Resting in Belek and devoting all the time to the beach and the sea is an unforgivable mistake. After all, there are so many interesting things around the city, and in it itself. And the Turkish Ministry of Tourism does not consider the resort as a place exclusively for a beach holiday. Belek, whose sights, excursions and entertainment will be described in our article, is a rather young city. But there are enough antiquities nearby, including ancient ones. We will tell you what to see at the resort, where to have fun in the evening, what excursions you should go on. If you went to Belek with a child, you will also be interested in our article. We will talk about the water park, dolphinarium and resort attractions that children will surely enjoy. Belek is known to tourists due to its wonderful beaches. They are accompanied by no less remarkable natural beauties. With one of them - Koprulu Canyon - we will begin our story.
Kopruchay River Valley National Park
The very word "Belek" is translated from Turkish as "memory". How can a ruler ensure that his fame lives on for centuries? Someone wages wars and seizes foreign territories, but Sultan Abdul-Aziz decided to leave a memory of himself among the people by planting the entire vicinity of Belek with magnificent pine and cedar forests. Later, eucalyptus groves were added to these trees. Koprulu Canyon is especially distinguished by its beauty. Forty years have passed since it was declared a national treasure and the main attraction of Belek. It is located sixty kilometers north of the resort, in the Taurus Mountains.
The Kopryuchay River has seven canyons in its lower reaches, but Kopryulu is the most beautiful. The area of the national park is more than 500 hectares. And this canyon has a length of fourteen kilometers. Tourists say that you can go on an excursion here in the most bitter heat - it is cool near the mountain river. The canyon is especially striking with its high steep banks. Sometimes it becomes narrower - up to a hundred meters wide. And the height of natural walls reaches 450 m. There are 600 species of plants in the national park. Thirty of them are endemic, which can only be seen in the wild here. During the tour, tourists can see waterfalls, cascades, natural baths, which the river forms on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. Köprülü Canyon is popular with fans of extreme sports, as rafting is carried out here on special rafts.
Zeytin-Tash
This cave, whose name translates as "olive stone", was discovered only twenty years ago. And immediately she got into the list of Belek attractions, as her underground world captivates visitors with its beauty. Of the 233 m of the entire length of the small cave, one hundred meters are reserved for guided tours. But even at such a short distance you can see a lot of interesting things. These are several underground lakes with crystal clear water, and a calcite lace of thin stalactites and stalagmites, reaching a meter in length. A special microclimate has developed in the cave over millions of years. It allows the development of bizarre growths. The sightseeing trail is illuminated in such a way that step by step visitors can see new objects shimmering in the darkness. The Zeytin-Tash cave is located north of the Serik settlement.
History of Belek (Turkey)
Sights of the resort are not limited to natural beauties. Before we begin to describe historical monuments, we must devote a few words to the history of the city. Belek arose relatively recently - at the beginning of the fifteenth century, but the lands around it were inhabited for a long time. Archaeologists find artifacts of Persian origin dating back to the fourth century BC. And in the second century BC, not far from modern Belek, the Hellenic port of Riskopos arose. When these lands were captured by Rome, and especially when the emperor Hadrian chose them as his residence, the cityreached its maximum in the ancient era of prosperity.
During the rule of Byzantium, the whole area around Antalya suffered from frequent and destructive earthquakes. Many cities fell into decay, and some of them were completely abandoned. New life was breathed into this region by the Seljuks, who in the 13th century conquered these lands from Byzantium. And when the Ottoman Empire was established, in 1423 the small fishing village received its present name - Belek. For a long time, nets were dried on wonderful beaches and boats were repaired. But in 1984, the Turkish government decided to turn Belek into an international resort. Attracting funds from investors, beautiful hotels were built, golf courses were laid out, and a modern infrastructure of the city was developed. That is why the historical sights of Belek should be looked for outside the resort.
Perge
This is a very ancient city. It was founded by the Hittites as Parha. But the city reached its greatest prosperity under the rule of the Romans. In the second century BC, they built a theater in Perge (on the site of the old, Greek one). This building is the best preserved in Asia Minor. Also here you can see the ruins of watchtowers, fortress walls, thermae, a portico that borders the forum. Perge is on the must see list for all tourists visiting Belek. Photos of the sights of this ancient city, which was visited by the Apostle Paul with Barnabas, are truly mesmerizing.
Troya Water Park
In the city of Belek, the sights areentertaining character. The resort has many parks and golf courses. The Troya water entertainment complex is especially popular with children and adults. The water park has two huge slides and a dozen smaller ones, waterfalls, cascades, jumps, pools with various attractions and even a diving site. The Troya complex also includes a dolphinarium. In addition to bottlenose dolphins, walruses, seals and beluga whales amuse the audience.
Coast
But the main attractions of Belek are, of course, its twenty-kilometer beaches. A wide strip of sand allows everyone to enjoy the rest. Many of Belek's beaches are awarded the Blue Flag year after year for cleanliness and well-developed infrastructure.
