Olympos coast, which is one of the best beaches in the world, offers a wide and long sandy beach, an economical holiday opportunity in the shade of pistachio pines and eucalyptus trees, alone with nature… Aside from the dark blue clear sea of ​​the trendy holiday destination of recent years, Yanartaş with its mythological stories, Olympos ancient city ruins, Ulupınar recreation area, and the rich and alternative options it offers to those who are interested in environmental trips, further increase its appeal.

Çıralı is one of the recent discoveries of travelers and the first choice of those who want to have a holiday on an economical budget. The village’s modest hostels, tree houses and camping opportunities are becoming more and more developed every year. Markets, bars, countryside restaurants, beach gazebo bars and fast-food cafes are opening rapidly. Additionally, a butcher and pharmacy serve those who prefer Çıralı.

It leans its back on the Taurus Mountains, which have an insatiably beautiful view of the Mediterranean. Olympos, with its mythological story, preserves the region for a holiday even in winter.

Musa Mountain and Tahtalı Mountain display eye-pleasing silhouettes within your closest field of vision. Plane trees with their monumental shapes, stone pines specific to the Mediterranean, maquis, and eucalyptus form the fragrant plant tissue. The 3 km long beach, starting from Karaburun and ending in Olympos, provides free access to the sea and the beach. (Olympos ancient city entrance is paid) Those who wish can reach the sea by passing through the ancient city. Those who want to swim in the delta can surrender themselves to the sun and choose any part of the beach.

Another option is to pay a daily entrance fee to the beach of Çıralı Village, park the vehicles and benefit from the sea. An advantage in the first option is that the stream flows into the sea, because those who swim in the sea and get roasted due to the salt content of the Mediterranean, which reaches 28 per thousand, then enter the stream fed by the clean spring water coming from the mountains and purify themselves from the salt water, as if they were taking a shower.

Naturally, this region attracts more attention, especially on weekends, with those who want to swim while watching the ancient city walls and ruins in the dense vegetation covered with oleanders. Olymposta is one of the beaches where Caretta caretta turtles come to lay their eggs, due to the beach climate and habits that continue at the seabed. For this reason, lighting fires on the beach is prohibited.

Turtle egg nests are identified and protected by metal cages on the beach, which remains untouched except for a few country restaurants with pergolas. Without a large illuminated facility and strong lights to illuminate the environment, you can see more stars than anywhere else at night, and the silence is as high as it can be. Despite this, the cicada bird chorus and the wing sounds of flying birds are sound effects heard frequently during the day, convincing you that you are not in the city.

Sunrise is a feast, ceremony, and even birth in itself. Due to the geographical location of these beaches, the sun rises from the sea and no one sees it set as it disappears behind the mountains in the evening. Those who have a holiday in a stress-free environment relax in hammocks built on trunks in lemon and orange groves or tree-lined areas, which they find almost everywhere.

Hammocks take the first place in the list of best-selling picnic materials in the summer months, as people relieve the tiredness of the year with the pleasure of a hammock. Another alternative to enjoying the hammock is the wooden sofas, pavilions, terraces built in waterside or tree-shaded areas, covered with carpets and rugs and offering room comfort with pillows.

Those who settle here soon forget about the annoying events they watch on TV and read in the press throughout the year, surrender to the fresh air and go into sleep mode during the day.

What’s there around? For those who are interested in sightseeing, there are nearby bays adjacent to Çıralı. Among these, Porto Ceneviz and Sazak bays are among the most visited ones.

Those who travel all day long on boat tours, which cost 20 million TL per person, departing from the Olympos coast at 10.00 – 10.30, swim on the beaches and go on nature walks, get rid of the toxins accumulated in their bodies and eat with great appetite the boat menu consisting of fish or wings, pasta, salad and watermelon served on the boat. Return is at 17.30. There are two options for those who are interested in nature walks.

The first is a tree-lined dirt track that extends to Tekirova, which is the continuation of the Lycian Way, and which is 25 km long. In the second alternative, 3 km from Çıralı beach, the vehicles are parked and the stream is jumped, and a two-hour walk can be made in this area in the forest shaded by pine and plane trees. There is also the opportunity to swim in small ponds formed by the stream water coming from Ulupınar, within a route that looks like a hidden city.

