Best Tourist Places to Visit in Cirali, Turkey, Europe

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Cirali, Turkey, Europe

Cirali is a village belonging to the district of Kemer in the Antalya Province of Turkey. It is an agricultural based village known for its vicinity to the famed ancient ruins Olympos and Chimaera in the Lycia region. Cirali is located around 80 km south of the Turkey’s largest sea-resort, Antalya and 800 km south of the Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.

Apart from its 3.5 km secluded beach, Cirali is also famous among visitors for its historic sites including the ruins of Olympos. Cirali is geographically positioned between 36°23′48″ N latitude and 30°28′23″ E longitude.

History of Cirali:

The history of Cirali has a considerable link with the nearby former Olympos city which was founded in Hellenistic era owing name from Mount Olympos located nearby and it witnessed the rule of many eminent empires including Romans, Venetians and Genoese.

How to reach Cirali?

Antalya International Airport is the nearest airport to Cirali, situated around 100 km away from the heart of Cirali and handles flights from all over Europe including the cities of London, Istanbul, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and Moscow.

Buses are available at the airport but no direct service to Cirali, so using a taxi or pre-booked car would be comfortable and convenient for airport travel.

For local travel, visitors can hire car, bicycle and scooters at either Reyyan Tour or Kumsal rent a car in Cirali.

Shopping and Food in Cirali:

Akdeniz Bahcesi is a well known shop in Cirali offering a variety of colorful traditional Turkish textiles at reasonable prices. Souvenirs can be purchased at Denge shop.

Some nice restaurants in Cirali are listed below:

Yoruk Restaurant and Cafe
Kaptan Cafe Bar
Lemon Restaurant
Dione Beach Bar

Things to do in Cirali:

Hiking
Beach exploration
Visiting archeological sites

Must see in Cirali:

Chimaera:

Situated on Yanar Mountain in the north side of Cirali, Chimaera is a typical tourist attraction, located around 2 km away from the village centre. It is a burning stone at the top of the mountain produced by natural gas and this phenomenon have been happening since more than thousand years, according to local belief. Evening time is ideal to feel this natural wonder.

Cirali Beach:

Cirali Beach is a wide and attractive beach known for offering wonderful view of sunrise. It is also a place to where endangered Caretta Caretta turtles come to lay their eggs between May and August. Visitors can also visit cafes near the beach.

Olympos Ancient Ruins:

The Olympos Ancient Ruins is located just around 15 minute walk from the Cirali Beach. This former historic Hellenistic city is famous among both locals and visitors and can be explored by guided tour as well. Entrance fee is 5 TL.

Lycian Way:

Measuring a length of 300 mile, the Lycian Way is a coastal walking trail passing through Cirali to Tekirova. Most visitors generally take guided tours to explore these natural and historic sites easily.

Mosque in Cirali:

Mosque in Cirali is one of the important religious sites and landmarks of the village. Both interior and exterior structures will be a great treat for visitors’ eyes. Surrounding environment is pleasant.

List of other attractive places in Cirali and Antalya (80 km) include:

Upper Düden Fall
Hadrian’s Gate
Hidirlik Tower
Konyaalti Beach
Antalya Archaeological Museum
Hip-Notics Cable Ski
Kursunlu Waterfalls
Karaalioglu Park
Arykanda Ruins
Hierapolis & Pamukkale
Antalya Golf Club
Gloria Golf Club
Yivli Minaret Mosque
Antaliiskaya Fortress
MiniCity Antalya

Ideal time to visit Cirali:

Generally visitors choose early May to visit Cirali to avoid crowd during next months.

Where to stay in Cirali?

Although being its small size, Cirali houses around 100 accommodation centres including hotels, vacation rentals, BB and inns with different facilities and services. Here are some prominent hotels in Cirali in Turkey: