Antalya, Alanya & the Turquoise Coast: Your Complete Guide to Turkey's Mediterranean

Why Antalya and the Mediterranean Coast?

Turkey's Mediterranean coastline is one of the world's great travel corridors — but describing it simply as a beach destination does it a serious injustice. Roman theatres, Hellenistic temple ruins, waterfalls, canyons, and some of the most atmospheric historic city centres in the Middle East all sit along the same stretch of turquoise shoreline. AlaTourqo's Antalya, Alanya & Turquoise Coast Tour takes you through all of it over 8 days, from Antalya to Silifke.

Antalya: Where History Meets the Sea

Turkey's largest tourism city has a historic heart that most visitors never fully explore. Kaleiçi — the old city — is enclosed by Roman walls, its narrow stone streets lined with Ottoman wooden houses and punctuated by ancient gates. Walking from the yacht harbour to Hadrian's Gate, you pass through 2,000 years of continuous urban life in less than ten minutes.

• Kaleiçi — The Roman-walled old city, with its Ottoman houses, harbour and ancient lanes
• Hadrian's Gate — A triple-arched triumphal gate built in AD 130 to honour Emperor Hadrian's visit
• Antalya Museum — One of Turkey's finest archaeological museums
• Düden Waterfall — A waterfall that plunges directly into the Mediterranean Sea

Kemer and Olympos: Ancient Ruins in the Forest

West of Antalya, Kemer and Olympos offer a completely different atmosphere. A Kemer boat tour takes you through crystalline turquoise coves. Olympos is an ancient Lycian city hidden in a forested valley — its ruins intertwined with fig trees and vines — and just above it, the eternal flames of Yanartaş (Chimaera) have burned from the rock for thousands of years, the origin of the fire-breathing Chimaera myth.

Aspendos: The World's Best-Preserved Roman Theatre

Considered the finest example of Roman theatre architecture ever built, Aspendos Theatre was constructed in the 2nd century AD and still hosts concerts and performances today. With a capacity of 15,000, remarkable acoustics and an extraordinary state of preservation, it is one of the most impressive Roman structures anywhere in the world.

Köprülü Canyon: Nature and Adventure

Just inland from Aspendos, Köprülü Canyon National Park offers a dramatic change of scenery. Roman bridges still span the river; the turquoise water below is one of Turkey's most popular rafting routes. For those who simply want to walk, the pine-forested canyon is one of the most peaceful places on the Mediterranean coast.

Side: Temples at the Water's Edge

Side was one of the great port cities of the ancient world. Today it is one of the most photogenic ancient sites anywhere — the ruins of the Temple of Apollo stand right at the seafront, their columns silhouetted against the Mediterranean at sunset in a scene that no photograph quite does justice to.

• Temple of Apollo — Hellenistic-era temple ruins at the water's edge
• Side Ancient Theatre — A 15,000-seat Roman theatre in excellent condition
• Side Museum — Housed inside an ancient Roman bath, displaying local finds

Alanya: The Seljuk Legacy on the Mediterranean

Alanya's dramatic headland, crowned by a Seljuk-era castle visible from miles away, is one of the defining images of Turkey's Mediterranean coast. The Alanya Castle, the iconic Red Tower (Kızılkule) and Cleopatra Beach — said to be where Cleopatra herself swam — make this one of the most historically and scenically compelling cities on the coast.

Why This Coast Matters for Turks Living in Europe

For Turkish communities across Europe, Antalya is often more than a destination — it is the coastline of childhood summers, of family visits, of the sea at its most familiar. This tour lets you return to those shores while also discovering the deeper historical layer that most summer holidays never reach: Aspendos, Side, Olympos, the canyon. Places you may have driven past for years, finally seen properly.

Visit the Mediterranean with AlaTourqo

AlaTourqo's Antalya, Alanya & Turquoise Coast Tour covers this extraordinary coastline over 8 days and 7 nights, with expert guides, quality hotels, transport and meals all included. For 2026 departure dates and full details, get in touch or reach us via WhatsApp.