“The population of Antalya was 600,000 nine or ten years ago. Today it’s 3 million,” our licensed tour information Ihsan instructed us on a latest journey to southern Turkey. I blinked – not as a result of I used to be being blinded by the solar, however due to the sheer scale of that development. A five-fold improve in only a decade.
On our return house, I did what all good journey journalists do and Googled it – and that’s once I additionally found Antalya at present ranks sixth place globally for the very best variety of worldwide arrivals, forward of cities reminiscent of Dubai and Paris.
I suppose it ought to come as no shock. Antalya’s obtained the ocean, the solar, the spellbinding mixture of previous and new — and, as we discovered, a tempo of life that fits each wanderers and the wildly lively.
Antalya’s Outdated City
Our Antalya expertise had begun with a journey again in time. Ihsan was introducing us to town’s Outdated City — Kaleiçi — which interprets actually to imply ‘inside the castle’. It’s the guts and soul of previous Antalya, the place cobbled lanes meander previous Ottoman homes and Bougainvillaea spills over rooftops, all inside the historic metropolis’s defensive partitions.
We began with the Monument to Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the daddy of contemporary Turkey, standing in opposition to a skyline of minarets and purple roofs earlier than taking in a sweeping view over the traditional metropolis and its marina. Down under, fishing boats bobbed gently as they’ve for hundreds of years, and the ocean shimmered within the type of blue that painters dream of however hardly ever match.
From there, we took within the Yivliminare Mosque which has an fascinating historical past. Thought to have been transformed from a pre-existing Byzantine church however destroyed within the fourteenth century, the prayer corridor was reconstructed in 1373 and is notable for its six domes, making it one of many oldest surviving examples of a multi-domed mosque in Anatolia.
Our tour additionally took us to the Antalya Ethnographic Museum, housed in two restored Ottoman-era mansions. It showcases every day life and affords insights into Antalya’s conventional tradition, significantly in the course of the Ottoman interval.
Maybe most placing architecturally was the Shehzade Korkut Mosque a bit additional on; it originated as a Roman temple and was later transformed right into a Byzantine church earlier than turning into a mosque. Traits from every period can nonetheless be seen – reminders that earlier cultures haven’t been erased, however simply re-written.
And let’s not overlook Hadrian’s Gate, constructed to honour the Roman Emperor’s historical Antalya in 130 AD. Constructed largely of white marble, it stands as a strong reminder of Antalya’s wealthy Roman previous, though it commemorates solely a fleeting go to.
This triumphal triple-arched gate, as soon as a part of town partitions, now shows the worn stone beneath – testomony to the passage of numerous historical carts.
Past the Clock Tower, we stopped on the statue of King Attalus II, who based Antalya as Attaleia within the 2nd century BC. Right here, we had free time to wander the markets and cafés, and revel in perusing the wares of spice sellers, a sensory remaining observe earlier than re-emerging into trendy Antalya.
Corendon Playa Kemer Lodge
We stayed at Corendon Playa Kemer Lodge, an all-inclusive five-star resort about 40 minutes’ drive south alongside the coast from Antalya.
Our Commonplace Sea View Room was trendy, ethereal and spacious, with a small balcony overlooking the resort pool and seaside, and the Gulf of Antalya past.
There’s a mini-bar, replenished every day, that you would be able to assist your self to and, to greet our arrival, there was a small bottle of wine, some snacks and contemporary fruit.
For meals on the resort, you’re spoiled. There’s the principle eating space – Zephyrantes – serving a buffet at breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus a meals courtroom open outdoors common hours — very best for late arrivals like ours, the place the employees are generally aided by a robotic waiter. The range at Zephyrantes was so intensive, it may please everybody — from adventurous foodies to the pickiest of eaters.
There’s additionally a separate à la carte restaurant – Bona Fides – past the meals courtroom, for a extra intimate eating expertise.
We dined right here twice, and the second go to was particularly memorable — a pleasant, fish-themed night that includes meze — a cherished staple of Turkish delicacies and social eating, very best for households trying to get pleasure from high quality time collectively.
Along with the intensive meals providing, services embody varied bars, indoor and out of doors swimming pools, a spa (see our Turkish tub expertise under), a fitness center, and watersports services throughout the principle season.
We even had use of our personal cabanas overlooking the seaside, full with butler service and a well-stocked fridge, plus there’s even a small amphitheatre tucked away at one finish of the advanced that hosts a various occasions programme.
Though the resort has its personal leisure, there are a selection of music and cultural occasions that may also be loved in Antalya too. Subsequent month alone, for instance, town will host the Antalya Music Competition, Antalya Akra Jazz Competition and Antalya Style Week, while later within the yr the Kaleiçi Outdated City Competition goals to protect and develop town’s cultural and historic heritage.
