Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Phaselis, Olympos and the Chimaera flames
Two Lycian port cities in pine forest on the Kemer coast: Phaselis with its three small harbours, and Olympos in a river valley behind Çıralı beach, ending with the natural gas flames of Yanartaş (the Chimaera) after dark. Best for history lovers and walkers; easiest by car.
How to get there
- Bus · Bus TA08 (Antalya-Kemer-Tekirova line) for PhaselisFrom Antalya Otogar
Departures: every 30 min (Wikivoyage; not verified 2026)
Fare: Phaselis fare not verified 2026; official 2026/1 reference fare Antalya-Kemer is TRY 170 one way (Antalya Metropolitan Municipality, valid from 23 Mar 2026; checked 2026-10)
TA08 continues past Kemer to Çamyuva, Phaselis and Tekirova; ask for the Phaselis stop on the highway. Line number and frequency come from Wikivoyage and could not be checked with the operator.
- Bus · Coastal buses towards Kumluca, Finike and Demre (e.g. Batı Antalya), then local dolmuşFrom Antalya Otogar
Departures: buses about hourly; dolmuşes down the last 10 km about hourly in summer, sparse in winter (Wikivoyage; not verified 2026)
Fare: Not verified 2026 for the Olympos/Çıralı junction; official 2026/1 reference fare Antalya-Kumluca is TRY 295 (checked 2026-10)
Get off at the head of the Olympos or Çıralı access road on the D400 and take the dolmuş down to the coast. Olympos and Çıralı have separate access roads (20 km apart by road, 2-3 km along the beach).
What to see
- Phaselis. 7th-century BC port on a small peninsula with three harbours, a paved main street, aqueduct, baths, theatre and Hadrian's gate at the South Harbour, all under pines; swim from the harbour coves; 1.5-2 hours. Open daily 08:00-19:00 (muze.gov.tr).
- Olympos ruins. Lycian League city on both banks of a stream that runs to the sea; tombs, walls, a theatre and bridge remains in dense greenery; 1.5 hours. Open daily 08:00-19:00 (muze.gov.tr).
- Çıralı beach. 1 km pebble beach between Çıralı village and the Olympos ruins; a 2-3 km beach walk links the two, so you can enter Olympos from the Çıralı side.
- Yanartaş (Chimaera flames). Methane flames burning from the rock about 1 km uphill from Çıralı, in Beydağları Coastal National Park; faint by day, clear after dark; tied to the Bellerophon myth; 1-1.5 hours return on foot.
Closed days
Phaselis and Olympos are open every day (muze.gov.tr). Yanartaş is an open national-park site; entry fee not verified 2026.
Best time to go
Apr-Jun and Sep-Nov; in winter dolmuşes to Olympos and Çıralı are sparse and many tree-house lodges close Nov-Mar
By car
A car makes this trip easier. About 1 h 30 min by car. About 90 minutes from Antalya to Olympos/Çıralı on the D400 coast road; Phaselis is at km 57 of the Antalya-Kumluca highway, so both fit in one day by car. Public transport needs a change to a dolmuş that runs rarely in winter.
Good to know
- Tickets: Phaselis EUR 10 and Olympos EUR 10 (muze.gov.tr e-tickets, checked 2026-10); Turkish citizens enter with MüzeKart.
- Walking the beach from Çıralı into Olympos means paying the Olympos ticket even if you only pass through.
- Go up to Yanartaş in daylight and stay for dusk: bring a torch, closed shoes and water for the walk down in the dark.
- Phaselis is shaded by pines; bring swimwear for the harbour coves.
Köprülü Canyon and Selge
A 14 km limestone canyon on the Köprüçay river, one of Turkey's main rafting runs, with an intact Roman stone bridge and the mountain city of Selge and its theatre above. For outdoor lovers who also like ruins; a car or an organised day trip is the practical way in.
How to get there
- Organised tour · Licensed travel agencies (rafting day trips)From Antalya city hotels and agencies
Departures: daily day trips, mainly in the warm season (not verified 2026)
Fare: not verified 2026
The Ministry's culture portal notes that agencies in Antalya run day trips covering rafting and other activities in the park. No scheduled public bus to the canyon could be verified.
What to see
- Köprüçay river and canyon. Walls over 100 m high for 14 km between Bolasan and Beşkonak; rafting, canoeing, swimming and riverside restaurants; half a day for rafting.
- Oluk Köprü (Eurymedon Bridge). Intact Roman bridge over the river inside the park; part of the old paved road from Selge to the Pamphylian coast; 20 min.
- Selge. Pisidian mountain city founded in the 5th century BC above the canyon; the 3rd-century theatre is the best-kept monument, with traces of the agora, stadium and temples of Zeus and Artemis; 1-1.5 hours.
Closed days
Open-air national park, no fixed closing days known.
Best time to go
all year; the river carries a high flow in summer and winter (Ministry culture portal)
By car
A car makes this trip easier. The canyon is 92 km northeast of Antalya (63 km northwest of Manavgat). A car lets you combine the bridge, the riverside and the drive up to Selge; no public transport to Selge could be verified.
Good to know
- Entry to the national park is free (Ministry culture portal).
