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Antalya is the largest city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast and is one of the hubs of the so-called Turkish Riviera.
Having entered the scene in 150 BC as Attalia, named after its founder, Attalos II, king of Pergamon, Antalya has ever attracted a wide array of travelers, including Paul the Apostle, and Ibn Battuta among others. Antalya had replacedAntalya is the largest city on the Turkish Mediterranean coast and is one of the hubs of the so-called Turkish Riviera.
Having entered the scene in 150 BC as Attalia, named after its founder, Attalos II, king of Pergamon, Antalya has ever attracted a wide array of travelers, including Paul the Apostle, and Ibn Battuta among others. Antalya had replacedAround April, when you can perfectly get a suntan and the weather is much more bearable than summer months, is one of the best times to visit the city.
Antalya offers a variety of public transportation, such as public buses, trams, mini-buses, taxicabs, and dolmus.
Antalya Transportation System also offers an alternative method for mobile device users. The system uses a QR code. It is possible to login to the website and use your device as a payment method. The website has English and Russian versions. You can charge your deposit by credit card and benefit from the advantage of paying less if you transfer to another bus or tram. You don't need an internet connection, all you need to do is to save the QR code to your gallery.
Dolmus literally means "filled up". Dolmus is a large cab, a station wagon, a regular taxi or a minibus that travels a certain route. Most major public transportation stations have a dolmus station, where you just take a seat in the dolmus that travels your desired route. In Antalya dolmus does not wait until it fills up. Instead, it is scheduled. However, if empty dolmus will move slowly hoping to find more passengers. Still, it has to abide by its schedule and cannot stall much.
There are taxi stands all over the city where the drivers have their base and tea pot. Each taxi is metered and there are two different rates. After midnight (24:00) till morning (06:00), it will cost 50% more than the daytime fare. For popular destinations, there are price lists showing the rate in Euro.
You can also negotiate with any taxi driver to be your private tour guide. You also have to pay the gas money. This option could be quite expensive but if you have the money, it is worth it!
The (historic) tramway has been donated by the German city of Nuremberg and connects the western Konyaalti Beach and Antalya Museum to the eastern part of the city center. It runs all 30 min. in either direction. Tramway can be used for sightseeing as it passes the most beautiful places in the city center.
The new tram system ("AntRay") currently consists of one line, serving the route Fatih-Otogar-Muratpaşa-Ismetpaşa-Meydan every 7min during the day. Trams are comfortable, air-conditioned and feature WiFi, although a Turkish cell phone number is needed to register for the WiFi. To get to the Kaleiçi or to the interconnection with the historic tram line, get off at Ismetpaşa station. Tickets (1.75TL) can be obtained at the stores around the stations or at specific AntRay-counters (e.g., at the Otogar). It is possible to pay via the Antalya contactless public transport card; these cards can be recharged at vending machines near the tram stops (at Kaleiçi, for example). Vending machines speak Turkish and English. If you're unsure, just ask the helpful station guards.
Car rental is available in the bus terminal, airport, and city center. It is advised not to use the car to reach the city center (specially Cumhuriyet, Atatürk, Isiklar streets, Sarampol street, and old city), as finding a car park and the way people drive (sometimes you feel like you are in the race tracks) might be difficult. Be sure to abide by non-parking restrictions, the municipality is very strict about it. There are destination signs on roads to help travelers. Also, most of the younger locals know English will be pleased to help with your destination. You can also obtain a city map from tourist information desks in the city center.
Using bicycles on crowded roads might be dangerous and tiresome(especially in summer as the temperature hits high 40's at noon. However, there are a few bicycle-only roads passing beside the sea having incredible views.
Antalya is rich in history and art.
Kaleiçi has narrow, winding streets enclosed in ancient city walls, which now protect the peaceful quarter from the noise of the concrete metropolis of a million people. The northern part (Selçuk and Tuzcular sections) of Kaleiçi is mostly touristy shops and restaurants lining the narrow mazelike streets. The Kilinçarslan section is a little quieter and still charming. Although there are other entrances, it is best to enter and exit the old quarter from charming Hadrianus Gate, built by the Roman emperor Hadrianus as the entrance arch to the city. Hadrian Gate will lead you to Kilinçarslan district.
Remember that you do not necessarily have to go to the Otogar to get on these buses. They can be hailed anywhere along the route. Check the bus map to see where the routes run.
