ANTALYA

With its cosmopolitan atmosphere and fabulous location, Antalya is the perfect starting point for making a trip along the southern coast of Turkey. Antalya is a very attractive and exciting city, nestled between the turquoise-blue sea and the partly snow-tipped Taurus mountain range. Numerous impressive historic sites can be found nearby. The new part of the city has stylish boulevards, whereas Kaleici, Antalya's 'Old City', has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

The charm of the Old City is hard to capture in words. There are century-old houses with oriels, shingle roofs and stone walls, small gardens with orange and lemon trees, small passageways, as well as a picturesque marina with many colourful fishing boats. Many of these buildings have been lovingly converted into guesthouses and stylish boutique hotels. Many inner courtyards come with a pool, plenty of shade, and provide a small restful oasis. An excellent alternative to the large clubs and hotels that can be found along the coast.

Here you can relax after a daytrip to Termessos (with a walk) or a visit to the museum, or perhaps you may also decide to visit the Alaeddin mosque or one of the traditional bathhouses (hamam). For those with more mainstream interests, Antalya offers a wide variety of trendy clubs and great shopping opportunities as well.