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Guest writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré
We continue to explore the Turkish Mediterranean coast around Antalya and visit the smaller towns that are best reached by car through the beautiful surroundings. If you visit Antalya and have a week to spend, visit some of the historical sites, you will not regret it.
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ShareHistorical sites outside Antalya: Limyra and the Lycian Empire
Lycia was a thriving region of modern-day Turkey from the Bronze Age to the 7th century, where the engineering of the Roman Empire contributed to the advanced constructions that remain today. You can see the carefully measured angles of the rock tombs as well as geometric patterns in the architecture and decorations.
You can follow around 520 kilometres of what were once the Lycian trade routes, and several paved sections still remain today. Many of the communities were located along the roads and there are many ruins and tombs to visit.
Limyra is one of the towns where you can see the remains of temples and an amphitheatre. A well-preserved elevated and paved section of the Lycian road also remains with a small bridge that has lasted almost 2000 years.
Limyra was one of the most important cities of the Lycian Empire and became a widely recognised capital. But earthquakes and the passage of time have reduced the buildings to ruins. After a short walk among the ruins of Limyra, you can head down to Finike, which was the closest harbour for Limyra's merchants.
Rock tombs, amphitheatres in Finike, Aspendos and Perge outside Antalya
Finike is located a few hours by car from Antalya a little further down the coast and is beautifully situated among cultivations and greenhouses. There are several large ruins and many rock tombs or sarcophagi carved into the mountains. Many of them are not labelled or signposted so you see these graves here and there as you drive around.
If you drive an hour in the opposite direction from Antalya, you will find one of the best preserved amphitheatres in the world in Aspendos. Perge is another historic city formed before the birth of Jesus but their amphitheatre only holds 12,000 people unlike the one in Aspendos which held 20,000 spectators in its day.
If you have an interest in history, you should hire a guide for a full or half day and you will gain new perspectives on both Greek mythology and Turkish history.
Demre with the ancient city of Myra and the church of St Nicholas
About 30 kilometres further on from Finike is Myra and it's along the coast so it's a great stretch with a great holiday feel. Myra was the ancient name of a town that flourished in Roman times. Today the town is called Demre and is a fairly large town with lots of cafés and restaurants.
It is also said to be the resting place of St Nicholas, so Orthodox Christians and Catholics make pilgrimages here. The church was built in the 5th century, actually over another older building, and is still an Orthodox church today with regular services. St Nicholas is known as the patron saint of seafarers and children, and this takes us all the way from the 3rd century to today's Santa Claus.
St Nicholas, Sint Klaes or Sinterklaas as the Dutch called him, then became Santa Claus or Father Christmas as we say in Sweden. Santa Claus comes from Turkey and the ancient city of Myra where he worked as a bishop in the 300s. Can be a dealbreaker when you sell the trip to your children who think it will be a trip in thick clothes to the North Pole but instead end up in warm Turkey.
Another tangible historical link is also St Nicholas Day, which falls on 6 December in memory of St Nicholas. You can also tell your tick-tocking children that he is probably one of history's greatest influencers but in a slightly different way. They might not be dumbfounded, but hopefully it will make them think a little.
The amphitheatre in Myra, surrounded by rock tombs
A walk away is the ancient city of Myra, which has a very well-preserved amphitheatre with carved rock tombs in the mountain behind.
Just outside Demre there are also Lycian Civilisation Museum if you want to learn more about the Lycian civilisation and see even more ruins. At the Museum of Lycian Civilisation, archaeological excavations are underway and you can walk around what was, until the 6th century, the port city of Andriake.
The sunken city of Kekova and Kaleköy Castle
Kekova is an island, not far from Demre. You can go there to take day trips by boat to snorkel around the sunken city of Kekova or just to enjoy the magical setting of the medieval castle. The cliffs in the area have a special appearance as they are rounded and surrounded by vegetation.
When you go out on the boats, it is very relaxing to rest your eyes in the beautiful landscape. If you want to take a short half-day trip, you can take a cosy boat to Tersane Bay where you snorkel around the ancient ruins, have lunch and return.
Lunch on one of the boats is recommended and it does not have to be so expensive if you take a half day with a larger boat that you share with others. You can also book an overnight stay on the boat with full board and then it will probably be a thousand bucks per person.
Short hiking tours and walk up to Kaleköy
The medieval castle of Kaleköy offers a majestic view of the island of Kekova and the harbour next to the castle. You can take short walks of a few kilometres in the area on paths along the water. It can be great after a long lunch and a good warm-up for going up to the castle.
Below the castle, a cosy staircase winds down to the harbour, past cafés and restaurants and the occasional souvenir seller.
Fine dining and good wines in the mountains, a little getaway from Antalya
After experiencing a full day of history and mighty ancient cities, it feels right to end the day with a little gold edge. About halfway between Demre and Antalya there are lovely mountain areas with a lot of good hotels and lodges.
We visited the Olympos Mountain Lodge to savour an innovative menu combined with excellent Turkish wines. The hotel is incredibly cosy, built in wood with stone walls and a lovely garden. The menu was sophisticated with everything from serving on stone to fictional olives and creative blends.
Wineries in Turkey and local craft beer with food
Many people don't know about the wine culture in Turkey and there are still many who believe that you only drink ayran with food, you know that drink with yoghurt, salt and water.
There are around 300 wineries in Turkey and around 80 of them regularly receive visitors. Around one million hectares are under vine and there are also wine tours of up to a week visiting a range of vineyards in one of the seven wine regions.
At home in the systembolaget there are only three Turkish wines, but as they use about 30 grapes in Turkey, there is of course a considerable variety of wines. There are a lot of really good wines and the standard is a little higher than in many other new wine countries.
For those who like beer, there are about ten craft breweries, most of which are in Istanbul, but in Antalya there is the Khoffner brewery, which makes porter and wheat beer.
The journey then continues to the town of Kas with diving and hiking in the mountains, more on this in the next article.
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