Outdoors · Antalya · Turkey
8 best outdoor things to do in Antalya
Parks, viewpoints and open-air sights for the dry, bright days.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Saffron Blaze, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Old harbour boat trip, Lower Düden Waterfall and Upper Düden Waterfall. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 14–21 hours across 5 areas; 4 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 4
- Time to see them all
- 14–21 hours
- Areas
- Kaleiçi, Lara and Muratpaşa city centre
Outdoors in Antalya
Experience · Kaleiçi
1.Old harbour boat trip
Agree the route, duration and price on the quay before boarding; one-hour trips to the waterfall are enough for most people.
- Time needed
- 1–5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
Nature · Lara
2.Lower Düden Waterfall
Visit the clifftop park late in the afternoon, when the sun lights the spray and the falls face the light.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Nature
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Park · Muratpaşa city centre
3.Upper Düden Waterfall
Go on a weekday morning; weekends bring picnicking crowds.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
Beach · Konyaaltı
4.Konyaaltı Beach
Bring water shoes for the pebbles, and use the free public sections between the paid sunbed areas.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Views
Beach · Lara
5.Lara Beach
Use the public beach sections near the start of the strip if you are not staying in a Lara hotel.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
Park · Kaleiçi
6.Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower
Come at sunset with a glass of tea from one of the park's cafés; the light over the Taurus range is superb.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
Historic site · Aksu
7.Perge
Visit Perge before the Antalya Museum to picture where the statues once stood, and arrive early as there is little shade.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Beach · Kaleiçi
8.Mermerli Beach
Go in the morning for a sunbed; by early afternoon in summer it is full.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Kaleiçi | Old harbour boat trip, Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower and Mermerli Beach | 1–5 hours + 1 hour + 2–3 hours |
| Lara | Lower Düden Waterfall and Lara Beach | 45 minutes + Half a day |
| Muratpaşa city centre | Upper Düden Waterfall | 1 hour |
| Konyaaltı | Konyaaltı Beach | Half a day |
| Aksu | Perge | 2 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 4 free, 3 low cost, 1 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Old harbour boat trip; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 5 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Kaleiçi): Old harbour boat trip → Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Kaleiçi and Lara): Mermerli Beach → Lower Düden Waterfall, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Lara and Muratpaşa city centre): Lara Beach → Upper Düden Waterfall, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 4 (Konyaaltı): Konyaaltı Beach, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 5 (Aksu): Perge, at least 2 hours.
The best months to be outside
- June: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. Hot and dry with a warm sea; sightseeing is best done early in the morning.
- September: highs of 31°C (88°F), about 1 rainy days, busy crowds. Still hot with a very warm sea and slightly fewer crowds; a good month for a beach holiday.
- May: highs of 26°C (79°F), about 4 rainy days, moderate crowds. One of the best months: warm days, swimmable sea by late May and resorts open without peak crowds.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Kaleiçi — Walled old town of Ottoman houses, boutique hotels and the old Roman harbour
- Konyaaltı — Long pebble beach and seafront park with Taurus Mountain views
- Lara — Sandy beach strip of large resort hotels east of the city
- Muratpaşa city centre — Everyday Antalya of shopping avenues, local restaurants and the bazaar
- Belek — Golf courses and large all-inclusive resorts on a sandy coast
More of Antalya
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Antalya?
Old harbour boat trip. From the old Roman harbour, wooden tour boats run short trips along the cliffs to see the Lower Düden Waterfall pour into the sea, plus longer cruises with swimming stops in bays to the west.
+Which of these are free in Antalya?
Lower Düden Waterfall, Konyaaltı Beach, Lara Beach and Karaalioğlu Park and Hıdırlık Tower.