Antalya: City Walls, Open Water

Antalya is a proper city that happens to sit on one of the best stretches of coastline in the Mediterranean. The Kaleiçi old town wraps around a Roman-era harbour where wooden boats still bob between stone walls — wander the narrow streets for vintage shops, rooftop kahvaltı overlooking the bay, and ice cream from vendors who make you work for every scoop. The Düden Waterfalls drop straight into the sea just east of town — one of those things you have to see from the water to believe. Sail west toward Kemer and the ancient port of Phaselis, where you swim between Lycian ruins shaded by pine trees and the beach is yours for the afternoon. The coastline beyond gets quieter the further you go — Çıralı and the eternal flames of Yanartaş are worth an overnight stop. Antalya gives you the restaurants, the nightlife, and the infrastructure of a big city — and within an hour of sailing, none of that exists anymore.