Most of Antalya's historic buildings can be found along the narrow, winding streets of Kaleiçi, the old quarter. Historical, architectural and archeological sites of note include Yivli Minaret, Karatay Medresesi, Hıdırlık Tower, Ahi Yusuf Mescidi, Iskele Mosque, Murat Paşa Mosque, Tekeli Mehmet Paşa Mosque, Balibey Mosque, Musellim Mosque, Seyh Sinan Efendi Mosque, Hadrian Arch, and the Clock Tower. Many structures date back to the Hellenistic era. Also, The Antalya Museum has a notable archeology collection.
You can take a short scenic cruise on the Mediterranean from the boats anchored in the harbor. Assume that the right price is about half of the first price you are offered. Don't believe their assurances that the boat is leaving right away - the boat will leave when the owners think there is no reasonable chance that more passengers can be persuaded to board. Morning cruises tend to be calmer than afternoon cruises.
In Belek which is 45 km from Antalya city center you can enjoy playing golf as this is Turkey's golf center with more than 30 well-organized golf courses. Lara Golf Club is a good option as there is no membership required and they do have a nice spa as well.
Food is extremely cheap and good. Service is amazing and only matched by its genuine friendliness. Antalya has good seafood restaurants as well. One caveat to be aware of is to make sure the quoted price is the same as the price written on the menu.
Antalya has a lively nightlife in summer. Options include bars with nargile (water pipe), games, live music and sitting around, discotheques with glamorous visitors, etc. On Konyaalti's Beach Park one club follows the next. Some of the traditional houses of Kaleiçi (Old City) have been turned into bars. Their gardens shaded by trees offer a nice escape with a beer from the peak of summer heat. Raki is a traditional alcoholic beverage that tastes like licorice. Make sure you do not drink it fast otherwise you will be out quickly.
The usual souvenirs are kilims, blue eyes, fake designer clothing, shoes, aromatic herbs, waterpipes and more.
If you feel the need to visit a modern shopping mall, TerraCity (which is on the way to Lara) and MarkAntalya (close to the old town) do have all of the international designer shops you could wish for. In TerraCity, here is even a powerboat dealer.
Pharmacies sell most prescription drugs completely legal just over the counter and at low prices. A wide array of generics (drugs containing the same agent as a brand medicine, but from less known companies) is also available. Best-sellers include Viagra, Prozac, Ventolin, Xenical, various contraceptive pills and antibiotics.
The export of antiques or objects considered so is strictly forbidden and will cause a lot of problems not to say hefty fines to those caught when leaving the country. Possession and possibly even commerce in Turkey is legal - just the export is banned. Be on your guard and don't believe sellers who may try to convince you of the opposite. Also, customs back home target more and more faked goods such as video, CDs, shoes, watches and the like. The odds of being caught are minimal, but you should know that you are moving on illegal terrain.
Tudors bar (Kaleici): Women are warned to steer clear of this bar. The ownership is very strict on clothing and will throw out any woman that does not dress conservatively. Do not be confused by the prostitutes that do frequent the bar. Better bars are to be found outside of Kaleici, in Lara or Konyalti.
Mediterranean Turkey lies on a more southern latitude than anywhere else in Europe except Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete, so take it easy at the beginning of your trip and pay close attention to early signs of heatstroke and dehydration. While on the beach, applying liberal amounts of sun lotion wouldn't hurt.
If you plan to spend time in the mountains, be wary of scorpions. They thrive in the Mediterranean climate and rocky areas are their habitats, so never reach under a rock without carefully checking first. Keeping your backpack closed at all times will keep them out, and don't forget to check the inside of your shoes first, should you take them out for any amount of time.
On crowded public beaches (i.e., those that aren't owned and enclosed by a resort hotel), don't leave your valuables like cell phones and cameras unattended, or better yet, don't take them to the beach. While many beaches are patrolled by the police and security cameras, there are still reports of petty theft.
Otherwise, Mediterranean towns are very safe (and security forces very keen to keep them so), although there may be rough areas in Antalya.
Antalya Police Department has a "tourism police" section where travelers can report passport loss and theft or any other criminal activity, they may have become victims of. They have staff multilingual in English, German, French, and Arabic.
LOCAL TIME
2:22 pm
July 6, 2022
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