Runtalya
The timing of our journey coincided with Runtalya — town’s flagship working occasion. Now in its twentieth yr, it has developed fairly a following, each in Turkey and internationally.
The occasion usually hosts round 10,000 runners yearly, from greater than 50 international locations world wide. A wall of names near the beginning line confirmed this yr’s individuals participating in all occasions from the 5K enjoyable run via to the complete marathon.
Our youngest son Tom and I took on the half marathon while my spouse Becky and our older son James – and our real hope of a podium place – had registered for the 10K. Sadly, James needed to withdraw as a result of an ongoing damage, however his youthful brother knocked over 10 minutes off his half marathon PB, to complete in 1h28m, and land fiftieth place out of greater than 900 runners. I trailed fortunately behind, ending in slightly below two hours (sixteenth out of 57 finishers in my age class), while Becky accomplished her 10K in underneath the hour mark.
It was a well-choreographed occasion, with loads of assist stations alongside the route, to not point out loads of help, a communal environment, with leisure alongside the way in which to distract from the aches and pains we have been feeling en route.
If, like me, you get pleasure from combining sporting occasions along with your travels, it’s possible you’ll have an interest to study that the X-WATERS Antalya Open Water Swimming Race and Corendon Tahtalı Run to Sky each happen within the area subsequent month.
All the pieces you’ll want to plan your journey in 2024
Corendon Tennis Membership Kemer
The morning after Runtalaya, we headed to Corendon Tennis Membership Kemer, only a few minutes drive from the Corendon Playa Kemer Lodge. None of us are what you’d name tennis gamers, however we didn’t let that – or our achy legs – cease us.
Catering for all talents, the membership is house to 14 clay courts, surrounded by hills and inexperienced forests of the Taurus Mountains.
Right here we have been warmly welcomed with rackets, balls and the affected person optimism of two pleasant coaches. We began with coordination drills, realized to strike the ball with out sending it wildly out of the courtroom, and completed with a enjoyable sport that noticed Workforce Corendon tackle Workforce Asics.
They may have fared higher than us at the day gone by’s working occasion – considered one of them earned a really spectacular second place within the males’s half marathon – however I’m happy to report that we beat them at tennis!
The membership additionally affords spacious and comfy spectator seating, state-of-the-art floodlights for night tennis, an irrigation system to maintain the clay moist, and the on-site Corendon Membership Café for meals and refreshments.
Turkish tub expertise
Again on the spa at Corendon Playa Kemer Lodge, we ended our journey with an area ritual: a Turkish tub – the proper antidote to our latest bodily exertions.
First got here a mild poaching within the sauna, earlier than we have been referred to as to the hammam. With us mendacity on the heated stone slabs, our therapists labored up clouds of bubbles that have been seemingly the dimensions of small sheep. We have been lathered from head to toe in delicate foam earlier than being taken to a therapy room for the principle therapeutic massage.
From there, we headed for the comfort lounge, the place a cooling face masks was delicately utilized, and the expertise culminated with us sipping on a glass of Turkish tea.
The therapy felt each indulgent and cleaning. It was additionally nice for loosening off my legs after the half marathon – I’m usually feeling fairly stiff after longer runs these days however surprisingly I wasn’t so unhealthy this time round, and I’m certain that’s thanks – at the very least, partly – to our Turkish tub expertise.
Corendon Airways
We flew Premium with Corendon Airways, a Turkish-registered operation that may not spark immediate recognition for UK or US travellers — but. However, like Runtalya, Corendon is celebrating its twentieth anniversary and is rapidly gaining altitude.
We flew from Manchester to Antalya aboard a Boeing 737-800, with front-row seats affording us a bit extra leg room than the already cheap 30-32 inch pitch supplied by most seats on the aircraft, making the four-hour hop that little bit extra comfy.
Boarding was clean and I even managed to piggy-back on a teen’s request to see the cockpit previous to take-off, to take a fast shot of my very own.
Though we travelled mild — hand baggage solely (one 8kg cabin bag and one 3kg underseat bag every) — our Premium ticket entitled us to 2 extra 20kg maintain luggage per individual. So, while we may have introduced the kitchen sink, we settled for the necessities – and our working gear, in fact – to facilitate faster passage via the airports.
Corendon transports roughly 6 million passengers yearly with a fleet that’s largely comprised of Boeing 737-800 and Boeing 737-800 Max mannequin plane, offering direct flights to an intensive community of 165 airports throughout 65 international locations. Within the UK, flights to Antalya can be found from London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. UK travellers may fly on to different Turkish locations, together with Dalaman, Izmir and Istanbul.
Disclosure: Our journey was sponsored by Corendon Airways.
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxurious Journey Weblog and has labored within the journey business for greater than 30 years. He’s Winner of the Improvements in Journey ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED journal. Along with different awards, the weblog has additionally been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.
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