Top 5 Turkish cities to see
Turkey has long been among the top resort countries among holidaymakers in the CIS and Europe. A country with a long history, in which there is everything your heart desires – hot sea beaches and snow-capped mountains, oriental flavor and modern urban design, high-tech technology and ancient traditions …
The combination of the incompatible is what makes Turkey extraordinarily attractive for tourists. At the same time, experts agree that the country’s makings are realized by the country for a fraction. There is still a long way to the full disclosure of the recreational potential of Turkey.
Every city and district has a bright color, cultural heritage, climate and landscapes. Where to go on vacation? We chose the 5 brightest cities that provide the tourist with the richest range of entertainment and places to relax.
Kemer: in the resorts ring
Kemer is a time-tested tourist center, surrounded by a chain of resort suburbs (Kirish, Goynuk, Beldibi, Camyuva, Tekirova), where the service is always top notch. Mountains and the sea – that’s what they go to Kemer. This is a city where it is better to “dig in” at the hotel and make daily forays on excursions. And there are plenty of places for such attacks in Kemer and the surrounding area.
For a start, these are eco-friendly beaches, awarded with Blue Flag for cleanliness. History lovers will definitely get acquainted with the ruins of the ancient cities of Olympos and Phaselis. One and all tourists will enjoy Pamukkale with snow-white sands and the Cleopatra pool. This is one of the world’s most unique attractions. Beldibi Cave, Tahtalı Mountain with cable car, Goynuk Canyon, Yoruk Ethnography Park, Yanartash Mountain of Fire – you will be ashamed if you don’t see these monuments of nature.
While young people come off at discos in Kemer (clubs Burlesque, Aura, Inferno), children can be taken to Moonlight Park (there is also one of the cleanest city beaches), a water park, a dinosaur park or a dolphinarium. Family tourists are interested in taking pictures at the “Rain of Love” fountain or go shopping in shopping centers that are usually not as crowded as in neighboring Antalya.
Antalya: the tourist capital of Turkey
The resort is young, but fast-growing. Today it is one of the most popular destinations in Turkey and the largest city in the Anatolian Mediterranean. Antalya is surrounded by no less famous resorts Belek, Alanya, Kemer (this means “belt”), Side. Of all the tourists arriving from Ukraine to Turkey, more than half of them arrive in Antalya.
Arriving in Antalya, you can immediately go to the magical old town – Kaleici, in order to wander through the streets of the fortress, go to the Antalya Museum, see firsthand Republic Square, Iskele Mosque and Murat Pasha, Adrian Gate, Clock Tower and Hydyrlyk Tower. Outside the old town, one can see the ruins of Perge, an amphitheater in Aspendos.
After that – visit the city parks of Mermerli, Konyaalti, Karaali oglu, cinema park, Kursunlu Falls park in the mountains near the city, Duden waterfalls, Karain cave. And then, of course, go to the beaches: “Adalar”, “Topcham”, “Lara”, “Konyaalti”, “Beach Park” and others. All sea and mountain activities are available here, including rafting and jeep safaris. Children will enjoy water parks, an amusement park, the Mini-City Museum, a zoo or a water complex with an aquarium and a dolphinarium.
From urban transport in Antalya there are buses, bus-dolmushi tram and high-speed tram line. Taxi will cost about 10 dollars per trip. Shopping in Antalya is perhaps one of the most important activities of tourists, shopping centers here are just a dime a dozen. Eastern bazaars are very colorful.
Marmaris: Sea Pearl
Marmaris is called Turkish Nice and Ibiza at the same time. This is a youth resort, which is festive and noisy. Looking at the city with its parties and discos, it is hard to believe that the first hotel was built here only in the 1980s. The name “Marmaris” is translated from ancient Greek as “Sea Pearl”. The city has the longest embankment in Turkey – 13 km. It leads to the village Ichmeler with a beautiful beach. The most popular street, especially at night, is Bar Street in the Old Town.
The resort is located at the junction of the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas, the climate here is drier than in Antalya or Alanya, so the heat is transferred more easily. But the sea is always a little colder here. Marmaris is located in a closed bay. City beach – in it. To the open sea usually swim by sightseeing boats. The sand on the beaches of the resort is gray. The sea near Marmaris is ideal for diving and windsurfing. There is no transport in Marmaris – there are only minibuses, taxis or rental cars.
In Marmaris, you should visit the fortress and the museum, take a walk on the square with singing fountains, visit the Archeology Park with the Rocks of Well-being (free of charge). Marmaris is also famous for aquaparks – Aqua Dream and Atlantis. Not far from Marmaris is Sedir Island and Cleopatra’s white sand beach, as well as the sandy shore at the mouth of the Dalyan River, where sea turtles lay their eggs.