Antalya, Turkey

An unexpected and last-minute early-Autumn break took us 2,000 miles South East to the city of Antalya in Turkey.

And by ‘last-minute’ I mean four hours before take-off! At 10:30am we were contemplating having a short break and by 2:30pm we were hurtling down the runway. 

If anything, the lack of time to prepare added even more excitement and adventure to our trip. We opted to travel ultra-light too, stuffing just a few lightweight summer essentials into our hand-luggage rucksack and off we went.

1 – Multi-influenced culture

My first observation could be viewed positively or negatively. So instead of going down the ‘lacking identity’ angle, I’m adopting a positive spin and defining Turkey as having a ‘multi-influenced culture’. Given its unique geographical location, Turkey encompasses influences from two adjoining continents. As such, I sensed both European and Asian cultures in equal quantities. 

Food: Local cuisine was a hybrid of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern specialities. I could have been in France or Italy with the fresh fish, mussels, olives and roasted veg on offer. Yet in equal abundance was an array of Middle-Eastern delicacies such as spiced kebabs and sweet baclava pastries. 

People: Generally speaking, locals had dark skin and dark hair. I detected both Middle Eastern and Southern European ancestry in Antalyans. Most Turks are practising Muslims, so as you’d expect, they dressed respectful of their religion and appeared to embrace it too. Hearing chants from the local Imam and seeing countless mosque spires added charm and character. We noticed an increased prevalence of smokers in Antalya to what we’re used to and lots of disregarded fag-ends scattered about.

Language: Where does the Turkish language originate? I sensed Russian and Greek in both the accents and lettering of this unique language. We also spotted the odd bit of ‘Turklish’ too. Whereby an English word gets thrown into a Turkish sentence, spelt in a fashion you’d expect from a five year old. Taksi (taxi), Soshal (social) and Antik (antique) are just a few examples.

2 – Inexpensive

Overall, we found Turkey to be a relatively cheap place to stay. In fact, of all the places we’ve visited over the last four years, we got a lot more bang for our bucks in Antalya than anywhere else. Taxi to the airport was £7.40, a 40-min scuba session was £40, a glass of wine was £4, and luxury cocktails cost a mere £5 each.

That said, we got stung with our taxi out of the airport. Instead of following our gut instincts to get in a registered cab – we were cajoled into the back of a ‘private cab’ and ended up paying £13 more than we would have. A school-kid error for which we only have ourselves to blame!

Accommodation – Hotel Akra 

Hotel: We arrived at Hotel Akra just five minutes before the restaurant closed for dinner, so we were whisked straight down to dine before we’d even checked-in. Ensuring we got some decent, hot food before turning in for the day was a thoughtful act by the reception team and very much appreciated.

Every part of Hotel Akra was ultra spacious, clean, modern and classy. With so many facets, features and activities on offer – this place caters for everyone. The private beach, rooftop bar and restaurant, pool area and gymnasium were some of our favourite hangouts, and all offered the highest levels of service and provision. The hotel complex is so vast and spread out, it never felt crowded.  

Room: Due to the hotel’s triangular construction, most rooms face the sea. But we didn’t want to leave it to chance so paid a little extra for a sea-view room. Our ‘honeymoon’ suite came with complimentary Prosecco, strawberries, cream and balloons!

Restaurant: The buffet-style restaurant was a delight. We spent hours at a time each morning and evening dining alfresco on the tiled terrace. The views were spectacular and away from direct sunlight offering the perfect place to dine. The quality and range of food was excellent although perhaps a little on the meaty side for my liking, though the deliciously grilled veg and varieties of olives certainly compensated. I also sampled Perch fish for the first time and it was delicious – white, light, flakey and utterly exquisite! The waiters were always pleasant and attentive. (Overall rating 93/100)

Düden Waterfall and ‘Buzz Beach’

Thanks to a hydro-electric plant further upstream, Antalya boasts a manmade waterfall, also known as Karpuzkaldiran. We were keen to see it cascade over the cliff-edge and drop 40m into the Mediterranean Sea. We coupled the waterfall trip with a mooch to ‘Buzz Beach’ a 20km round trip on foot. And what a stunning walk it was too. With lots of open parks, walk & cycle lanes and viewing platforms along the route there was never a shortage of sight-seeing opportunities.

The waterfall itself is epic. The dramatic, fresh expulsion of H2o invigorates the soul. No wonder it pulls in the tourists. We hung around for a good hour soaking up the drama of Düden – appreciating the crevasse beauty spot that was created thousands of years ago by tectonic plate movements.

Buzz Beach, a 6km walk from Düden, was pretty cool too. With young sun-worshippers scattered around and loud music pumping into the air, I can see why they named it Buzz! It’s not a place I’d want to lay back and retreat to for too long, but we certainly enjoyed kicking our trainers off and getting our feet into the fine pebbly sand to stroll along the trendy expanse.

Other memories of this on-foot excursion include:

• Being furious with a local man handing out bagels from a basket on his bike. After cajoling us over then handing us one of his home-baked treats that we really didn’t want – he insisted we took a bite. Out of sheer politeness we took a nibble, at which point he demanded payment! An underhand trick that far from impressed Craig as we had no local currency that day so had to walk away like criminals!

• Comparing a Starbucks kiosk to a desert oasis as we entered, completely dehydrated, for much-needed liquid. It was one of the only places we came across that took Apple Pay so we strode in quickly to hydrate and cool down. This ‘Starbucks lifesaver’ served as a useful reminder to always carry enough water OR guaranteed means of payment when walking long distances in high temperatures overseas!

