To relax in Belek and devote all the time to the beach and the sea is an unforgivable oversight. Indeed, there are so many interesting things around the city, and in it itself. And the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey does not consider the resort as a place exclusively for a beach holiday. Belek, the sights, excursions and entertainments of which will be described in our article, is a rather young city. But nearby there are enough antiquities, including antique ones. We will tell you what to see at the resort, where to have fun in the evening, which excursions are worth a trip. If you went to Belek with a child, you will also be interested in our article. We will tell you about the water park, dolphinariums and attractions of the resort, which children will surely enjoy. Belek is heard by tourists thanks to its wonderful beaches. They are accompanied by no less remarkable natural beauty. With one of them - Kepryulu canyon - we will begin our story.
Kepryucay River Valley National Park
The word "Belek" itself is translated from Turkish as "memory." How can a ruler make his fame live forever? Someone is waging war and seizing other people's territories, but the Sultan Abdul-Aziz decided to leave a memory of himself among the people by planting the whole surrounding of Belek with magnificent pine and cedar forests. Later, eucalyptus groves were added to these trees. Kepryulu Canyon is especially notable for 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 Kepryuchay River in its lower reaches has seven canyons, but Kepryulu 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 claim that you can go here on an excursion in the most hectic heat - it is cool by the mountain river. The canyon is especially striking for its high steep banks. Sometimes it becomes narrower - up to a hundred meters wide. And the height of the natural walls reaches 450 m. In the national park, there are 600 species of plants. Thirty of them are endemic, which in the wild can only be seen here. During the tour, tourists can see waterfalls, cascades, natural baths, which form a river on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. Kepryulu Canyon is popular with fans of extreme types of recreation, as rafting on special rafts is carried out here.
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 sights, as her underworld conquers visitors with its beauty. Of the 233 m of the entire length of a small cave for excursions with a guide one hundred meters are allotted. But even at such a short distance you can see a lot of interesting things. This includes several underground lakes with crystal clear water, and calcite lace of thin stalactites and stalagmites, reaching a meter in length. For millions of years, a special microclimate has developed in the cave. It allows you to develop a bizarre form of growths. The excursion trail is illuminated so that, step by step, visitors see new objects flickering in the dark. The Zeytin-Tash cave is located north of the village of Serik.
History of Belek (Turkey)
Attractions 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 appeared relatively recently - at the beginning of the fifteenth century, but the lands around it were inhabited a long time ago. Archaeologists find artifacts of Persian origin dating back to the fourth century BC. And in the second century BC, the Hellenic port of Riskopos appeared near modern Belek. When these lands were captured by Rome, and especially when Emperor Hadrian chose them as his residence , the city reached its maximum in the ancient heyday.
Under Byzantine rule, the entire area around Antalya suffered from frequent and devastating earthquakes. Many cities fell into decay, and some of them were completely abandoned. The Seljuks breathed new life into this region, who in the 13th century recaptured these lands from Byzantium. And when the Ottoman Empire was established, in 1423 a small fishing village got its present name - Belek. For a long time, nets were dried up on wonderful beaches and boats were repaired. But in 1984, the Turkish government decided to turn Belek into an international resort. With the attraction of investors' funds, beautiful hotels were erected, golf courses were destroyed, and the modern infrastructure of the city was developed. That is why the historical sights of Belek should be sought 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 Perga (on the site of the old, Greek). This structure is the best preserved in Asia Minor. Here you can also see the ruins of watchtowers, fortress walls, a term, a portico bordering the forum. Perge is on the Mast Si list for all tourists visiting Belek. The photos of the sights of this ancient city visited by the Apostle Paul and Barnabas are truly fascinating.
Water park "Troy"
In the city of Belek, the sights are entertaining. The resort has many parks, golf courses. Especially popular among children and adults is the Troy water entertainment complex. In the water park there are two huge slides and a dozen less, waterfalls, cascades, ski jumps, pools with various attractions and even a place for diving. The Troy complex also includes a dolphinarium. In addition to bottlenose dolphins, the audience is amused by walruses, seals and belugas.
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 from year to year for cleanliness and developed infrastructure.