Holidays to Antalya 365 days a year

After almost thirty years of constant holidaying several times a year by us, the British love affair with cheap holiday deals to Spain finally started to wane. All the countries that were crammed in the periphery and barely glanced at, started to come to the fore front and none more so that Turkey. The then exotic sounding resort names like Bodrum and Marmaris came to the fore and after a decade these destinations became synonymous with any of the Costas that the British traveller frequented, and many a pub visit in the September promoted it further by word of mouth. It was cheap and friendly, with great beaches and most importantly it was new. Of course our constant desire for something new is what prompts us to discover pastures new, and with this in mind, the Turkish Riviera or what is also known as the Antalya region was discovered by us Brits. Actually, truth be told we didn’t really do the discovering at all, it was the German’s and in general the European’s that first discovered this region of Turkey (apart from the locals, they always knew it was there!). Antalya city is in fact one of the largest cities in Turkey and what sets apart the whole of the Antalya region and network of what we call holiday resorts is that none of them are purpose built resorts unlike the ones you see when you go on a cheap holiday to Marmaris and Icmeler, but genuine real towns and cities, most of them with quite a few thousand years of history behind them, and stretching throughout the Antalya Bay there is several hundred kilometres of sandy beaches, most of them unspoilt, and please don’t think of unspoilt as a dirty word those of you searching for a little more fun in the sun. There is plenty of fun to be had if that’s your cup of tea. From Side down to Lara Beach, you’d be hard pressed to be bored; bars and taverns, swish little boutiques and lokantas are dotted everywhere.

Due to the geographical location of the Antalya Region (Turkish Riviera), this part of Turkey is operational twelve months of the year, the temperatures in late December through to late January are rarely lower than fifteen degrees, and if you perchance happen to be holidaying there in November you will still be able to swim in the sea, and walk around in a tee-shirt and shorts. You will also find a varied and rich cultural environment especially around Side (pronounced See-day) which is approximately seventy five kilometres from Antalya, the old Roman Agora is incorporated into the modern day shopping square and, and for at least a kilometre when walking from the colourful harbour towards the centre of Side town, you can see the sea from either side of the road. Due to the size of Side, you will find most of the hotels dotted around the Side perimeter as opposed to the actual city centre; most of these local holiday resorts like Manavgat, Kumkoy and Sorgun have cheap deals on four and five star hotels offering All Inclusive food basis, and a dolmus (the preferred mode of transport in Turkey) will take about twenty minutes to get to the centre of Side, however, in the height of the summer season they pedestrianise Side centre and you will need to walk about around a kilometre to get to the picturesque harbour and towards all the restaurants and specialist fish restaurants that are there.

Antalya is the biggest city in the south of Turkey and has a fascinating history and amazing mountain scenary. Legend has it that King Attalos II asked his courtiers to find heaven on earth and after finding the old Antalya city that lay in ruins, Antalya was re-built into one of the glittering jewels of the Med! Apart from the tall tales and colourful legends the historical significance of the area, modern holidaymakers will definitely have plenty to do and the holiday resorts in that region are becoming even more popular and well known than Antalya itself. The resort of Lara Beach to name but one, has become a popular favourite with British holidaymakers, the hotels there are of exceptional high quality, and all offer All Inclusive and in some cases Ultra All Inclusive, the latter offering an almost luxury cruise liner food experience but on land, with twenty four hour food and drink available and full day and night entertainment and mini clubs for the kids that need to be entertained so that parents can also have a holiday too.

Belek the furthest from Antalya, is in fact the only purpose built uber resort in the area with over fifty, four and five star hotels, and some of the best golf courses in Europe, easily rivalling Spain and the Algarve. The immaculate green of Belek’s golfing range is starting to attract more and more professional golfers and the lack of the Euros money issues and the mild and dry weather that the area enjoys in the winter is a definite plus. It is hard to surmise the Antalya Region; it’s almost a country in its own right with its own climate and history its numerous resorts and its own airport it has a lot to offer any type of traveller, from the adventurer and the history buff, to families with young children and teenagers to honeymooners looking for a romantic getaway and lastly to the cult of golfers, who usually travel in large packs, the Antalya Region has got to be the near perfect holiday destination.