Our descriptive guides of the Rivieras began with the illustrious Côte d’Azur in France, with stops like Antibes, Nice and Cannes. The exquisite Italian Riviera was next, with lovely ports of call, from Cinque Terre to Genoa and Portofino to Sanremo.

Well, would you believe it if we told you that the Mediterranean coast of Turkey was the best of the lot? For those who want to escape to a spectacular span of coastline that fascinates with thousands of years of history and culture, the Turkish Riviera is a less hyper and perhaps more attractive alternative. Legend has it that Mark Anthony “gave” the Riviera to Cleopatra as a gift to profess his love. Whatever the case, the region is brilliant for vacation purposes, with wonderful strips of beach and a plethora of sites to balance out the rest and relaxation that awaits. In fact, inhabitants of Turkish Riviera towns love to boast that the area has more Greek and Roman relics, ruins and monuments than Greece and Italy.

As such, the Mediterranean coastal areas of Turkey have it all. Big towns with more conventional attractions; small, surreptitious villages with special tourism challenges that more often than not, are well worth the effort; natural vistas that explode with colour and offer much in the way of recreational pursuits; posh resorts; ancient sites galore and of course, this being Turkey, terrific food. Suffice to say, sand and sea, sand and sea, as far as the eyes can see.

The tourism industry in Turkey has undergone a veritable explosion in the past decade, with 150% growth in U.S. dollar returns. As a result, the Riviera is no longer the best kept secret in Asia Minor. Book your hotels in advance with some of the most competitive rates around.

Our look at the Turkish Riviera begins in the gorgeous tourist “capital” of the country, which overlooks a Gulf of the same name.

Antalya

A city of 800,000 people, Antalya is a vibrant coastal town that many consider to be the jewel of Turkey. Indeed, Mustapha Kemal Atatürk himself, the father of modern Turkey, thought the capital of Antalya Province was without a doubt “the most beautiful place in the world.” With over 1 million tourists a year, many seem to agree that the international resort town is world class.

At once ancient, with a foundation in 150 B.C., and thoroughly modern in many regards, Antalya is truly remarkable. What was a Roman outpost later became a major city of the Byzantine Empire. As a coastal town of tremendous importance, waves of foreign traders and merchants lent their collective influence to the development of Antalya. City quarters became tidy divisions for various interests, often in direct competition with each other. Overall however, the city was a busy, prolific hive of commerce and culture for hundreds of years. Today, in many ways, it still is. Thanks to superb preservation efforts and a divine geographical position, Antalya is the base camp par excellence from which to explore the Turkish Riviera.

Once in Antalya, do visit Kaleici, the ancient city centre. Hadrian’s Gate and Hidirlik Tower represent just two of many historical monuments around town. A casual stroll among the old city streets will reveal a surfeit of pristine architectural examples from the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Did we mention the beaches? This is the Turkish Riviera after all.

Check out terrific hotel deals before you hit gorgeous Antalya.

Kemer

A good 40 km west of Antalya, Kemer is a resort town where many flee to get the typical beach experience of their dreams. Once a sleepy rural area devoid of tourism, recent development has done wonders for the local economy. Not that the site was an arbitrary choice mind you.

Kemer is a gorgeous spot, flush with natural beauty. Which is precisely why city people love it as a vacation destination. In particular for places like Adrasan Bay, with a 2 km stretch of pristine beach, a number of nearby coves, islands ideal for divers and cave expeditions.

Cirali

Cirali is a small, very small in fact, agricultural village that wows visitors with a number of terrific sites. The ruins of Olympos for one, a Greek settlement that dates back to 200 B.C., as well as several curious natural wonders on the Lycian Way. The 500 km footpath runs past Cirali and contains the Chimera gas vents, a string of methane fires that occur completely by fluke and draw onlookers in droves. A biopreserve run by the World Wildlife Fund for loggerhead sea turtles is also a popular attraction. A 3.5 km span of beach however, is what grabs the attention of most tourists here.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6