Touch down
Antalya’s location in the eastern Mediterranean could hardly be sweeter: midway along the southern Turkish shore. The busy airport is eight miles (13km) northeast of the city centre. Flights arrive from all the major UK airports, with a typical flying time of four hours.
On arrival, you will find a range of transport options: taxis (of course); buses to the city centre, the otogar (bus station) and coastal resorts; and the AntRay tram, which is clean and inexpensive. Take tram T1A to Ismetpaşa station, the closest on this line to the city centre – where you can transfer to T2, the heritage tram.
Get your bearings
The centre of Antalya is at the apex of a broad bay that extends southwest for 30 miles (50km) and southeast for over 60 miles (100km). Most of the resorts along the Turkish Riviera – including Side and Alanya – are to the southeast.
The core of Antalya is compact and attractive: the old town is perched on a promontory high above the ancient port – which has been Antalya’s maritime gateway for over 2,000 years. A glass platform (free to visit) extends out to provide a perfect view of the port, the castle and the old town – whose key landmark is the “fluted minaret”. The modern city extends out from the old town, while in either direction the shore is punctuated by a string of hotels delivering fun in the sun.
Check in
The Akra Hotel stands high on the waterfront east of the Old Town, with smart, comfortable and unfussy rooms offering superb views of the Mediterranean. It is also the only hotel I know of that lends out bikes for leisurely exploring – but tandems as well.
Move further east and you are in the territory of mega-resorts. Fifteen miles (25km) east of the city centre, Land of Legends is a combine shopping mall, theme park and accommodation complex. If your approach to hotels is the bigger the better, Kingdom at Land of Legends may be the place for you. It’s a vast, multifaceted property, but the concept is simple: everything a holidaymaker needs within easy reach, whether you’re a solo traveller, a couple or a family seeking an indulgent escape in a fairytale kingdom.
To complete my chosen trip: the Titanic Mardan Palace, which takes its cue from the glamour of the world’s most famous ship. Elaborate staircases and chandeliers, walkways bathed in light from the ornate, opaque ceiling gives a sense of the height of luxury at sea. The property has a swimming pool that is oceanic in its scale – meaning…
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