Cosmopolitan Antalya

Phaselus to Antalya

Distance: 65 km
Time elapsed: 3:34:00
Average speed: 18.2 km/ hr
Max speed: 58.2 km/ hr
Temp: 32 C
Weather: Humid but gloriously cloudy

Another morning at the Phaselus ruins, this time swimming in the larger cove near the sleepy yachts/ sailboats while the water remained calm. We walked out a few hundred feet before the water even hit our waists, then almost to the boats before we could dunk our heads.


Goodbye Phaselus cove! Thanks for the dip :)

Standing in the shallow areas we learned that the rockless, sandy beach floor made for good hand stands but was difficult to stay still in very long due to mysterious schools of tiny fish that nibbled on our legs. Not the nice goldfish kisses, more like sharp electric stings, very odd. Regardless, we got our fill of salty laps, then got out and showered in the park's luxury restrooms. Entrance fees going to good use!

Around 11 Chris and I finally grabbed the bikes and made our way up the steady incline to the highway. The road wound in and out of the mountains, passing through many interesting small towns. Don't be fooled by Lonely Planet routes, there are so many cool unspoiled places that simply can't be mentioned! Not to mention the abundant fruit... we're still surrounded by figs and pomegranates this month, two of my favorites.

Pausing briefly in various towns for yogurt or water from the mosques, we had a tremendous amount of stamina going uphill due to cooler weather. Clouds loomed in the sky, encircling the mountain peaks, and casting a comfortable shadow across our heads. Eventually the highway returned to the coast, weaving along enormous cliffs, overlooking secluded beaches and a wide ocean horizon. In not too long we could see the endless stretch of Antalya, a mammoth cosmopolitan and port city.

The highway entering the city follows 10 km of flat road, hugging a long and crowded (treeless) beach. Not too many buildings, only a few Efes bars and snack stalls, something I would not have expected. This is the main drag for city folks who just take the urban bus line out for a day trip (mmm maybe something like Vlore's beaches, but more people and sand).

Antalya itself, one of Turkey's largest cities, centers around the downtown Roman harbor (well, for visitors at least). Now it's a yacht marina full of shwanky restaurants and a man made cement beach, surrounded still by some of the ancient guard walls, with two large porticos still looming over the water.


Overlooking the Roman harbor

To the left of the harbor sits the old town, Kaleiçi, a labrynth of large Ottoman homes that have been mostly renovated into a range of simple to super fancy 5 star hotels (complete with swimming pools and terraced balconies). Others have been reconstructed into restaurants catering to foreigners, as well as the all necessary 'antik' and souvenier shops. Really it's hard for me to hate this artificial and overpriced bubble world where tourists are whisked around like little money machines, if only because it's so darn güzel and inspires my imagination to wander...


Ottoman houses, mosques, and Roman ruins


Restored Ottoman houses


Beautiful gardens inside the pensiyons


Stuff for sale


We stumbled upon a birthday party! Moms are bellydancing to blaring Turkish DJ music


Not for the horizontally challenged

Further left, along the water is a large park, Karaalioğlu Parkı, where local Antalyans hang out and take a stroll in the evening (OMG did I actually replace xhiro with stroll??). Behind the park and out into the city are a few palm-lined streets of upscale shops and eateries (I call it Little So-Cal) that lead to Hadrian's Gate, built in honor of his visit to the city in AD 130.


Karaalioğlu Parkı (what's Turkish for xhiro?)


Canon guards at the top of the harbor


Give me a park and I'll show you Turkish men sipping tea (Near Hadrian's Gate)


Palm streets with modern shops


Hadrian's Gate (also called Three Arches)

Opposite the old town's gate, Kale Kapısı, is a central plaza where the tourist zone meets the rest of the city's concrete jungle, leading out along a pedestrian street packed in the evening with artists, xhiro-ers, and lots of random people simply hanging out, pehaps catching some of the sound and light show at the water fountain. Also along that road is Atatürk Parkı, where little tea shops are nestled along the cliffs, offering tables with a spectacular harbor view.


Cumhuryat Caddesi leading out to Kale Kapısı, a busy walking street good for selling art (see clocktower in background)


Waterfall cascading out of Atatürk Park

So that's Antalya! At first I was a little put off, suffocating a bit in the overwhelmingly crowded and tourist-driven atmosphere. We stayed one night in the Anatolian Pensiyon in the old town, a clean place with a double terrace where we could cook breakfast. The owner is a super sweet woman who gave us watermelon in the morning and let us store our bags in the backroom after checking out, free explore the city.


View from the top! Our terrace at the Anatolian Pensiyon

The crowded tram and pedestrian street, Cumhuryat Caddesi, turned out to be an excellent place to set up and sell artwork. Two nights we joined the local caricaturists along the side, meeting some cool (mostly) architects and many young couples. As it turns out mat framing Chris' drawings really improves sales, unfortuntely we can't really carry the mats with us. I'm sure we'll figure something out.