Kemer is the greenest part of the Turkish Riviera — the Taurus Mountains drop straight into the sea here, and pine forest reaches right down to the pebble beaches, a scene you won't find elsewhere on the coast. The trade-off is pebble beaches and a steeper entry into the water than at the sandy resorts east of Antalya. In return, the water is noticeably clearer and it's cooler, thanks to an evening breeze off the mountains. Nearby are 2 ancient cities right on the beach, Phaselis and Olympos, and above them the Chimaera's eternal flames burn from the rock, alight continuously for over 2,000 years. The Tahtalı cable car climbs to 2,365 metres, from where you can see the whole coastline. Kemer is calmer and more family-friendly than Alanya and closer to Antalya than Side.
The places worth your time in Kemer, and what to expect at each
15 km south
A Lycian port city from the 7th century BC with 3 harbours, each with its own beach of clear water. Pine trees grow among the ruins of an aqueduct, theatre and baths, and you can swim right among the ancient jetties.
Tip: Bring swimwear — swimming in the ancient harbour among the columns is the best thing Phaselis has to offer, and most visitors forget about it.
35 km southwest
A Lycian city hidden in dense forest at the mouth of a gorge, where ruins are overgrown with oleander and fig trees. The path through the site ends at a pebble beach hemmed in by cliffs. It's the most atmospheric ancient site on the whole coast.
Tip: The ticket is valid all day, so you can head to the beach, swim, and come back through the site.
Yanartaş
35 km southwest
Flames of natural gas burn from dozens of cracks in the rock on the slope above Olympos, said by ancient sources to have burned continuously for over 2,000 years. This is the source of the myth of the monster Chimaera, slain by Bellerophon riding Pegasus.
Tip: Bring a head torch and go only after dark — in daylight the flames are barely visible and the whole trip loses its point.
Olympos Teleferik
25 km southwest
A cable car climbs from sea level to 2,365 metres at the summit of Mount Tahtalı, the ancient Mount Olympus, in 10 minutes. At the top is a viewing terrace looking over the whole coast from Antalya to Fethiye, with snow in winter.
Tip: Even in summer it's around 10°C at the top with wind — a jacket isn't overcaution, it's essential.
Göynük Kanyonu
10 km north
A narrow gorge with icy water and walls up to 350 metres high. The lower section can be walked along the streambed, while the upper part requires canyoning gear. The water stays around 15°C even in August.
Tip: Don't head into the upper section without a guide and a wetsuit — but the lower stretch is manageable even for kids, with just water shoes needed.
35 km southwest
A quiet village with a 3 km pebble beach between Olympos and the Chimaera, protected under strict rules for nesting loggerhead turtles. Nothing taller than 2 storeys may be built, so instead of resorts there are guesthouses among citrus groves.
Tip: From May to October the beach is closed at night because of the turtles — respect the signage, as the nests are right in the sand.
Kemer
The resort's centre, with a yacht marina, the pedestrian street Liman Caddesi and a Blue Flag town beach. On the square stands the Yörük Parkı statue, commemorating the nomadic herders who lived here before the resort existed.
Tip: On Thursdays Kemer has a big market — prices are a fraction of those on the main street.
Ayışığı Plajı
Kemer
Kemer's best-known beach, in a bay sheltered by pine forest, with a Blue Flag, water sports and wooden jetties. The pebbles are small, the water clear, and the entry steeper than at the sandy beaches to the east.
Tip: Bring water shoes — the pebbles heat up in the midday sun and the seabed is stony right at the shore.
Kemer
An open-air museum of the nomadic Yörük herders on a headland above the marina, with replica goat-hair tents, carpet-weaving demonstrations and bread baked on a griddle. The headland offers the best view of Kemer and the mountains behind it.
Tip: The tea house at the end of the headland serves gözleme cooked in front of you — the best snack in Kemer, with a view too.
Photos: Ancient Phaselis — Alexander Buschorn at de.wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) · Ancient Olympos — Seckinevcim (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Chimaera's Eternal Flames — en:user:TobyJ (Public domain) · Tahtalı Cable Car — Alex Graves (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Göynük Canyon — Tanya Dedyukhina (CC BY 3.0) · Çıralı — Alinihatmataraci (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Kemer and the marina — Gryadkinn (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Moonlight Beach — Crymaker (CC BY-SA 2.5)
Areas and districts, matched to the kind of trip you are taking
Best for: a first visit and walkable access
Around the marina and pedestrian street, with the town beach, shops and restaurants within reach. The best choice if you don't want to rely on your hotel. It's also the liveliest part of the resort, especially around the bars by the harbour.
Best for: a shorter transfer and lower prices
North of Kemer towards Antalya, closer to the airport. A strip of hotels along the road beneath steep slopes, with pebble beaches. There's no centre of its own, so for nightlife you take a dolmuş into Kemer, which runs every few minutes.
Best for: peace and quiet and the best beaches
South of Kemer near ancient Phaselis, with the most spacious resorts and the clearest water in the area. Calmer and more manicured than the centre, surrounded by pine forest. It's a quarter of an hour to Kemer, but there's little to do independently here.
Best for: nature and independent travel
A protected area 35 km to the south, where nothing taller than 2 storeys may be built. Instead of resorts there are guesthouses and wooden cabins among citrus trees. Ideal for those who don't want all-inclusive, though getting around without a car is difficult.
