Take the Family holiday rating 
| Flying Time | 2.25 hours  |
|---|---|
| Carbon Footprint | 2.44 tonnes CO2 |
| Timezone | GMT +2 |
| Local Currency | Turkish Lira |
The Mediterranean coast of the incredibly interesting country of Turkey – the point where west meets east, Europe meets Asia, and hence offering a heady mixture of both – is a great spot for family holidays: it offers loads of great child-friendly beaches and ideal waters for sailing but also charming inland villages that haven’t changed in donkey’s years, and more Greek ruins than there are in Greece itself! The Mediterranean province of Antalya in the southwest (and part of the Aegean province of Mugla) is the heartland of ancient Lycia, which thrived in the 4th century BC.
As everywhere in Turkey, kids are welcomed and spoilt rotten by locals, and you’ll feel even more at home if you join in with one of the many local festivals that take place year-round. And Turkey remains outside the Eurozone, making it one of the best-value family holiday options around.
The Mediterranean coast has mild winters and hot summers – you can swim from late April into October, so it’s a good destination for the May and even the October half-terms if you’re lucky. Avoid high summer, especially July and August, if you don’t fancy the crowds or the temperatures (up to 45°C).
There’s an international airport at Antalya. The frequent flights from the UK – taking about 4hrs – are further increased by charter flights during high season.
You’re also within relatively easy reach of the international airport at Dalaman on the Aegean coast, served by easyJet among other airlines.
As on Turkey’s Aegean coast, families can choose from plush child-friendly hotels with kids’ clubs and spas, fantastic activity holiday centres (this is a wonderful place to sail) and money-saving self-catering apartment blocks. Browse our partners on the right-hand side of this page, or try Thomson or Expedia Holidays.
Marvel at the sunken city of Kekova, on a small island and preserved by salt-water after being partially submerged during successive earthquakes. Adults and older kids can canoe over parts of it, or you can dock in a boat and explore the remains of a church, shops, houses, staircases and more.
Hop from Kekova to the pretty, jasmine-scented seaside resort of Kas, relatively unspoilt and offering tranquil cafés, bars and guesthouses. This is one of Turkey’s best sites for diving, with courses for ages 13 and up offered by the likes of Nautilus. As well as some dramatic dive sites (including shipwrecks), there’s a wealth of sealife to encounter, from octopus to dolphins. Kas is also a part of the ‘Turquoise Coast Family Holiday’ and the base for the ‘Active Turkey Family Holiday for Teenagers’ both run by The Adventure Company, which include diving, sea-kayaking, abseiling and sailing.
Seek out the number of ruined Lycian cities in this area – Pinara, Myra and Xanthos. Or, if the ancient sites are too exhausting a prospect, this is a region of rocky inlets, turquoise seas and pretty harbourfront towns – an ideal way of exploring them is by gulët, traditional wooden yachts.
Spend time in the provincial capital of Antalya, an elegant town with a seaside setting and a dramatic mountain backdrop. Its boulevards are lined with palm trees, and it is famous for its shops and parks. It is also a good base for exploring a number of classical sites: Termessos, Perge and Aspendos.
Venture further down the coast to the picturesque resort of Side, where ancient remains are interspersed among traditional village streets. In this region to the east of Antalya, the Mediterranean coast becomes considerably less developed, and the ambience becomes much more Middle Eastern.
The food here is like other Turkish cuisine, but with an even greater emphasis on fresh local produce, fish and olive oil – in short, healthy and tasty! In larger towns, international staples can be found on many menus.
Turkey remains one of the cheaper destinations in Europe because it’s outside the Eurozone. Count on a spend of about £2000–4000 per family of four for a week’s stay, depending on the time of year and standard of accommodation.
by Suzanne Swan
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