- Bring swimwear and a change of clothes even if you do not raft; there are riverside eateries, day-use and camping areas inside the park.
- Selge's entry fee and hours are not verified 2026.
Demre (Myra and St Nicholas) and Kekova
A long day west along the Lycian coast: the cliff of temple-fronted rock tombs above Myra's Roman theatre, the church of St Nicholas (the original Santa Claus), and the harbour of Andriake, from where boats head to the sunken ruins of Kekova. For history lovers prepared for an early start.
How to get there
- Bus · Coastal buses towards Kaş (e.g. Batı Antalya)From Antalya Otogar
Departures: Antalya-Kaş buses about every 45 min, passing Demre (Wikivoyage; not verified 2026)
Fare: TRY 410 Antalya-Demre one way (Antalya Metropolitan Municipality 2026/1 reference fare list, 138 km, valid from 23 Mar 2026; checked 2026-10)
Demre bus station is central, 200 m from St Nicholas Church; Myra is walkable from there. Take a dolmuş or taxi to Andriake/Çayağzı for Kekova boats. Journey time not verified; Antalya-Kaş takes about 4 hours, so this is a very long day.
What to see
- Myra rock tombs and theatre. Lycian tombs carved like temple fronts in the cliff, above a Roman theatre that is one of the few ancient theatres to survive to this day; the river necropolis has more reliefs; 1-1.5 hours. Open daily 08:00-19:00, EUR 13 (muze.gov.tr).
- St Nicholas Church (St Nicholas Museum). Church of the 4th-century bishop of Myra, with wall paintings of his miracles and a Roman sarcophagus said to be his; his relics were taken to Bari in 1087; 45 min. Open daily 08:30-19:00, EUR 17 (muze.gov.tr).
- Andriake and Çayağzı. Myra's ancient port, where St Paul changed ships on his way to Rome; nearby wetland between Çayağzı harbour and Andriake with 149 bird species; boats to Kekova leave from Çayağzı.
- Kekova sunken city and Kaleköy (Simena). Half-submerged Lycian ruins along Kekova island, Lycian tombs in the water and a medieval castle with a rock-cut theatre at Kaleköy; reached by boat; a protected area where swimming over the sunken city is banned; 2-3 hours.
Closed days
Myra and St Nicholas Museum open every day (muze.gov.tr).
Best time to go
all year for Myra and St Nicholas; Kekova boat schedules out of season not verified
By car
A car makes this trip easier. Demre lies on the D400 coast highway. A car makes it realistic to see Myra, St Nicholas and a Kekova boat trip in one day and return the same evening; by bus the round trip leaves little time.
Good to know
- Start early: Antalya to Demre is 138 km, and the boat trip needs 2-3 hours.
- Kekova boat prices and departure times are not verified 2026; agree the route (sunken city, Kaleköy) and price at the harbour before boarding.
- No swimming over the sunken city itself: it is a protected archaeological zone.
Alanya Castle
The Seljuk sultans' Mediterranean capital: a walled castle 250 m above the sea on a rocky peninsula, with the octagonal Red Tower and the 13th-century shipyard at the harbour below. A long but simple bus day for anyone interested in Seljuk history and big sea views.
How to get there
- Bus · Antalya-Alanya district buses (e.g. Alanyalılar, Güney Akdeniz) · 2 hFrom Antalya Otogar
Departures: about every 30 min (Wikivoyage; not verified 2026)
Fare: TRY 410 Antalya-Alanya one way (Antalya Metropolitan Municipality 2026/1 reference fare list, 137 km, valid from 23 Mar 2026; checked 2026-10)
Long-distance coach companies do not sell tickets for this short hop; use the district bus companies. From Alanya, a cable car runs from the Damlataş beach side up to the castle (fare not verified 2026), or take a local bus or taxi uphill.
What to see
- Inner Castle (İç Kale). Open-air museum at the top of the peninsula with Byzantine church and chapel ruins and some of the castle's roughly 400 cisterns, high above the sea; 1.5-2 hours. Open daily 08:00-18:30, ticket office to 18:00; EUR 12 (muze.gov.tr).
- Castle quarter and walls. 6.5 km of walls with 140 towers; inside are the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Akşebe Masjid and Tomb, the bedesten and Ottoman-era houses; most of the walled area is free to walk; 1-2 hours.
- Red Tower (Kızılkule). 33 m octagonal tower built for Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I in 1226; an ethnographic museum on its first floor; 30-45 min.
- Seljuk Shipyard (Tersane). Arched Seljuk dockyard at the water's edge near the Red Tower, used until the 1960s, now the Ship and Maritime Museum; 30 min.
Closed days
Alanya Castle (Inner Castle) is open every day (muze.gov.tr).
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Buses run frequently along the D400 coast highway, so a car is not needed.
Good to know
- Most of the walled castle area is free to stroll; you pay only for the Inner Castle (Wikivoyage).
- Ticket prices for the Red Tower and the Shipyard are not verified 2026; ask at the gate.
- Turkish citizens enter with MüzeKart; foreign visitors pay at the gate or buy the e-ticket on muze.gov.tr.