Kaleiçi Harbor, Antalya

Kaleiçi Harbor is the small historic port at the foot of Antalya’s old town, enclosed by cliffs and old city walls. Today it is a marina for yachts, fishing boats and excursion boats, lined with cafés and fish restaurants.

The harbor is as old as the city itself: Antalya, ancient Attaleia, was founded in the 2nd century BC by King Attalus II of Pergamon, and for centuries this sheltered bay was its gateway to the sea under the Romans, the Byzantines, the Seljuks and the Ottomans. Parts of the old sea walls and towers still stand above it, and the Roman Hıdırlık Tower and Hadrian’s Gate are a short walk away.

In the 20th century commercial shipping moved to the new port west of the city, and in the 1980s the old harbor was restored as a yacht marina. Boat trips of one to two hours leave from here along the coast, most of them to the Lower Düden Falls, where the river plunges straight into the sea.

From Cumhuriyet Square in the city centre you can walk down through the narrow streets of Kaleiçi or take the free panoramic lift on the cliff, and access to the harbor is free. To the east, below the cliffs, lies the small Mermerli Beach, reached through a restaurant that charges an entrance fee.