Belek is a sprawling holiday resort town specifically developed for tourism, and over the last two decades has grown to encompass the neighbouring village of Kadriye. Boasting 300 days of sunshine and the warm, turquoise waters of the Mediterranean, the area has become a haven for those seeking the luxury of five-star hotel complexes, as well as some great golf courses.
Many Belek hotels have their own strip of private beach and some holiday visitors never leave the comforts of their seaside accommodation. Belek is, however, close to a number of interesting sites and there are several exciting activities on offer for those who can bear to tear themselves away. The ruins of the Roman town of Perge is an interesting excursion, as is the well-preserved ancient amphitheatre at Aspendos; its acoustics have stood the test of time and it still plays host to the occasional concert.
From Belek, jeep safaris into the mountains are another popular holiday outing, as are boat trips, watersports, and visits to nearby Manavgat waterfalls and the thermal baths at Pamukkale. Scuba diving, white-water rafting, horse riding and more are also on offer to visitors on holiday. The town of Belek itself is compact and has a small shopping centre, some souvenir shops and some cafés to enjoy on holiday. Kadriye has more to offer in the way of street markets and nightlife, but day trips to busier towns such as Alanya or Antalya are also available. Belek is the perfect holiday resort for golfers and those seeking lazy days lounging on a beach or by a swimming pool.
Beach.
Belek has one of the finest beaches on the Turkish coast, 16km (10 miles) of pristine, fine white sand fringed by shady pines and gently sloping down to limpid turquoise waters. A perfect playground for children, it is also a popular nesting place for loggerhead and green turtles, so the area is carefully policed to ensure that the nesting sites are not damaged. The beach is public but is treated as private by the resorts that line up behind the dunes. Most of them offer a range of watersports from pedalos to dinghy sailing and parasailing for their guests.
Exploring further afield.
Spend a day in Antalya exploring the beautiful old city, with its designer shops and mouthwatering restaurants, but be sure to include a visit to the world-class Antalya Museum where you will find many of the more precious relics from the magnificent Greco-Roman city of Perge and Aspendos, with its fabulously well-preserved Roman theatre, both of which are very close to Belek. Heading east along the coast, Side is a magical place with the modern resort curling itself through the ancient ruins and the temple of Apollo perfectly framing the sunset over a golden beach. Further along still is Alanya with its vast Ottoman castle and the damply health-giving Damlatas Caves. Inland, Koprulu Canyon National Park is an area of wild natural beauty where it is possible to go white-water rafting and you can hike along sections of the 500km (310 mile) route, from Perge, near Antalya, up to Yalvac on the Anatolian plateau, which partly follows the footsteps of St Paul’s first missionary journey in Asia Minor.
Golfing in Belek.
There are various Golf Clubs also located in Belek some of them Gloria Golf Club – Antalya Golf Club – Tat International Golf Club – National Golf Club -Gloria Golf Resort – Gloria Verde Resort – Gloria Select Villas – Tatbeach Golf Hotel – Sirene Golf Hotel – Club Hotel Rixos.
