Sitting on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, Antalya is an ideal destination for warm weather and beautiful beaches.
After enjoying the bustling energy of Istanbul, we headed to our next stop: Antalya. With summer in full swing, it was the perfect place to unwind and soak up the sun on its beautiful beaches. Here’s a look at everything we packed into our 3-day stay on the Turkish Riviera.
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Our Antalya flight and accommodation
Our view from the balcony of Sky Kamer Hotel Antalya. Photo: Lord Acuña
We flew with Turkish Airlines from İstanbul Airport, and the domestic flight to Antalya took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. After a quick taxi ride into the city, we checked in to Sky Kamer Hotel Antalya, our home for the next few days.
The hotel’s location is within walking distance of the city centre, and our balcony offered a stunning view of the sea. Each morning, we woke to a calm ambiance that made starting the day a genuine pleasure.
Our hotel’s own hamam. Photo: Lord Acuña
Our stay included daily buffet breakfast with an impressive variety of Turkish specialties alongside familiar continental options. The hotel also features its own hammam, a traditional bathhouse offering a time-honoured cleansing ritual that includes a vigorous, exfoliating scrub. It was an interesting experience and one I would happily repeat, ideally in a dedicated Turkish hammam.
Overall, I found Sky Kamer Hotel to be good value for money, thanks to its convenient location and enjoyable, satisfying breakfast offerings.
Fun things to see and do in Antalya
Antalya offers a mix of history, nature and beach fun. To help you get ready for your trip, here’s a list of the best things you can do with your family and friends in this charming Turkish city.
1. Wander around Cumhuriyet Square
The historic Clock Tower built in 1906. Photo: Lord Acuña
Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı) is Antalya’s main square and home to the monument of Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey. Nearby landmarks include the historic Clock Tower and the Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque. For those looking to shop for Turkish goods and souvenirs, the Old Bazaar is just a short walk away as well.
2. Step through Hadrian’s Gate
Photo: Andrea Lau
Hadrian’s Gate is one of Antalya’s standout Roman landmarks. With three arches, intricate carvings and rising over eight metres high, it once marked the main entrance to the old walled city. Today, it still serves as the gateway into Kaleiçi, a delightful maze of narrow streets, shops and cafés just waiting to be explored.
3. Go back in time in Kaleiçi, Antalya’s old town
Strolling through Kaleiçi. Photo: Andrea Lau
Kaleiçi is Antalya’s historic old town and charming harbour area. We started our day early, wandering through its narrow lanes and admiring the beautifully restored Ottoman houses. Many of them have now been converted into boutique hotels, cafés, and shops.
As you venture deeper, historic landmarks appear along the way. This includes the Korkut Cami, damaged in a devastating fire and known locally as Kesik Minare or “Broken Minaret”. Another highlight is Hıdırlık Tower, a 14-metre-high structure built in 2nd century AD as part of the city’s fortifications. By night, Kaleiçi comes alive with a vibrant atmosphere and an abundance of bars and restaurants.
4. Enjoy the stunning views at Kaleiçi Marina
The picturesque Kaleiçi Marina 💙 Photo: Lord Acuña
Kaleiçi Marina offers picturesque views and a lively ambience that make it well worth a visit. This charming port blends ancient history with modern life, serving as a scenic gateway to the Mediterranean. We arrived around noon, when the sun was at its strongest. Fortunately, a nearby park provided welcome shade, along with the added delight of friendly cats roaming the area.
5. Bask in the sun on the beaches of Antalya
Summer in Antalya with friends ☀️
A trip to Antalya wouldn’t be complete without spending time at the beach. The city boasts a spectacular coastline with options to suit every type of traveller. Lara Beach is famous for its golden sand, while Konyaaltı Beach offers pebbled shores, crystal-clear water and a gorgeous mountain backdrop. İnciraltı Beach sits beneath dramatic cliffs and is ideal if you want to swim without dealing with sand. For something more intimate, Mermerli Beach is a small private cove tucked within the historic Old Town.
Since we visited during peak summer, these popular beaches were crowded. We ventured further from the city centre and ended up at Lazlo Beach Club in Muratpaşa, where we enjoyed affordable food, relaxed under the sun, and swam in the sea.
