Natural parks of Antalya

Antalya is one of the few cities in the entire world, blessed with ancient history, antique places, amazing nature, tropical weather, gorgeous beaches and so on... If you've already got a nice tan from the beaches and tons of amazing pictures from the ancient cities in Antalya, it is time now for us to explore its otherworldly natural parks! These three natural parks have definitely won my heart over several years of visiting them. They are the best places to visit to get a clear state of mind and enjoy a literal piece of heaven. So channel your inner nymphs, and let's explore them together!  

Covered with amid pine forests, the waterfalls of this natural park will mesmerise you. 19 km away from Antalya, you will find peace within the lush green vegetation and lime green ponds with clear water. You can walk in the park, with pathways alongside the stream and small bridges traversing it. Alongside the river, you would find plenty of spots for picnicking, so don't forget to bring something to snack. The animal life in here is quite rich too; you can see kingfishers, frogs, and lizards! If you want to enjoy the park, you should visit it during spring, since in summer the water level drops drastically. 

If you want to be surrounded by turquoise water and the birds' sweet songs, while sailing inside a cave, then you have to visit the Altınbeşik Cave National Park! This cave is the biggest water cave in Turkey and the third largest in the world! You can explore this amazing cave and its turquoise water by boats that offer tours around the site's stalactites, stalagmites, and travertine. Due to its yellow arches that resemble cradles, this gorgeous place's name is Altınbeşik, which translates in English as  gold cradle. Yes, the cave is in Antalya, but on its inside there's a temperature of 15 degrees, so better be prepared for that. Here it is also home for lots of different bird species, so if you want to feel like a Disney princess/prince, be their guests and sing along with them!

And last but not least, the Olympos Beydağları National park! Olympos Bey Mountains, in Turkish Beydağları, is in the west of Antalya, and 30 km northeast of Finike. The whole area has a geological structure of limestone and serpentine rocks, which are the main ecological characteristics of the Mediterranean. These gorgeous mountains host a lot of ancient cities like Phaselis! Phaselis was founded in 690 BC on the border between Lycia and Pamphylia by Greek colonists, and it was a very prosperous city. Due to its geography, it had its trading links stretched as far as Egypt! So in here, you can visit the ancient cities or emerge into fun activities such as picnic, camping, trekking, mountain climbing, paragliding and many more!