Turkey 2026: Riviera, Antalya, and Cappadocia (page 2 of 5)

And on top of that, you're being picky—thanks for the welcome! 😄 I’ve got a pretty strong tomboy side—does that count? 😜

And on top of that, you're being picky—thanks for the welcome! 😄 I’ve got a major tomboy side, does that count? 😜

Oh no, don’t get me wrong—I’ve always preferred female company (well, except maybe Sandrine, but I don’t know her personally, just a hunch 😏), so you’re very welcome here!

Oh no, no misunderstanding—I’ve always preferred female company

I don’t know why, but I kinda had a feeling 😏😉

Hey Bruno.

A little sneak peek?

Did you take a hot-air balloon ride? 😏 When we were there in June, we saw very few, and the quad bikes (those were the things that worried me the most) were all in the parking lots.

But we won’t have that feeling—the place is quiet, and we’ll stroll through the old town with pleasure.

Same impression as you (in June)—way fewer people than on the Côte d'Azur! And the town is really nice. The restaurant staff were super friendly; they even let us taste wines for free without us having booked a table for dinner! The only challenge: Driving to the doorstep of our guesthouse (in the old town)! I circled the city twice and ended up "forcing" the barrier so I wouldn’t have to park a kilometer away. 😏

Hi Jean-Michel And welcome—you’ve become the reluctant male mascot of this travel journal, it seems! 😉 Hot-air balloon or not, we’ll have to follow the journal to the end to find out—the suspense is killing me!

I told you, for the first part of our trip we wanted some chic beach time—that is, not ending up in the middle of Antalya’s all-inclusive resorts (and trust me, there are *so* many of them!).

My favorite AI suggests the town of Kaş, nearly 200 km south of Antalya, on the Turkish Riviera—that’s the southernmost coast, facing Cyprus. “A magnificent and stunning road you absolutely shouldn’t miss” (Yes, AI is *always* super enthusiastic, just so you know). But I don’t want to drive it all in one go, and the stop is suggested at Çıralı Beach, where I’d find “a peaceful haven just a stone’s throw from Antalya’s hustle and bustle.” And a major local curiosity—we’ll get back to that.

But first, this morning, back to the airport via Uber to pick up our spirited mechanical steed, which will carry us around for the next fifteen days. I hadn’t rented it beforehand because of our late arrival and Antalya’s pedestrian-only old town—no point in having a car there. 342 € for the SUV for 15 days via Booking, impeccable service. In the photo, it’s the white one.



Before the peaceful haven promised by Gemini, we won’t miss another must-see in the area: the cable car ride to the top of Mount Tahtalı, 2,365 m, where the mountain (still snow-capped, by the way) literally plunges into the sea. You know me—I can’t resist altitude, so we’ll make a little detour for this attraction, even if it costs 40 € round-trip per person. It’s not the Aiguille du Midi, but budget-wise, it’s getting close...

So it’ll be almost 4 PM when I park the car at Lemon Garden Lodge, near the beach, where a charming little chalet is waiting for us for the night (and 120 € for half-board). The place is run by a really friendly family, but they’re not bilingual at all—our exchanges were via Google Translate, which I’m not a fan of, but the welcome was genuinely warm, and the meal, cooked by the lady of the house, was excellent in both quality and freshness.

Two must-see spots in the area: The ancient city of Olympos, which we’ll visit tomorrow morning, but especially Yanartaş Milli Park, also known as the Flames of Chimera!

Honestly, in peak season, it must be a nightmare to visit, given the size of the parking lot at the park entrance. My AI is begging me to visit the site at nightfall so the flames stand out better in the dark. Well, the 45-minute hike (and stairs) made me reconsider and decide not to always listen to it, but the methane emissions that ignite on contact with the air are a pretty magical sight.





Yeah, we didn’t buy the whole story about the chimera being trapped for millennia by Pegasus or whoever... Those Turks are so naive...

You're starting strong with originality, Bruno! Do the flammkuchen also work as barbecue 🥩😂?

And those little kids there are playing with the flames? 😕

Two must-see sights in the area: The ancient city of Olympos, which we’ll visit tomorrow morning, but especially Yanartas Mili Park, also known as the Flames of Chimera!

I really liked Çıralı and its region. It was very peaceful, and there were some great walks along the Lycian Way following the coast. Even though we’re not particularly into old ruins, the site of Termessos—completely empty of tourists (maybe because you have to walk a bit to get there?)—had such a serene atmosphere. We didn’t regret going. Same for the Chimaera (Yanartaş) in broad daylight—hardly anyone around.

A beach near Çıralı from the coastal path (Lycian Way)



Yanartaş

And those little kids there are playing with the flames? 😕

We’re not far off—on the site, the game is to grill sausages and, of course, marshmallows, which the kids are doing.

There’s even a guy at the entrance selling the full little scout kit

So yeah, Christelle, it’s like a barbecue!

I don’t think I could’ve resisted the cable car’s appeal either!

I'm off—Turkey is on my list! I’ll be following our Montagnard... or rather, our Montagnard and his Gemini!

I don’t think I could’ve resisted the cable car either!

Or the barbecue!!! 😏

Hey Manu, welcome! I don’t know if you’ll learn much about Turkey from me—my Gemini is way more knowledgeable, anyway!

Probably your inner scout coming out 😉 Thanks for stopping by—just need a little patience, I’m short on time to keep going 😛

Probably your inner scout 😉 Thanks for stepping in—just need a little patience, I’m short on time to keep going 😛

Can’t you ask Gemini to take over?

Can’t you ask Gemini to take over? 😏

Especially since it’d probably do a better job than me!!!

Let’s continue the story:

The night was short—the rooster at the house made sure of that. I took the opportunity to hop on a bike provided by the lodge and explore the area at the crack of dawn. .

The place was peaceful, and I had the ancient city of Olympos all to myself—a series of open-air archaeological ruins accessible from the beach, though the guards must’ve arrived much later than I did... .

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Now’s the time to tell you about Turkish breakfasts... The one served this morning, like most we’d have at our accommodations, was enormous—sweet, savory, but mostly *very* savory... We sat on the terrace in the farm courtyard, feasting among cats, chickens, and geese. .



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Then it was time to hit the road—2 hours to reach our next destination: the coastal town of Kaş.

With a quick detour (guess who suggested it?) to Demre to visit the ancient city of Myra, where Lycian rock-cut tombs (5th century BC) stand alongside a 2nd-century Roman theater.





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A quick word on entrance fees: super cheap for locals (thankfully, given their cost of living), but totally outrageous for tourists. For example, here it’s 2 ₺ for locals and 15 € for everyone else... Is Erdoğan taking us for fools? Trying to fleece visitors? Scare them off? You *can* buy the Turkey Museum Pass, which covers tons of sites, but it’s 165 € per person!!! So, do the math... Since I hate being treated like a sucker, we skipped the nearby church you could visit for an *additional* 17 €. End rant.

Quick stop for gözleme by the roadside—a super-thin flatbread stuffed with fillings (minced meat, mixed veggies, potatoes, cheese) that you’ll find everywhere in Turkey for next to nothing (1 to 2 €). Then we got back on the road to Kaş, less than an hour away. Fun fact: the drive there is gorgeous—a Turkish twist on the Great Ocean Road. And you know I’m an expert on the Great Ocean Road...

Following up on your message, I just checked the prices for Ephesus.

They’re a bit steep...😮