A beautiful seaside city could make a perfect holiday destination this autumn as it enjoys warm temperatures even in October. Antalya is a city on Turkey’s southwest coast. It is in the Turkish Riviera and flanked by the Taurus Mountains.
In October, Antalya’s average daily temperature is 21C, but it can drop to 16C and rise to 27C. Its hottest month is August, when the daily mean is 29C, with highs of 35C. Lonely Planet called the city both “classically beautiful and stylishly modern”, with clifftop views of mountain silhouettes and lovely beaches. There are sites with traces of Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Seljuk architecture and cultures. Most of Antalya’s historic architecture dates to the medieval Seljuk period. Mosques, madrasahs, caravanserais, Turkish baths, and tombs give the city a Turkish-Islamic character. Ancient monuments to visit include the City Walls, Hıdırlık Tower, 2nd-century Hadrian’s Gate (also known as Triple Gate), and the Clock Tower. There are also a number of beautiful mosques and churches to see. Historical architecture is concentrated in the “wonderfully preserved” walled city, Kaleiçi.
The old centre, with its narrow cobbled streets and historic Ottoman-era houses, has been restored to retain much of its historical character. It has hotels, bars, clubs, restaurants, and shopping.
This part of the city also has the historic harbour, with narrow cobbled streets surrounded by wooden historic houses extending from the harbour into the old city.
Cumhuriyet Square, the city’s main square and a very popular spot for tourists and locals, is surrounded by shopping and business centres and public buildings.
The area has several beaches, including Lara, Adalar, Mermerli, and Konyaalti. The beaches are a mix of sandy and pebbly spots, but all have stunning waters and promise a good day out.
There are other spots to enjoy natural beauty, including Genclik, home to the stunning Duden Waterfalls, as well as pools, miniature waterfalls and pretty fountains
Those looking to try the local cuisine should look out for piyaz (white bean salad), şiş köfte (spicy meatball cooked on a stick), spicy hibeş (tahini dip), and şakşuka (fried aubergine and courgette).
One local speciality is tirmis (boiled lupini) eaten as a snack. “Grida” (also known as Lagos or Mediterranean white grouper) is a fish common in local dishes.
Getting to Antalya from the UK takes between four and four-and-a-half hours, with flights from Manchester, Birmingham, London, and Bristol to the Turkish city.