I recently went on a great mini trip to Antalya, Turkey after a match. It was on my bucket list for quite a while, so I was thrilled to finally get a chance to go. Simply put, I definitely want to go back and check out even more of the area soon. In the meantime, here’s a quick Antalya trip recap:
Day 1- Settling in and Exploring Kalecie
The first day, we had a football game against 1207 Antalyaspor. After the game (we won, btw) and team activities, we headed to our hotel to check in and get situated. We took a taxi to Hotel Guleryuz (Otel Güleryüz) and got checked in. We chose that hotel because of its proximity to the Old Town (Kaleici) as well as its price of roughly $30/ night.
After checking in and getting changed, we headed out on foot to just explore the area. We wanted to use the first evening to get our bearings and just check out the area. We instantly loved the charm and bustle of Kaleici. We wound through the streets there, checking out some of the restaurants and shops to make notes for the rest of the trip. Then, we strolled along the water and to Karaalioglu Park, where we walked up the path leading to the main road near our hotel.
Finally, we wrapped up the night with some gelato from Bella Gelateria Işıklar Şube. I got almond and some sort of biscuit cookie which was amazing. We brought it back to the park to enjoy our ice cream and give some of the cats some love. Then we headed back for an earlier night since we had some exciting plans starting early the next day.
Day 2- Saluada Boat Tour
The second day of our Antalya trip started bright and early with a boat tour! We opted for a Saluada Boat Tour that we purchased from TripAdvisor for about $30 per person. I’m planning to do a full review and breakdown of that tour, but it was AMAZING. They picked us up from our hotel around 7 am and drove us to the port. From there, we got on the boat and headed out toward Saluada (which is known as the Turkish Maldives for obvious reasons seen in the photos below). The entire tour took about 4 hours, and then we headed back to the hotel.
Simply put, the tour was absolutely stunning and so much fun. We got so many amazing photos and had a blast. There was something so special and enjoyable and freeing about splashing around in the water in the middle of October.
Following the tour, we were dropped right at our hotel. We headed up, showered, and got ready. Then, we headed out to enjoy the evening. We got dinner at Patio Cafe, where I had some delicious chicken Alfredo. Spoiler alert, we went back there a total of THREE times in our four-day trip. Anyway, after enjoying a quality (still affordable) dinner, we stopped at a local bar/pub where my friend accidentally performed with a live artist.
Then, we headed to the “Octoberfest” happening in the outdoor patio of a hotel in the area. It was surprisingly enjoyable, with games setup. You could purchase a drink ticket for about $2.50 and then take it to one of the various “bars” to get your beer or shot. We hung out there for a few hours before heading back to the hotel.
Day 3- Whitewater Rafting
The day before, we purchased a whitewater rafting excursion from a street vendor. It was about the same price as we were seeing online, so we just decided to buy it there. So, the shuttle from Dallas Rafting came to get us at 8 am. My friends were a bit…extra tired from the night before, but we were committed to the mission. The shuttle ride was over 2.5 hours long, but we each had our own seats on a large bus.
We finally arrived at the Dallas Rafting area. We only paid for rafting, which meant we had a longer route. Our guide led us to our 10-person boat, where we joined two families. From there, we set off on the raft to explore the fresh turquoise waters. We made a few stops along the way, getting some time to swim (more like ice plunge) and enjoy the views. Midway, we stopped for lunch and a bit of a rest before continuing. The rafting ended with a jeep ride back to the base which was an adventure on its own. Then, the bus took us all the way back to our hotel which took over 3 hours with the evening traffic.
After the long day of rafting, we got cleaned up before heading back to Patio for dinner. This time, I got a chicken sandwich with their deliciously seasoned fries. We then got some ice cream before turning in for an early night. All the activity was definitely tiring!
Day 4- Konyaalti Beach
After two days of amazing adventures, I NEEDED a relaxing beach day. We did not set an alarm, but still got up by about 9. After getting ready and grabbing a Simit for breakfast, we headed to the beach via the local bus. The Antalya bus system is in Google Maps, so all we had to do was input our destination and it told us where to grab the bus and which bus. The only downside is that the timetable is not the most accurate, so we weren’t sure how long we’d have to wait. It ended up only taking about 10 minutes.
We failed to get off at the right stop (oops) but we enjoyed the walk to the beach. After walking along the beachfront for a while, we settled into a spot. And the whole beachfront area was SO nice. There was a huge walkway with a bike bath as well. Plenty of restaurants lined the way, many with private beach areas. Anyway, we opted for the plain old sand where we laid our towels down. For a few hours, we just enjoyed going in and out of the water and soaking up the sun. It was still in the low 80s and absolutely gorgeous in mid-October.
A few hours later, we finally got hungry enough to seek out some lunch. We ended up walking down the beachfront a bit and stopping at a nearby restaurant with beach seating. It was glorious to enjoy a proper chair, but the food was not very good despite the steep price. The crappy “chicken Caesar salad” was over 200 lira, and they charged us for the beach chairs.
Anyway, we didn’t let the lame restaurant ruin the mood. Instead, we headed to a local coffee shop before walking along the beach more. Eventually, we decided to rent a scooter. It was quite a hassle, as most of the ones in Turkey require you to have a Turkish number or ID to register. Finally, we found one that didn’t! After coasting along the bike path, we stopped to ask to join a random game of soccer tennis. After a fun 1.5 hours of soccer tennis, we headed back to the beach spot to enjoy the incredible sunset. Just check out these photos. They don’t even capture the half of it, but just wow!
Day 5-Exploring Kalecie in Depth
We began the last day of our Antalya trip, ready to enjoy it for as long as possible. Then, we took an evening bus back at 6:30 pm, but until then we were determined to make the most of the day. We first checked out a local coffee shop in the heart of Kalecie enjoying a morning drink. Then we just started walking, going deeper into the Old Town area than we had been. Taking in the scenery and enjoying the weather.
Eventually, we made it to Hadrian’s Gate (somewhat on accident, even though it was on my list). Of course, we had to get a few photos and just take in the atmosphere. We sat there for a while just chatting about history and the city. Then, we continued walking and made our way to a couple of other landmarks, like the Korkut Cami. We followed the stairs nearby and stumbled upon a gorgeous viewpoint overlooking the entire area and waterfront. While up there, we continued walking west and stopped at a restaurant for a snack. The view overlooked the Roman Harbour and Mermerli Plaj, which is where we headed after lunch. We wanted to head in for a dip but did not have suits with us or much time left.
From there, we headed back toward the hotel, stopping for our last meal at Patio Cafe on the way. After grabbing our stuff, we took a taxi to the bus station and headed back to the city we play/live in on an overnight bus.
And like that, our incredible quick trip to Antalya was over.