Antalya Beaches Guide

Antalya has two big city beaches, one on each side of the old town, and a line of swimming platforms on the cliffs in between. The public beaches are free. You pay only if you rent a sunbed and umbrella, and prices are set each season.

Konyaaltı

West of the centre, a long, straight beach of grey pebbles with clear water that gets deep quickly. The mountains rise at the far end, which gives it the best view of any city beach in Turkey. Behind it runs a long promenade with parks, cafés, playgrounds and cycle lanes. It's the beach locals use, and it's well organised: toilets, showers, lifeguards and municipal sections alongside private beach clubs. The pebbles are the catch. Bring water shoes, and expect small children to prefer sand.

Lara

East of the city, past the airport turn-off, Lara has fine sand and shallow water, which makes it the family choice. Most of the beachfront belongs to large hotels, but there are public stretches with free access, including Lara public beach itself. Summer weekends get very full with locals from the city. The city bus network reaches it, although it's quicker by taxi.

The cliff beaches

Between Kaleiçi and Lara, the city sits on cliffs rather than sand. Along this stretch, the Muratpaşa municipality runs a series of public swimming platforms with stairs, and in one case a lift, down to the rocks. You swim straight into deep, very clear water. Konserve Koyu and İnciraltı are two of the better-known ones. They're not for weak swimmers or small children, but on a hot afternoon they're wonderful.

Mermerli and the old town

The tiny Mermerli beach under the walls of Kaleiçi, run by a restaurant, is the only place to swim in the old town itself. It charges an entry fee, it's small and it fills fast. Pleasant for an hour between sightseeing stops, less so for a whole day. The Kaleiçi guide explains how to find it.

For something wilder, the coast south of Kemer has pine-backed bays such as Phaselis, where you swim beside the ruins of an ancient harbour town, and Çıralı, a long quiet beach next to ancient Olympos. Both are a long day out. East of the city, Side has sandy beaches on both sides of its ancient peninsula, covered in our day trips guide.

In peak summer, the sand at Lara and the stones at Konyaaltı both get hot enough to hurt by early afternoon. Go early, leave at lunch, and come back after 4pm.