Olympos-Cirali Beach
The Location: Olympos-Cirali Beach is located along the Mediterranean Sea, on the southwest coast of Turkey, about an hour’s drive from the city of Antalya.
The Activity: Hiking
Olympos-Cirali Beach is lined with forest and surrounded by an amphitheater of mountains, including 8,000-foot Mt. Olympos, and countless hiking trails. Backpackers encounter the remote beach while trekking the Lycian Way, a 300-mile marked footpath around the coast of Lycia from Fethiye to Antalya. The most popular day hike from the beach is the climb up to Chimaira at 984 feet above sea level, a natural phenomenon where about a dozen flaming vents openly blaze on the rocky mountainside. Another must-do hike: exploring the historical ruins of Olympos — an archeological site dating back to at least the 4th century B.C. that extends to the southern end of the beach in between the sand and the small village.
What Else to Do: Olympos-Cirali Beach has become known for paragldiding, with outfitters offering tandem flights from Mt. Olympos. The mountain is also one of Turkey’s premier rock climbing destinations, with more than 250 routes. The beach and surrounding areas are protected by the Turkish Forestry Ministry with no permanent construction allowed, save for tree houses, which have become the quirky cool accommodation of choice.
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