Turkish Riviera Travelers Recommend

Close by to Antalya are two important historical sites, and you can visit them in one day. Perge is the place where most of the statues that are on display in Antalya Museum were unearthed. An important city of ancient Parnphylia, it was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC. Here you’ll find carvings, an intact city gate and a long colonnaded road once paved with mosaics and lined with shops, a large agora, the public baths and a gymnasium. Side is a pretty resort town. Its ancient ruins, two sandy beaches, numerous shops and extensive tourist accommodation attract hundreds of visitors. The extensive Roman baths are now a museum, which houses one of Turkey's finest archaeological collections. Kaleiçi is the historical quarter of Antalya, and one of the major reasons for the city’s tourism-led renaissance.

One of Turkey’s most popular coastal resort towns and the gateway to the picturesque Bodrum Peninsula, Bodrum has a wealth of natural and historical sights right on its doorstep. Make a beeline for Bodrum’s most striking landmark, the imposing Castle of St Peter. Situated high on the town’s coastal cliffs, the castle houses the fascinating Museum of Underwater Archaeology, most famous for its Bronze Age shipwreck, the Uluburun. Escape the crowds for a scenic day tour of the Bodrum Peninsula to explore the traditional Turkish villages that line the coast, catch a view of the hilltop windmills or take a boat cruise to Bodrum’s neighboring islands. You can’t visit the Aegean coast without enjoying the beaches’ fine sands and clear, warm waters. The ones in Bodrum are ideal for swimming and sunbathing, while also providing ample opportunities for snorkeling, scuba diving and windsurfing.

The legacy of ancient Telmessos, founded at least as early as the 4th century BC, is everywhere you look in modern-day Fethiye. You’ll probably pass an ancient stone sarcophagus or two as you make your way to the Fethiye Museum, which showcases sculptures, ceramics and other artifacts found here and at several other archaeological sites in the region. Then hike up to the monumental rock-cut tombs above town for a glimpse of how the Lycians honored their dead, and for fabulous views of the surrounding area. One of the top reasons to come to Fethiye is of course the great beaches along this stretch of Mediterranean coast. Nearby Ölüdeniz is the biggest draw, with its marvelous Blue Lagoon that offers extraordinary scenery and nearly placid waters. Thanks to Babadağ towering just behind it, Ölüdeniz is also one of Turkey’s premier paragliding destinations, and even if you don’t want to fly, it’s exciting to watch.

Beaches, bazaars and Ottoman history come together in Kusadasi beach resorts, perched on the Aegean coast south of Selcuk and Izmir. Get to know Kusadasi’s history and sights on a walking tour of this beach city’s town center. Walk out across the causeway to the Pigeon Island fortress, dating back to the Ottoman era, or relax on one of the public beaches lining the coast. Most activities target the beach, including windsurfing, water skiing and sailing. Turkey’s Aegean cuisine highlights seafood, so take the opportunity to sample the local specialties while you’re in town. Start with a pre-dinner drink at a seafront bar and watch the sun go down over the marina, or take a stroll under the palm trees lining the waterfront esplanade. Day trips from Kusadasi travel back into the past, to several centuries before the birth of Christ. The Temple of Apollo at Didyma was the site of a famous sanctuary of the Oracle.