(Overall rating 87/100)

Antalya Old Town and Marina

We spent a full day walking to the Old Town, Marina and back. It was mesmerising to meander through the origins of this historic city. Taking in the mish-mash scattering of quaint, colourful, winding streets and terracotta-roofed dwellings was a pleasure. There’s so much to see and absorb it’s difficult to walk around without looking up in amazement. With lots of traditional eateries and second-hand shops selling rugs, plates and trinkets around every corner – it’s worth a trip to see and feel where Antalya really began.

The Tekeli Mehmet Pasa Mosque which lies in the centre of the Old Town was sadly under renovation when we visited. However, we managed to snap some shots of the spire which looked so fairtytale-like it reminded me of a castle tower from a Disney movie.

To the north-western edge of the Old Town and 40m above sea level is Republic Square with viewing platforms that offer unrestricted 360-degree views of the Old Town and Marina. We climbed the haphazard stone steps to reach the summit (there is also an elevator to take you up) and spent a little while absorbing the dramatic views. Antalya Old Town is most definitely worth seeing.

We took the Marina path route back and caught a glimpse of the hundred or so yachts anchored up to the shore. With remnants of the old town in the distance offering a dramatic backdrop, I think Antalya Marina has to be one of the most prettiest I’ve seen. (Overall rating 94/100)

Scuba Experience

I’ve been a wannabe mermaid for as long as I can remember, so learning scuba was something I’ve always been destined to do. When we discovered that Antalya Scuba Dive was located on the hotel complex, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to book my first taster session.

Gökhan, my friendly and attentive instructor, showed me how to use the equipment and talked me through the planned dive. Once in the water, Gokhan checked that I was comfortable with the oxygen and mouthpiece before we descended into the depths of the ocean.

We were submerged for somewhere between 30-40 minutes, finning the sea floor and dancing with the fish – it was utterly amazing. The muffled sound of the ocean and the slow-motion nature of movement gave the sensation of being suspended in time. The clear waters, the array of fish and coral life all added to the experience. Would highly recommend the session to anyone thinking of scuba. (Overall rating 102/100)

Myra

Unbeknown to us, the ancient city of Myra is also the alleged homeland of Santa Claus! How a generous individual called Nicholas who resided in an ancient city in the South of Turkey centuries ago came to resemble a fat, red-gowned, white-haired grandad living in the rather chilly depths of Finland is mind boggling – I guess that’s the power of marketing!

However, the real magic of Myra has nothing to do with a mythical festive character. It’s the remnants of an ancient city and amphitheatre that really blows your mind.

Myra is located just 150km from Antalya, but the coastal road route means it takes more than two-and-a-half hours to get there. That said, it’s a steady and scenic journey with coastal cliff-edges, traditional farming villages and alpine-like mountains to absorb along the way. We hired a car for the day at a measly cost of £35.

When we arrived at the site of the ancient city the dramatic, domineering man-carved tombs in the rock-face grabbed our attention straight away. I’ve yet to visit Petra in Jordan, but have always been fascinated by its sculptured rock facades. Myra is very similar, albeit on a much smaller scale.

The mock-windows, doors and dwelling fascias sculpted into the rock-face ooze Roman craftsmanship. With tall pillars, round columns and intricate carvings everywhere, it’s hard to believe these works of art were sculpted from stone and unbelievable to think they were only created to provide a final resting place for influential people from the area.

To the right of the ancient rock-face façade stands an impressive amphitheater ruin. Semi-circular in shape, this once grand venue hosted thousands of spectators but is now a shadow of its former self. However, clues of the opulence and drama that took place there are everywhere. From the perfectly-positioned circular seating stones to the symmetry of stair wells that creep up to the top level. The arched performance entrance is tall and domineering, I suspect it witnessed large animals parading through to the centre stage.

It’s difficult to take-in this fascinating place without sparing a thought to the performances that might have taken place there. Imagining the sounds and smells of show night, the large crowds and the acts on display got me thinking. I suspect sinister and chilling activities took place in the amphitheatre. The carved faces of horror that line the structure suggest it bore witness to sordid, gladiatoresque events where lives were taken in the most brutal ways – and all for entertainment!

(Overall rating 92/100)

Streets of Antalya

The streets of Antalya were all so very different. There was a vast mixture of hotels, apartments, restaurants, places of religion and tourist attractions all within feet of each other. But variety adds spice in my opinion. What also impressed us was the method in which garbage is collected. Refuse collection points are lined periodically along the pavements and by using the foot pedals you can open the floor-level ‘bin lid’ and dispose of your waste. I suspect there’s an underground network gathering all this waste and sending it discretely to a waste management facility. I loved this concept – it’s a refreshing way to remove garbage and renders the ugly, smelly, wheely bins from the streets of big cities redundant.

Covid-19

What a difference eight months makes! During our flight back from the Maldives in January, news of a new and unidentified virus was just emerging. By mid-September, COVID-19 was likely the most used word of the year and the most damaging occurrence to hit the globe for a millennia. Our Turkish getaway was slightly nuanced as a result. Keeping distance, masking up and being more aware of contamination is now a way of life. As in the UK, Turkey also felt just that little bit sombre as a result. The inability to get close, engage in conversations or have the same freedoms we are used to inevitably impacts a holiday.

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Date of visit: 24 September 2020 to 29 September 2020