The next segment of our trip was to visit the city of Antalya for a couple of days and then board a Tukish Gulet (95 ft motor sailer) to cruise along the Turquoise Coast.
Antalya (Turkish pronunciation: [anˈtalja]; from Ancient Greek: Aττάλεια, "Attalia") is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. It was the world's third most visited city by number of international arrivals in 2011, displacing New York. It is Turkey's biggest international sea resort. According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, in 2011 the city had a population of 964,886 and the metropolitan municipality 1,041,972.
The Turkish Riviera (also known popularly as the Turquoise Coast) is a term used to define an area of southwest Turkey encompassing Antalya, Muğla and to a lesser extent the provinces ofAydın, southern İzmir and western Mersin. The combination of a favorable climate, warm sea, more than a thousand kilometers of shoreline along the Aegean and Mediterranean waters, and abundant natural and archeological points of interest makes this stretch of Turkey’s coastline a popular national and international tourist destination.
Among the archeological points of interest are two of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World; the ruins of the Mausoleum of Maussollos in Halicarnassus and the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. The Riviera is also the home for the internationally-known Blue Voyage, which allows participants to enjoy a weeklong trip on Gulets to ancient cities, harbors, tombs, mausolea and intimate beaches in the numerous small coves, lush forests and streams that lace the Turquoise Coast. The coastline is further regarded as a cultural trove that provides a fascinating mixture of factual and mythological individuals, conflicts and events, and has frequently been referred to in the folklore of various cultures throughout history. As such, it is regarded as the home of scholars, saints, warriors, kings, and heroes, as well as the site of numerous well-known myths. Mark Antony of the Roman Empire is said to have picked the Turkish Riviera as the most beautiful wedding gift for his beloved Cleopatra of Egypt. St. Nicholas, later known as Santa Claus, was born in Demre (ancientMyra), a small town close to present-day Antalya.