The nearest airport is Antalya, about 45 km to the northeast, served in season by charter flights from many European cities. A hotel transfer is usually included in package holidays and takes around 1 hour, or just 30 minutes to Beldibi. Independent travellers can take scheduled buses from Antalya's bus station to Kemer roughly every half hour, though a tram or taxi is needed to reach the station from the airport.
Antalya Airport (AYT) · 45 km
Dolmuşes run almost continuously along the coast between Beldibi, Kemer and Tekirova, and cost just a few dozen lira. Long-distance buses towards Fethiye serve Olympos and Çıralı, dropping you on the main road, from where it's still 7 km down — local minibuses connect from there, though with limited frequency. The Chimaera is almost always visited on an organised evening trip. The Tahtalı cable car has its own shuttle service from Kemer.
Useful apps: BiTaksi, Google Maps
The swimming season runs from May to October, with the sea warmest in August and September. Thanks to the mountains, Kemer is a touch cooler than Side or Alanya, which is welcome in summer. May, June, and then September and October are best — warm enough for swimming while still cool enough to hike canyons and explore the ancient sites. July and August are hot, well over 33°C. From November to March it rains, the hills turn green, and most resorts close.
Best time
May, June, September and October
What to avoid
July and August for excursions, November to March for swimming
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 15° | 15° | 17° | 20° | 25° | 30° | 33° | 33° | 30° | 26° | 21° | 16° |
| Night | 6° | 6° | 8° | 11° | 15° | 19° | 23° | 23° | 19° | 15° | 11° | 8° |
| Rainy days | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 |
| Sea | 17° | 17° | 17° | 19° | 22° | 25° | 28° | 29° | 28° | 25° | 22° | 19° |
The cuisine is the same as elsewhere on the Turkish Riviera — grilled meat, meze and fresh bread from the oven, with tea served throughout the day. Kemer also has a strong tradition of dining at mountain restaurants by streams, where you sit on floor cushions over the water and grill trout farmed right in the current. Resorts serve international buffets; for the real cuisine, head to the mountain villages or to lokantas off the main street.
Alabalık
Trout grilled at mountain restaurants, farmed in ice-cold stream water right beneath the tables.
Gözleme
A thin flatbread filled with cheese, spinach or potato, cooked on a griddle in front of you.
Adana kebab
Minced lamb on a wide skewer, spicy, served with flatbread and grilled vegetables.
Meze
Cold starters to go with rakı — garlic yoghurt, stuffed vine leaves, roasted aubergine purée.
Sac kavurma
Meat and vegetables sautéed on a large griddle at the table, a shared dish for the whole group.
Dondurma
Stretchy Turkish ice cream made from goat's milk and orchid root, served with a bit of showmanship by vendors.
Tea at a tea house
TRY 20–40
Lunch at a lokanta
TRY 200–350
Dinner at a marina restaurant
TRY 600–1,000
Beer, 0.5 l
TRY 150–250
Dolmuş along the coast
TRY 40
Tahtalı cable car
from TRY 1,200
Entry to Phaselis
from TRY 400
Evening trip to the Chimaera
from TRY 900
Indicative prices that change over time — treat them as a guide, not a price list.
1 day
2 days
3 days
Antalya
45 km · 50 min by car
The historic core of Kaleiçi, Hadrian's Gate and one of Turkey's best archaeological museums. The easiest trip to a real city, with buses every half hour.
Olympos, Çıralı and the Chimaera
35 km · 45 min by car
A trio that fits naturally into 1 afternoon and evening: an ancient city in the forest, a protected beach with turtles, and eternal flames burning from the rock after dark.
Köprülü Canyon and rafting
110 km · 2 h by car
A national park with a 14 km canyon, a Roman bridge and Turkey's most popular rafting. The water stays icy even in August, which is the main appeal after the heat on the coast.
No, the beaches are pebble because the mountains drop straight into the sea here. That makes the water noticeably clearer than at sandy resorts, but the entry is steeper and the seabed stony. Water shoes are definitely worth it.
About 45 km from Antalya, roughly 1 hour by transfer. It's just 30 minutes to Beldibi in the north, and 1 hour 15 minutes to Tekirova in the south. That's considerably closer than Alanya and comparable to Side.
Yes, in 10 minutes you go from sea level to 2,365 metres, with views stretching from Antalya to Fethiye. Expect around 10°C at the top even in summer, with wind, so a jacket is essential. The cable car stops in strong winds.
Only after dark. In daylight the flames are barely visible and the trip loses its point. Most organised tours leave in the early evening. Bring a head torch, as the path up is a rocky trail with no lighting.
Yes, it's calmer than Alanya and the resorts have good facilities. However, the pebble beaches and steeper entry into the water are less comfortable for small children than the sand at Side or Belek. Choose a hotel with a large pool and a shallow section.
Yes, and it's its main draw. The site has 3 ancient harbours, each with a small beach and clear water. Bring swimwear — swimming among the ancient jetties is an experience most visitors miss.
Not along the coast — dolmuşes run between Beldibi and Tekirova continuously. But public transport to Olympos, Çıralı and the Chimaera is awkward: the bus drops you on the main road 7 km above the village. A car or an organised trip is useful there.
In August and September, when the water is 28-29°C. Comfortable swimming runs from May, at 22°C, through to the end of October. Thanks to the mountains, Kemer has slightly cooler air than resorts east of Antalya.
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Check visa requirementsLanguage
Turkish
Currency
TRY
Timezone
Europe/Istanbul
Dial Code
+90
Population
85.3M
Area
783,562 km²
Voltage
220V / 50Hz
Driving Side
Right
