Historic Antalya Is Favored for Surf and Sand

As Alexander the Great swept toward Persia in the 3rd Century BC, he leveled just about everything and everyone who stood in his path, including the town and belligerent people of Perge near here. The more sagacious citizens of Aspendosa, a bit farther inland, met him with open arms and were spared, even selling him 4,000 of their magnificent horses.

While not as old as other historic Turkish cities that once lined the Aegean-Mediterranean seas, Antalya still cannot be missed by anyone visiting the Turquoise Coast. An hour or so in the town’s archeological museum is alone worth a stop here.

A leisurely walk through the handsome museum halls exposes one to Anatolian history, from neolithic artifacts to Hellenic and Roman era treasures to a fascinating display of the nomadic tent life still led by some Turkish Gypsy tribes.

Although there are no great beaches within the town proper, there’s enough surf and sand nearby to make Antalya favored by Europeans as the Turkish Rivera. But the main reasons for visiting are still the museum, the delightfully preserved Old Harbor area and the magnificent ruins of nearby Perge, Aspendos and, to a lesser degree, Side.

Getting here: Fly British Airways, Pan Am, Lufthansa, KLM or SAS to Istanbul, then Turkish Airways on to Antalya in an hour.

How long/how much? Give Antalya a day, with another for visits to Perge and Aspendos, and three if you add Side. Lodging costs are low to moderate, while dining on marvelous Turkish food is down-right cheap.

A few fast facts: Turkey’s lira recently sold at 1,934 to the dollar. Arrive anytime betweenJune and October, with June-July the hottest months. And stick to bottled water everywhere, even in the best hotels.

Getting settled in: Club Hotel Sera (on the edge of town; $84-$105 B&B; double) is new and enormous, a modern place near the sea with a gigantic terrace and pool. It also has tennis courts, suana, fitness center and casino. Large bedrooms have every amenity, but we felt that management still had work to do before the Sera could be considered a truly first-class hotel. Among other things, the rugs were soiled and employees were not knowledgeable enough about the hotel.

Hotel Lara (seven miles from town; $48 double B&B;, $60 half-pension for two) hugs a cliff over its terrace dining area, pool and private beach. Contemporary bedrooms are basic but neat, some with balconies, all with fairly small baths. A big factor at the Lara are the wonderful sea breezes that whistle through the place at all hours. This one is a great bargain.

Hotel Yayla (12 Ali Cetinkaya Cad.; $47 B&B; double) is also a bargain, if you don’t mind a location at mid-city. It’s a small and totally without pretension, but the owner and staff are as friendly as anyone could hope for. Bedrooms are also small, simple and very neat, and baths have only a shower. Yayla is a good spot for those who want to be right in the middle of things, with good restaurants, doner kebab cafes and shopping nearby.

Regional food and drink: Seafood along this coast is just about as good as you’ll find anywhere, and yogurt lovers will be in paradise.

Guvec is a heavenly mix of veal, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes and other local vegetables, all mixed and cooked in an earthen pot. Mucver is yet another great treatment of vegetables, this time fried into patties and served as a first course. And the mixed-vegetable salads are always a colorful adventure.

Lamb is ever at hand in the form of shish or doner kebabs, kofte (spicy meatballs) or in ragouts, while the best fish are sea bas, red mullet (barbunya) and sturgeon.

Luscious Turkish desserts need no hard sell, but the Barok white wine from the Marmara region struck us as first-rate, a pleasant surprise.

Good dining: The finest Turkish meal of our trip was served beautifully at Belkis (near Aspendos ruins), a lovely river-side restaurant that draws locals in droves for that special occasion. The dolmas (eggplant, peppers, tomatoes and grape leaves stuffed with rice, pine nuts, spices, and tiny grapes) got us off to a great start.

We then had superb kebabs of Aegean tuna with thin slices of lemon, sage and green pepers, plus two bottles of wine, baklava and plump fresh figs. The total tab was $36 for three. So “afiyet olsun” (bon apetit) and enjoy.

If a craving for kebabs hits you, head straight for Eski Sebzeciler, a small street near town center running into Ataturk Caddesi, the main drag. The entire block is a covered arcade lined with cafes serving kebabs, kofte, guvec, salads and turkish pastries. You’ll eat like a bandit here for less than $2 and have plenty of fun to boot.

On your own: Aspendos (28 miles northeast of Antalya) was probably founded by Greeks after the Trojan Wars (1194-84 BC), became a Roman colony and flourished about AD 133, then fell into decline. It has a magnificient aqueduct, and the Roman theater, which seated 20,000, is probably the best preserved from antiquity.

Perge (11 miles northeast of Antalya) was founded by Greeks about the same time as Aspendos, and also came under the rule of Rome, which produced two sets of walls around the town. Little is left of the acropolis, nor of the basilica built for St. Paul, who came from Cyprus and converted the city to Christianity. But the remians of markets, forums, gymnasiums, a 10,000-seat theater and wide, porticoed streets still give one an idea of the vital city that once stood here.

Ruins hopping: Getting around on the southern coast of Anatolia, and understanding the ruins’ history, isn’t all that easily done. We recommend that you book a tour or cruise with knowledgeable guides and lecturers. Swan-Hellenic Cruises at toll-free (800)426-5492, or Tursem Tours at (800)223-9169, will both send brochures outlining their itineraries and costs.

For more information: Call the Culture & Information Attache, Turkish Consulate General, at (212) 687-2194, or write (821 United Nations Plaza, New York 10017) for a brochure on the Aegean-Mediterranean coast, plus a map of Turkey and travel guide with hotel listing. Ask for the Antalya package.