Those who continue on the road a little further come to Ulupınar Değirmen Restaurant, which is considered the refrigerator of Antalya. In contrast to the temperatures reaching 40 degrees in the shade in Çıralı, the temperature in Ulupınar is 25 degrees, so those who come to the naturally air-conditioned Değirmen Restaurant, known as the coldest place in Antalya, take long-sleeved clothes with them. (I am not exaggerating, the restaurant also has a blanket service.) A deafening sound of water, and to be honest, the sound of birds. Yet the robins sing at the top of their lungs to make themselves heard.

The drinkable, slightly chalky spring waters coming down from the mountains flow past you as if they were running, and then disappear underground somewhere around the ancient bridge. Those who settle in wooden mansions and cedars eat their meals as if they would drive the pleasure-loving Romans crazy. Those who are complacent also get beauty sleep.

In addition to those who eat trout in butter, grilled sea bream, sea bass or grilled meat, shepherd’s roast, which is eaten for a long time and comes with a fire under it to prevent it from getting cold, is among the preferred dishes.

At Değirmen restaurant, which is a business founded by a family of nomadic origin, there is no special specialty food, there is no waiter waiting for you, there is no one looking at you like why are you sleeping, get up and go, they are all respectful, they are friendly in service, everyone is at their own pace, some with their girlfriends, some with their families, enjoying the shade of the trees, the cool air, the sound of water, and the fresh air.

I look at the mansion next to me from the corner of my eye, the mother and father are playing with their baby, the colors of life, everyone has an expression of happiness on their face. A fried potato, a pancake, a salad, a beer, you renew your orders as you get hungry. There are also tables, but those who eat at the floor table, after a while, their stomachs become folded and swollen, and they become flat on their backs! Let me give an example for those wondering about prices.

You pay 13,500 TL, in short 15 million, for grilled sea bream, shepherd’s salad with lemon, two cold beers, a pan of potatoes with ketchup, water, bread, and tea when the bill comes. (As of July 2003) Some of those who vacation in Çıralı go to the tree houses known as Kadir’s Place.

The “Öküz Bar”, one of the favorite places of recent years, is filled with people dancing around the fire and jumping and spinning like Indians until the morning. Now we are heading to another flaming excursion place, three and a half km away from Çıralı.

Yanartaş: With the combustion of gases coming out from under the ground, a continuous flame is seen in various places here.

According to legend, this is the language of the monster called Chimera, which was killed by Belerefon. According to what is said: Once upon a time, there was a handsome young man named Belerefon. His greatest wish was to ride the winged horse called Pegasus. However, it was very difficult to ride this horse.

The young man, who wanted to capture Pegasus by any means possible, tried hard, and finally, with the advice of a good-hearted old man he came across, he slept in the Temple of Athena for one night and received a bridle from the goddess in his dream. After waking up, he searches for the horse, finds it and jumps on it wearing a golden ship. Thus, he becomes the ruler of the skies. One day, Belerefon, who accidentally killed his brother, went abroad, very sad.

After many adventures, he has to face the Chimera monster, whose head is a lion, whose middle is a goat, and whose tail is a snake, and which spews flames from its mouth. Taking his bow and arrows, he jumps on his flying horse and comes to the place where the Chimera is. The monster cannot do anything to Belerefon and Pegasus flying above it. The young man kills him by arrowing him. But he cannot extinguish the flame coming out of the monster’s mouth. This flame has been burning on the mountainside for years.

The flame mentioned by Homer and other poets in their works is the flame in this legend…

This is the story, going up the hill is a bit difficult. You can reach the mentioned area with a half-hour walk from the narrow path marked with stones from where you left the vehicle. While there are those who go to the crowded road like Beyoğlu Street in the summer in the cool of the evening, there are also those who go to the same place on moonlit nights and watch the fire burning in various places, a ritual-like feast in the dark of the moonlight.

(Years ago, knowing that I would not encounter a big flame, I took some gas in a bottle and poured it into the flame so that the flame would be visible while taking photos.) Another place to visit is the ancient city of Phaselis. Phaselis, historically known as the Perfume Depot due to the intense scent of the flowers around it, is also known as the place where the Roman Emperor Hadrian spent his time as a holiday destination during the winter months.

Phaselis, a port city, is located 20 minutes away to the east of Çıralı and is visited as the most popular daily excursion spot by those coming by land and sea. (There is a fee for entrance). Another sightseeing place, which can be reached in 20 minutes to the west of Çıralı, is Adrasan (Çavuşköy). Adrasan Çıralı, which has its own characteristics, is another option for those who like to go on holiday and travel.