Antalya is a beautiful, vibrant city located on the southwestern coast of Turkey popular with many expats who are choosing to travel, relocate or even retire in the city attracted by a glorious climate throughout the year and relaxed lifestyle.

In this short guide we are going take a look at 4 main areas of this large city and what makes them unique on their own

Lara Beach

Lara Beach is a very popular and compact strip of land on the Gulf of Antalya that offers very close proximity to the sea and beautiful views , located only 20 minutes’ away from Antalya international airport via a regular bus service that runs through the city giving you access to other areas of the Antalya region to explore.

As the name suggests, Lara has a beach of its own with beautiful sandy shores with several cafes and bars to spend the day at your own leisure and also hire everything from inflatables to deck chairs and parasols for the day. But it is at night that Lara Beach really comes alive. As you walk along the main strip you can watch all the fantastic light displays from the luxury hotels located on the seafront, really giving you the chance to witness a unique experience and immerse yourself in the buzzing nightlife.

For this reason Lara Beach is also known to the locals as mini “Las Vegas” as it was the first of its kind to offer this type of luxury 5-star hotels all with a different theme and atmosphere.

Konyaalti

Konyaalti, known as the cove by the cliffs to many locals, is a 35 minutes transfer from the Antalya international airport, overlooked by the beautiful back drop of the famous Taurus mountains leading to Kemer.  Konyaalti has a beautiful 6km stretch of sandy beach which is the most popular beach visited by locals and expats offering views directly opposite the old town harbour and the beautiful boats moored in the harbour. There is a huge variety of restaurants and café bars to cater all tastes and a selection of amenities to choose such its own theme park known as a “Luna Park”, the famous Football Stadium of Antalya, the Antalya Aquarium with the world’s largest viewing tunnel and a 5 floors shopping centre which offers everything from a supermarket to homeware stores and modern clothing stores with free on-site parking.

There are so many reasons this area is so popular with visitors and locals alike and it also offers a huge expat community comprising of not only English nationals but also Russians and Germans with weekly get together and several clubs such as sailing, cards and even pub quiz to join. Any expat would find their feet here with ease also making many new friends on the way!

Bogacay Marina Bay

Situated on the sandy shores of Konyaalti beach is the innovative and exciting project of Bogacay Marina Bay. The aim of this project is to give this area a new face lift by increasing the natural seacoast of Antalya which as a result would deepen the main river of Bogacay Creek. This new face lift for Antalya will create a brand new and unique yacht marina also extending the current 6 km stretch of beach to a total of 40 km with a beautiful recreational and environmentally friendly area alongside with amenities such as bike paths, sports fields, water sport clubs, green parks for families and visitors to enjoy

Kaleici

Last but not least is the charming Antalya old town also known as Kaleici. This area is without a doubt the most visited place within the city and one of the most popular within the whole of Turkey. The bustling area of the old town has been inhabited since as early as 4 centuary bc and is packed full of history. Walking along the ancient cobbled streets every vender has a different story to tell selling everything from beautiful jewellery to the world-famous Turkish carpets known as “halis” and no Turkish home is complete without one! The old town comprises of several historic features such as the city walls that are still standing and create the most amazing photo opportunities, a church with a welcoming community and a beautiful mosque which lights the streets at night. Walking down the cobbled streets from the old part you reach the picturesque harbour complete with several restaurants serving beautiful fresh fish and local wines with the yachts moored adding an even more charm to the area.

Antalya has so much to offer whether you are looking to visit the area for a relaxing holiday or for an action-packed holiday or a cultural experience, the choice is yours!