Sport in general is big in Antalya and the city is certainly equipped for it – you won’t find many better cities when it comes to choices for exercising outdoors. With its long, open roads, surrounding mountainous terrain and gorgeous sandy beaches, as well as a generally mild climate, Antalya City provides the perfect setting to exercise. The city’s stunning sights alone make it a worthwhile experience, and jogging, cycling or even roller-skating are in fact some of the best ways to see the city’s attractions.
No matter what age you are or what objectives you have, whether you fancy a leisurely cycle or a rigorous run, if you’re looking to exercise outdoors in Antalya you’ll be more than catered for. Many people come to Antalya merely to relax and enjoy the city, while others like to keep fit on their holidays. Whatever you prefer, we’ve come up with this outdoor fitness guide in Antalya to suit your needs. So what are you waiting for? Get your trainers on!
Jogging & Walking
Jogging and walking are perhaps the best ways to explore Antalya as you are practically unrestricted and free to go at your own pace. There are countless routes you could take to explore the city, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.
1. Urban Exercise
Although it may be tricky in certain areas and at certain times, jogging in the city centre is a definite must. What’s more, most of the centre is structured in such a way that no matter which way you’re headed, it’s very difficult to get lost. Most roads are long, wide and straight, so all you have to do is take your pick.
However, if you’re looking for a long, uninterrupted run, then city running may not be the ideal choice, as it can often feel like an obstacle course – you’ll find yourself dodging pedestrians and stopping and starting a lot trying to cross the busy streets. Though if you have more time on your hands and decide to walk, then of course this will not be an issue. If you’re in Antalya over the summer, we advise setting off either early in the morning or late in the evening, to avoid the heat and humidity of the daytime.
2. Park Life
Antalya is a complete paradise for park life. You can find a beautiful park all over the city.
Atatürk Park:
It is on top of cliffs on the Konyaalti Street. Placed in an area covering 18 700 square meters of shoreline. Limestone terrain plastics generally vertical in character, composed of limestone and travertine. There is a vegetation cover in the field with different characteristics. And shrubs that grow naturally in the formation of the first of which is specific to the area of natural vegetation, and the second brought a variety of cultural arrangements as artificial vegetation area. In the park, there are sports facilities, children's play areas, wc, tea gardens, bars, cafe, walking paths. That the different colored fish in small ponds, ducks and geese and rabbits living in small cages is possible to see variations.
Karaalioğlu Park:
It is built on an area of 7000 square meters, the park has access from three directions. The oldest park in the province. There are 120 different plant species in the park. Moreover, Karaalioglu Park has a warm climate, rare flowers and trees, concrete road and miradorları, casinos with the most charming place in Antalya. From this park, you can watch the magnificent Beydağları Mountains and Konyaalti Beach. The park also has wc, special gardens, children's educational area and tea gardens.
Atatürk Cultural Park:
The park has 13,000 square meters in size, artificial rocks, underwater lighting is used, steel and timber bridges crossed three ponds where there are waterfalls. Eucalyptus, Rosary, cypress, acacia, pine, palm, palm trees, greenery and flower gardens and a botanical garden has the appearance of hundreds of species. Antalya Cultural Center and the Glass Pyramid Sabancı Congress and Exhibition Center is located within the park. Teahouse and a children's play areas for recreation and sightseeing in the area of a full Hasan Subasi Cultural Park.
Fener (Lighthouse) Park:
There is a walking path along the park. There are also ice-skating rink, lighthouse and restaurants. It has a unique view of the park. You can watch the Mediterranean from this park.
Dedeman Park:
It has been established on the area of 5000 square meters. There are golf courses, children's park, botanical garden, an artificial pond, sports fields, and cafes in the park.
3. Beaches
There are two main beaches in the city centre of Antalya.
Konyaaltı Beach:
It is one of the two main beaches of Antalya, the other being Lara Beach. The beach is located on the western side of the city and stretches for 7 km from the cliffs to the Beydağları mountains. It is bound inwards by the beach park and several bars, cafes, nightclubs and hotels, including the Sheraton Voyager Hotel. The 'Aqualand' waterpark along Dumlupınar Bulvarı is the other border.
Lara Beach:
Lara is a district of Antalya city, Turkey. Its famous beach, Lara beach, is one of the longest sand beaches in Turkey. Lara is the home to many themed 5 to 7 star hotels, mainly in the Kundu area. Most of the hotels are replicas of famous places around the world (for example Topkapi Palace, Venice, Kremlin) which has led to the area being nicknamed "Las Vegas in Turkey". The Lara name is Luwian for sand.
Cycling
Antalya is a cyclist’s paradise. You can rent a bicycle in Antalya. It’s a simple concept. You can borrow a bicycle from any of the many stations scattered around the city, then leave it at another station when you’ve finished, making it possible to cycle everywhere in the city. And with tousands parking spaces already in place at street level as well as a comprehensive network of cycle lanes, Antalya is ready-made for cyclists.
1. Mountains
As well as the beaches and Beach Park area we mentioned above, there are of course the mountains. If you’re looking for more than just a relaxed ride, Antalya’s surrounding mountainous regions are excellent for mountain biking. The diversity of the landscape makes it suitable for all levels of mountain bikers.
The Lycian Way:
It is a 509 km way-marked footpath around the coast of Lycia, from Antalya to Fethiye. The route is graded medium to hard, it is not level walking, but has many ascents and descents as it approaches and veers away from the sea. It is easier at the start near Fethiye and gets more difficult as it progresses. We recommend walking the route in spring or autumn; February-May or September-November. Summer in Lycia is hot, although you could walk short, shady sections. The route is mainly over footpaths and mule trails; it is mostly over limestone and often hard and stony underfoot. On the last part of the route, and in Patara, Kalkan, Kas, Myra, Finike, Adrasan, Olympos, Cirali and Tekirova, you can stay in pensions or small hotels. On other nights, you may stay in a village house, or camp out. There are plenty of camping places with nearby water mentioned in the book; you do not have to ask permission to camp out.
Roller-Skating
Antalya is often referred to as the skate capital of Turkey, and for good reason – the city is full of parks, plazas and wide streets perfect for meeting other like-minded skaters. The sport is certainly booming in the city and you’ll often see large groups of skaters gliding through the streets – so why not join in yourself?
