port of Entry
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 Antalya Old Harbour |
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Antalya's history begins in the 2nd century BC when Attalus II (160-139 BC), the king of Pergamum, founded the city. It was originally named Attaleia, a name which was kept until the Ottomans. Soon Attaleia became a Roman city. It was visited by the Roman emperor Hadrian and by St. Paul. It was used during the Crusades as a staging post. In the 12th century AD, Attaleia was taken for a brief period from the Byzantines by the Selçuk Turks. Finally during the reign of the Ottoman sultan Yildirim Beyazit it was conquered by the Ottomans. After World War I it was ceded to Italy in 1918 but in 1921 it was retaken by the Turks.
Today Antalya is a thriving city of over one million inhabitants. The old town of Kaleici near the harbour is very charming. It has a lot of nicely restored houses which have been turned into rather fancy boutique hotels and pensions, so that the whole place is now very upscale. The new town has a wide esplanade overlooking the sea, interspersed with attractive parks, but it is surrounded by much new concrete block housing.
The city can be visited either from the expensive Celebi Marina in the commercial harbour; the old Roman harbour (which is very cramped and noisy), or from Kemer Marina, an hour’s drive to the south. There are numerous sites and other attractions both in and around the city that make a visit here very worthwhile.
Charts
- BA
- 237 Taslik burnu to Anamur burnu
- Imray-Tetra
- G40 Kas to Antalya
- NIMA
- 54420 Isakandil Burnu to Didarde Burnu
- Turkey
- 321 Kaş - Çavuş Burnu
- 322 Antalya Körfezi
- 3221 Antalya
Weather
See Turkey.
Passages
See East Mediterranean Passages.
Islands
None.
Communication
Also see World Cruiser's Nets.
Straightforward, no dangers, but also see entry for Antalya Celebi Marina.
Entrance
Antalya is port of entry/exit to Turkey. Better let the marina agent handle the formalities.
For entrance details see Turkey.
Berthing
There are two marinas in Antalya one in the old harbour and the other, Celebi Marina, in the commercial harbour. Also 14 miles to the south there is another marina at Kemer. Space in the old harbour is very limited and few yachts manage to find a berth in there during the season. If they do, it is an exceedingly noisy place to be.
Marinas & Yacht Clubs
Anchorages
Kemer East Bay
Phaselis
The isthmus on which the ancient Lycian/Roman town of Phaselis or Tekirova was built has anchorages on both the north and south side from which the ruins of Phaselis can be visited. The anchorage on the north side has numerous dangers to the NE and the bottom is littered with large blocks of masonry to snag your anchor, so is little used by yachts. The ancient harbour immediately adjacent, while picturesque, is too shallow for yachts to use. Most yachts moor in the south anchorage, where shelter from the prevailing winds is good and the holding also good on sand. Some swell is experienced overnight, but usually it is not troublesome.
Warning: Care is needed on the approach and it is advisable to have someone on the bow conning you in on a first visit, in view of a dangerous sunken breakwater (partly visible above water) which extends from the eastern side of the cove just below a conspicuous ancient wall. The best approach is to aim for the centre of the bay on a course of 345°, giving the sunken breakwater at least 100 metres clearance. Once in the cove, anchor in 6 m about 100 m off the beach.
Çirali Liman
Çineviz Liman
Çineviz Liman or Genoese Harbor is a wonderful, but crowded, anchorage in a dramatic setting surrounded by mountains. The nearby Musa Dagi peak (987 m) towers over the cove and the not so distant Mt. Olympos to the North is often enveloped in the clouds.
Anchor wherever there is space in 5.0 -10.0 metre depths. Good holding on a sandy bottom. If the anchorage is busy, it is best to also use a shore line to avoid swinging towards the many gulets, as the preeminently S-SE wind usually swings to the north in the evening. This is also worth bearing in mind when setting your anchor.
Caution: Avoid the above-water rocks at the entrance of the cove and at the SW corner of the bay.
