Things to Do in Antalya

Antalya Old Town - or Kaleici - is the picturesque old quarter in the center of present day Antalya. With its narrow winding streets and historic wooden houses, bars, restaurants and Ottoman-style boutique hotels, it’s a lovely place to wander around or base yourself while visiting Antalya.

Kaleici can trace its orgins back to the Roman period, when it grew around the old harbor, protecting the harbor from the west and the passage of produce from the east. Originally surrounded by massive stone walls and several gates, Kaleici has only two walls and one gate remaining.

Imposing Hadrian’s Gate is a glorious example of Roman architecture and was constructed in 130 AD to commemorate Emperor Hadrian’s visit to Kaleici. It has a triple-arched portal and decorative marble columns and is supported by enormous, turreted stone towers (from a different era). Hadrian’s Gate remains the most impressive way to enter the Old Town.

The remains of the ancient city of Perge, lie just 17km (11mi) northeast of Antalya and is the region's most significant Roman ruin.

Dating as far back as the Bronze Age, Perge was originally settled by the Hittites around 1500 BC and under Roman occupation grew to become one of the most beautiful cities of the ancient world. An important city for Christians during the Byzantine period, Saint Paul is said to have preached his first sermon here in 46 AD.

Excavations began on the site in 1946 and have since uncovered a large Greco-Roman theater with fine marble reliefs, a stadium that could seat over 12,000 people, a Hellenistic-Roman city gate flanked by ruined towers, a long colonnaded street, a large agora (central market), public baths and a gymnasium. Of these ancient remains, the theater and the stadium are Perge's best-preserved sites.

Many ancient scholars came out of Perge, including the physician Asklepiades, the philosopher Varius, the famous mathematician Apollonius (a pupil of Archimedes) and the female Roman ruler of the city Plancia Magna.

The Duden Waterfalls make a pleasant side trip from Antalya and its surrounding gardens are a popular picnic spot with locals.

The Duden river extends from the Taurus mountains all the way to the Mediterranean and creates two cascades know as the Upper and Lower Duden Waterfalls.

The Upper Duden waterfall is 15m (49ft) high and 20m (65ft) wide and set in a pretty valley. A natural cave has formed behind the falls and it is possible to sit here and watch the cascades. There are restaurants, boardwalks and picnic tables in the gardens immediately surrounding the falls to help you make the most of this scenic spot.

Exhibiting over 12,000 artifacts relating to the history of the Mediterranean and Pamphylia regions in Anatolia, Antalya Museum (also known as the Antalya Archaeological Museum) is one of the largest and most important museums in Turkey.

Born out of an attempt to prevent the country's archaeological treasures from being plundered by the Italians during World War I, the museum started its life in a mosque in 1922, only moving its collection to its present building in 1972.

Today the museum has 13 exhibition galleries that include regional excavations and galleries of prehistory, pottery, mosaics and various statues, as well as sarcophagi, coins, jewelry and ethnographic collections. There are also open-air galleries and a garden. 

Most of the best preserved finds from the ruined ancient cities of Anatolia can be found at the museum, and it's a fantastic way to grow your knowledge and understanding of these ancient civilizations, their Gods, culture and icons.

The Kursunlu Waterfall is a small cascade set amid a cool, pine forest. While not as impressive as the more visited Duden Waterfalls, the Kursunlu falls feel a little more remote due to their setting and access via a short and pleasant walk through the forest.

Only 20 minutes from central Antalya, the surrounding area offers plenty of walking opportunities, especially along the Aksu river. While the falls are more of a trickle in the summer months, it is sometimes possible to spot trout and turtles in the pools that form here.