The Best Beaches in Antalya: From City Sands to Hidden Coves

Konyaalti is the main city beach on the western side of Antalya, a long stretch of clean grey pebbles and shingle running for several kilometres below the dramatic backdrop of the Taurus Mountains. The water deepens fairly quickly and is famously clear, which makes it popular with swimmers, though water shoes are useful on the pebbles. It is a Blue Flag beach with an organised promenade behind it, the Beach Park complex of bars and restaurants, sunbed and umbrella rentals, showers and lifeguards in season. Konyaalti is the easiest beach to combine with sightseeing, as it sits within reach of Kaleici old town and is served by the city tram. From the airport it is around 15 to 20 kilometres on the western edge of the centre, so it suits visitors staying in the city rather than the resort zones.

On the eastern side of Antalya, Lara is the city's famous sandy beach and the heart of a large hotel district known for its themed five-star resorts. The sand here is soft and golden, with a gentle, gradual entry into the sea that makes it more comfortable underfoot than Konyaalti's pebbles, and a better choice for families with small children. Much of the seafront is occupied by hotel beach clubs, but there is also a long public Lara beach with municipal facilities, sunbeds and snack bars. Beyond the hotels you will find the Lower Duden Waterfall, which spills directly into the sea from the cliffs. Lara lies close to Antalya Airport, roughly 10 to 15 kilometres east, so transfers are short and inexpensive, often starting from around 12 to 15 euros for the nearest hotels.

Cleopatra Beach is the signature sandy beach of Alanya, curving along the western side of the rocky peninsula crowned by the medieval castle. It is known for fine, pale sand and clear water, and legend ties it to Cleopatra herself, who is said to have swum here. As a Blue Flag beach it offers sunbeds, umbrellas, showers, changing cabins and watersports, with a lively promenade of cafes and the cable car to the castle nearby. The setting, framed by the headland and old town, is one of the most photogenic on the coast. The trade-off is distance: Alanya sits about 120 to 135 kilometres east of Antalya Airport, around 1.5 to 2 hours by road, so it is best treated as a base in its own right rather than a day trip from the city.

Side combines sandy beaches with one of Turkey's most atmospheric ancient towns, where Roman ruins and the famous Temple of Apollo sit right on the shore. There are two main stretches: the West Beach, a long sandy beach popular with families and lined with hotels, and the smaller East Beach closer to the harbour. The sand is soft, the entry shallow and gradual, and many sections are Blue Flag with full facilities, sunbeds and beach bars. Side's appeal is being able to swim and then walk straight into a living archaeological site. It lies roughly 65 to 75 kilometres east of the airport, about an hour by road, which makes it one of the more accessible resort beaches and a realistic day trip if you are staying in Antalya or Belek.

Kaputas is one of the most photographed beaches in Turkey, a small cove of pale pebbles and coarse sand wedged at the mouth of a gorge where impossibly turquoise water meets steep cliffs. It sits on the coastal road between Kas and Kalkan, in the far west of Antalya province. A long staircase of around 180 to 190 steps leads down from the roadside car park, so it takes some effort, and the beach is small and gets crowded in midsummer. Facilities are limited to seasonal sunbeds and a drinks kiosk, so bring water and shoes for the pebbles. The currents can be strong, so take care swimming. Kaputas is far from the airport, around 190 kilometres west and roughly three hours by car, usually visited from Kas or Kalkan rather than as a quick stop.

For a slower, greener escape, Cirali is a long sand-and-pebble beach backed by orange groves and pine-clad mountains, deliberately kept low-key with small guesthouses rather than big hotels. It is a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site, so there are rules at night and the beach stays beautifully undeveloped. At the northern end lie the ruins of ancient Olympos, and a short walk uphill brings you to the Chimaera, natural flames that burn from the rock. Facilities are simple: a few beach restaurants and sunbeds, with no large complexes. Cirali sits about 70 to 80 kilometres southwest of the airport, around 1 to 1.5 hours by road, much of it a winding descent, so a private transfer or car is the most practical way to reach this peaceful corner of the coast.