6. Snatch a taste of Turkish ice cream
Hand me my ice cream! 🍦
We’ve all seen the viral videos of Turkish ice cream vendors teasing customers with their playful tricks before finally handing the sweet treat. Naturally, we couldn’t pass up on this experience! I actually managed to snatch the cone, only to crush it by accident in the process. Cue laughter all around. It was chaotic, hilarious, and way more fun than just buying ice cream.
Turkish ice cream, or dondurma, has a stretchy and chewy texture created using salep (orchid root flour) and mastic gum. Unlike regular ice cream, it has a dense consistency and melts far more slowly. This is what allows vendors to playfully tease customers before handing over the cone.
7. Get cultured at Antalya Müzesi (temporarily closed)
Note: Antalya Müzesi is currently closed for renovations after a structural assessment identified earthquake-related vulnerabilities.
In Roman mythology, Mercury is the god of travel. Photo: Andrea Lau
Antalya Archaeological Museum is one of southern Türkiye’s most important cultural institutions. It houses 13 exhibition halls displaying artefacts from ancient Lycian, Pamphylian, and Pisidian civilisations. Located around 2 km west of Kaleiçi, the museum’s highlights include Roman statues from Perge, the Heracles Sarcophagus and Byzantine mosaics. There is also an extensive collection of coins spanning multiple empires.
Side quest from Antalya: A day trip to Perge, Aspendos and City of Side
After soaking up the sea breeze on Antalya’s beaches, we dedicated a full day to exploring the region’s ancient treasures: Perge, Aspendos, and Side. The call time for this packed day trip was pretty early. We barely had time to finish our breakfast before the tour guide arrived at the hotel lobby to pick us up. Nevertheless, we were more than ready for a history-filled adventure ahead.
Ancient City of Perge is for the history buffs
Marvelling through the ancient ruins of Perge.
Once the capital of Pamphylia, Perge ranks among Turkey’s most significant archaeological treasures. The city thrived during Hellenistic and Roman times, celebrated for its grand architecture and rich cultural scene. Today, visitors can stroll along its colonnaded streets and marvel at the ruins.
Admire the best-preserved Roman theatre in Aspendos
Photo: Lord Acuña
Aspendos is famous for having the best-preserved Roman period theatre, not just in Anatolia, but across the entire Mediterranean. The impressive Aspendos Theatre (Aspendos Tiyatrosu) has a capacity of up to 15,000 spectators. It’s remarkable not only for its scale, but also for its flawless acoustics and architectural symmetry. A whisper from the stage carries all the way to the top rows, showcasing the Romans’ extraordinary engineering skills.
Explore the City of Side
Temple of Athena Photo: Lord Acuña
Side, which means pomegranate in the ancient Luwian language, was once the most important port city of the Pamphylia region. The city’s history stretches back to the 8th century BC, and in the 7th century BC, it came under the rule of the Lydian kingdom along with the rest of Pamphylia.
From the bus drop-off point, we hopped on a shuttle that arrives every 10 minutes or so. It is designed like a quaint little train and took us into the Old Town. Unfortunately, the Side Ancient Theater was under restoration, so we couldn’t explore it. Still, wandering the old town revealed glimpses of its ancient past, including the Temple of Apollo and Athena.
(L) Checking out the shops in the old town. (R) A glass of refreshing pomegranate beer. Photo: Lord Acuña
The market in the Old Town is also lively, brimming with stalls selling handmade crafts and locally produced goods. And to refresh ourselves after all the walking, we tried a pomegranate-flavoured beer. It was my first time tasting this unique, surprisingly delicious twist on a classic brew.
To the next stop: Taking an overnight bus from Antalya to Cappadocia
Halfway through our trip, we opted for another cost-saving move: taking an overnight bus to our next destination. It was not only cheaper than flying, but it also saved us a night’s accommodation. While the journey was longer, we didn’t mind, knowing we’d spend most of it asleep anyway.
Read about the start of our adventure in Cappadocia here where we stayed in a cave hotel.
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