About 2 M NNW of Çineviz there is Çirali Liman from where you can walk to Olympos. You can either anchor there temporarily or take the dinghy.Ince Burnu
Çavus Liman
Amenities
| Facilities | |
|---|---|
| Water |
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| Electricity |
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| Toilets | In all the marinas |
| Showers | In all the marinas |
| Laundry | In the Celebi Marina |
| Garbage | There are bins around the harbor and the marinas |
| Supplies | |
| Fuel |
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| Bottled gas | ? |
| Chandlers | In the Celebi Marina and in the Kemer Marina |
| Services | |
| Repairs | In the Celebi Marina and in the Kemer Marina |
| Internet | In the Celebi Marina, but Wi-Fi very unreliable |
| Mobile connectivity | Good 3G signal |
| Vehicle rentals | Ask in the Celebi Marina. Avis at the airport will deliver cars to the Celebi Marina - for a price |
Provisioning
- Few stores near the old harbor
- Within the Celebi Marina there is a small supermarket
Eating out
- Very good restaurant in the leafy courtyard of the Villa Perla in the old town
- Also just over the hill at the boundary of the old and new town there are many eateries serving very good and inexpensive döner kebab, Adana kebab, and lahmacun (a kind of thin pizza).
Transportation
The Antalya Airport is about 20 km from the town.
Tourism
Places to Visit
Antalya Town
There are many interesting places to visit in Antalya, starting with the area around the old Roman harbour, which include the famous fluted minaret of Sultan Alaeddin Keykuban I, erected in the 13th century, two Selcuk mausoleums and a 13th century monastery of the Mevlevi (whirling dervish) sect. From the harbour, a climb up through the ancient city walls brings you to the old town of Kaleici, a largely traffic-free area which has some of the finest Ottoman buildings in the area. While some of them are in a sad state of disrepair, many have been restored and are now used as quite smart boutique hotels and restaurants. At the southern end of Kaleici is the shady Karaalioğlu Park, at the northern end of which is a 1st century AD defensive tower with excellent views out over the bay. At the eastern end of Kaleici is the well-preserved Hadrian’s Gate, erected to commemorate a visit by the emperor in the 2nd century AD.
To the west of the old town, on the road leading to the commercial harbour, is the excellent archaeological museum. In the museum there is a lot of material from Phrygian tombs excavated near Elmali, including two 8-7 century BC silver and ivory statuettes of exquisite detail. There is also a large Hellenistic marble statue of a dancing girl (2nd century BC) made of two different kinds of marble: white for the flesh and a darker shade for the dress, a mosaic of the goddess Thetis dipping her son Achilles in the river Styx to make him immortal, and a room of late (19th and early 20th century) icons. Also, there is a very nice and interesting ethnological section showing Ottoman costumes, house interiors, and everyday items. One of the museum’s most famous highlights, however, is the remarkable collection of marble sculptures excavated at Perge, which include some wonderful friezes from the theatre, a number of ornately carved sarcophagi and one of the finest collections of statues of Roman gods to be found in any museum outside Italy.
Car rental enable you to explore some of the attractions further afield from Antalya, which include some wonderfully preserved pre-Roman and Roman remains and beautiful waterfalls and landscapes. Some of these are:
Karain Cave
Further away but within an easy drive from Antalya there is the Karain Cave where prehistoric artifacts and wall paintings have been found. The cave has been partially excavated and artifacts dating from the early Paleolithic to the Roman times have been discovered, including bones from hippopotamuses and mammoths. The cave is not very large and it is a very steep climb from the road. Wall paintings were discovered by early excavators in the few chambers that are now lit by artificial light, but today there is simply graffiti. Some of the discovered artifacts are shown in the tiny museum by the road while the rest are at the Antalya museum.
Termesus
About 30 km west of Antalya, in the Güllük Daği National Park is the site of ancient Termesus on a spectacular, virtually impregnable site, constructed in a thickly forested natural bowl surrounded by impregnable mountains. Even Alexander the Great took one look during his Asian campaign in the 4th century BC and quickly decided to move on. A visit here requires good trekking shoes for the rocky pathways and plenty of water (come here in flip-flops only if you intend a claim on your health insurance policy).
