We tend to overlook the beauty that Antalya holds in the winter. Antalya, which is a city that automatically reminds us of the summer season, can be enjoyed during the winter months too, with its ski resorts and orange scented beaches.
After a comfortable flight, the warm winter sun greets us in Antalya. The road which joins the airport to the city center starts with views of a modern province, decorated with pine trees. The first surprise presented to us is the view of the Taurus Mountains, reaching the Mediterranean and forming a unique background for the Yivli Minare (grooved minaret), ornamented with turquoise colored stones, in front of the historic Clock Tower. The first stop of our trip, during which we shall be exploring the beauties of Antalya and its vicinity, is Kaleiçi (inner Castle).
Hospitable Mansions
In Kaleiçi, you can immediately become isolated from the hassle of modern living by simply passing through a gate, just like Alice, stepping into Wonderland and following the rabbit. The inner castle resembles a touristic district, preserving the architecture of the city, with its mansions, towers, minarets, narrow streets and calming courtyards. Almost all the houses in the inner castle open up to either an interior courtyard or a garden. Just like the walls surrounding the city, all the courtyards are surrounded with orange and lemon trees. The majority of the restored mansions serve for tourism as boutique hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and carpet and souvenir shops. The narrow streets that resemble a maze, lead to an antique harbor, weaved with numerous surprises. The historic mansions that have been converted into boutique hotels carry the elegance of the 19th century up until tomodern day, with their interior courtyards shadowed with tropical trees, alcoves ornamented with hand carved figures, wooden and stone ornaments and authentic antique decorations. To see the remnants of the traditional lifestyle, one must visit an old Ottoman mansion, now serving as the Suna ?nan K?raç Museum. Ottoman china and ceramics are on display in the small church located in the garden of the mansion. The triple arched, floral embossed Hadrian’s gate carries the magnificence of the Roman period to the present date. Among some of the oldest Islamic works are the Kesik Minare built by the Seljuks, the Whirling Dervish House, Alaadin and the Atabey Madrasahs, all located inside the castle. Then, there is always the option of hopping onto a tour boat to explore the cliffs along the shores of the city.
We’re Off To The Mountains!
After tasting the region’s famous döner kebab with vegetables, we begin selecting gifts for our loved ones from a broad variety of jams. Orange jam, lemon jam, watermelon jam, tomato, fig and eggplant jam; every kind of jam you can think of can be found in Antalya! We save the famous fish restaurants for the evening. Leaving behind the sound of the waves brushing off the side of the cliffs, we hit the road towards the snowy peaks of the Bey Mountains that rise up into the blue sky like a steep wall. There is a daily bus that departs at 9 a.m. from Konyaalt? Grand Luna Park for the ski center, which is accessed through Baht?l?–Çak?rlar–Geyikbay?r. The return is at 5 p.m. As we rise above sea level, Antalya lies beneath us. We come across a scenery that reminds us of certain post cards, like the ones with little mountain villages set atop snowy hills, or a flock of sheep, and fountains of all different sizes. The village kids love to play snowball. After a pleasant journey lasting about an hour and an half, we arrive at the Saklikent Ski Center, 45 kilometers away from Antalya. This ski center, built on the Bak?rl? Mountain, which Antalya is adjacent to, is 1,920 meters above sea level. Saklikent, which was opened to tourism in 1993, promises a pleasant winter holiday with its hotel, restaurant and ski school. At the meeting point of the slopes, there are outdoor as well as covered cafeterias, perfect for watching the other skiers. In the resort that has the atmosphere of a friendly small village, there are several slopes for all skill levels. The northeastern hill has many different slopes for skiing, snowboarding, sledging, paintball and motor safari rides. National Observatory Building of TÜB?TAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) can be found at the peak of the Bak?rl? Mountain. This science center, which is equipped with giant telescopes for observing the sky, is open to the public during the observation festivities held in summer.
Fish By The Shore
Although the temperature of eighteen degrees near the shore of Antalya when we left fell below zero degrees in Sakl?kent, we still enjoyed a sunny day. Sakl?kent is attractive to most because of its high number of clear and sunny days and low humidity, which preserves the snow and helps us feel less cold. You don’t have to bring any equipment or be an experienced skier to enjoy skiing in Sakl?kent. After hours of fun, we head back to the shore. Lara, nine kilometers from the city center, is a resort town, hosting most of the luxury hotels in Antalya. Lara Beach and Konyaalt? are the two most popular beaches. Cafes with large gardens, situated atop the peaks are ideal for long breaks. It’s worth enriching our tour with some history, don’t you think? After a seafood feast in Lara, we are back on the road, heading towards Kemer this time. With the Mediterranean to our right and the Tahtal? Mountains to our left, the number of holiday villages observed in Beldibi at the 22nd kilometer increases even more as we get closer to Kemer. In Antalya, the number of holiday villages in the areas allocated according to city planning is at its highest in Belek, Kemer and the surrounding area. 50 kilometers west of Antalya, we come across some very impressive ruins. We reach these ruins by driving off the main road, two kilometers into the forest, while following the signs for Phaselis. Phaselis was built by the seamen of Rhodes in the 7th century B.C. as a coastal town with three ports. It lived its golden era in the Roman period by producing fragrant perfumes. As we walked along the antique roads that weave through the ports, listening to the sound of the waves and smelling the redolent scent of pine, we came to the conclusion that Antalya really does have a unique air about it in the winter.
Symbol of Antalya
Yivli Minare (Grooved Minaret) Complex in Kalekap?s? district is a 13th Century Seljuk work. The 38-meter high minaret is adorned with turquoise glazed ceramics.
Snowy Shore
Sakl?kent, 45 kilometers from Antalya, is a winter resort close enough to the sea that one can enjoy a dip in the sea after a few hours of skiing.
A Safari In The Snow
Sakl?kent, becoming very attractive due to high number of sunny days, Southwestern slopes of Bak?rl? Mountain are ideal for snow motor safari.
Traces Of History
Kaleiçi, surrounded by thick walls built in the Antique period, is among the places where you can feel the historical richness of Antalya. Kaleiçi has a different type of beauty during the winter months with plenty of hotels to choose from, restaurants, antique shops and museums to visit.
Orange Scented Beaches
Lie back at Finike and enjoy the orange, lemon, and mandarin groves of Antalya, Turkey’s citrus garden. With its yatch harbor, ancient towns, and fish restaurants, Finike is among Antalya’s loveliest corners