The buildings of the ancient city, which are strung out over a site nearly three kilometres in length, include a spectacularly sited theatre on a cliff ringed by mountain crags, a very ruined bouleterion and the remains of several temples. The ancient people of Termessos were called the Solymi after the mountain Mt. Solymos, the modern Daği. They were neither Greek nor Lycians and were very warlike. They must have lived by looting trade trains passing the narrow valleys while always retreating to their easily defensible mountain fortress. Banditry must have been extremely profitable judging by the splendid ruins left for us to admire today. About three km up the steep path from the entrance is the SW necropolis, which contains hundreds of scattered sarcophagi, many with beautiful carvings on the sides. The path terminates at a fire watch station with magnificent views down over the valley. On the steep path back down the western side of the site are some tombs carved into the rocks. There are even more tombs, including remains of some monumental ones, in the NE necropolis near the car park.
Phaselis Site
Ashore, the ruins of Phaselis or Tekirova are beautifully sited and atmospheric. The remains include city walls, several arches of a Roman aqueduct, ruined Roman baths and a rather intimate theatre with stunning views over the mountains to the north. Most of the remains are clustered around the ancient so-called Harbour Street, which crosses the isthmus between the north and south anchorages. If you can, visit in the afternoon or before 10.30 in the morning. Between 10.30 and early afternoon the cove fills with noisy gulets from Kemer and Antalya and you will get little peace.
Olympos
Olympos is a wonderful site near Çirali Liman. It was built by Lycians and later extended by Romans, Byzantines and Genoans, but deserted since the 13th century. The site at the end of a deep mountain gorge straddles a delightful, frog-filled freshwater creek fed by numerous springs. The original inhabitants were worshippers of Hephaestus, Greek god of fire and blacksmithery, and the renowned ancient site of Chimaera with its flame-emitting volcanic vents is not far away. Across the stream on the older, southern part of site is a necropolis with an interesting carved tomb of the philosopher Aristarchus, some stretches of the ancient city walls and a very ruined Roman theatre. The northern side of the stream has more tombs (including an impressive tomb complex of Lykarches) and the ruins of a Byzantine church.
Perge
To the SE of Antalya there is the large Roman site of Perge with an acropolis, an agora, stadium, and baths. Perge is believed to have been founded by the Homeric Seer Calchas as a stele at the agora testifies. The stadium is very impressive and the roman baths more complete than many in Turkey.
Aspendos
To the E of Perge there is the wonderfully preserved 2nd century AD Roman theatre of Aspendos, one of the best preserved in the whole of Asia. A visit here is expensive (even the car park has a separate charge) but worthwhile for the ruins on the site as well as the theatre itself. During June and July there are festival performances here, where you can sample the excellent acoustics firsthand.
On the way to Aspendos, just off the coast road, Further east from Perge, north of the town of Manavgat are some famous waterfalls, Seleli. It is a cool and pleasant place for lunch at one of the many restaurants built out over the waters, which specialize in grilled trout and chicken on the spit.
Side
From here it is a short drive to the site of ancient Side, with its ruined theatre, agora and Temple of Apollo on the shore. It is best just to drive slowly through here, however, as the site is now sadly destroyed by mass tourism and you will be ripped off everywhere (especially for parking).
Friends
Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.
Forums
List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)
Links
- Antalya at the Wikipedia
- Antalya at the Wikivoyage
- Antalya archaeological museum
- Karain Cave
- Termesus
- Phaselis or Tekirova
- Olympos
- Perge
- Aspendos
- Seleli
References
See Turkey.
Comments
We welcome users' contributions to the Wiki. Please click on Comments to view other users' comments, add your own personal experiences or recommend any changes to this page following your visit.
- Antalya is a busy and sometimes hectic city, filled with tourists, but it has a range of attractions in the area unrivalled in any other part of the Turkish coast --Athene of Lymington 04:16, 16 June 2010 (UTC)
Verified by
Date of member's last visit to Antalya and this page's details validated:
- September, 1997 --Istioploos
Travels with S/Y Thetis
- June 2010 --Athene of Lymington 19:19, 12 June 2010 (UTC)
| This is a usable page of the cruising guide. However, please contribute if you can to help it grow further. Click on Comments to add your personal notes on this page or to discuss its contents. Alternatively, if you feel confident to edit the page, click on the edit tab at the top and enter your changes directly. |
 Contributors to this page |
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Names: Lighthouse, Istioploos, Athene of Lymington |
