Belek: sightseeing, entertainment, excursions

Rest in Belek and devote all the time to the beach and the sea - an inexcusable oversight. After all, around the city, and there are so many interesting things in it. And the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey does not consider the resort as a place exclusively for beach holidays. Belek, attractions, excursions and entertainment of which will be described in our article - a fairly young city. But there are enough antiquities, including antique ones. We will tell you what to see at the resort, where to have fun in the evening, what excursions you should take. If you went to Belek with a child, you will also be interested in our article. We will talk about the water park, dolphinarium and resort attractions, which will surely please the children. Belek is heard by tourists thanks to its wonderful beaches. To them in a makeweight are applied no less remarkable natural beauty. With one of them - the canyon Keprulu - we will begin our narration.

Kepryuchai Valley National Park

The very word "Belek" is translated from Turkish as "memory". How can a ruler ensure that the glory of him has lived for centuries? Someone is waging wars and seizing foreign territories, but Sultan Abdul-Aziz decided to leave a memory for himself among the people by planting the entire vicinity of Belek with magnificent pine and cedar forests. Later, eucalyptus groves were added to these trees. Especially notable for its beauty canyon Kepryulyu. Forty years have passed since it was declared the national treasure and the main attraction of Belek. It is located sixty kilometers to the north of the resort, in the Taurus mountains.

The river Kepryuchay in its lower reaches has seven canyons, but Kepryulyu 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 on a trip to the most baking heat - the mountain river is cool. Particularly striking is the canyon with its steep, steep banks. Sometimes it becomes narrower - up to a hundred meters in width. And the height of natural walls reaches 450 m. In the national park there are 600 plant species. 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. The Köprülü canyon is popular with lovers of extreme types of recreation, as rafting is conducted on special rafts.

Zeytin-Tash

This cave, whose name translates as "olive stone", was discovered only twenty years ago. And immediately she got on the list of attractions of Belek, as her underworld conquers visitors with its beauty. Out of 233 meters of the entire length of a small cave for guided tours, a hundred meters are set aside. But even at such a short distance you can see a lot of interesting things. This and several underground lakes with crystal clear water, and calcite lace of thin stalactites and stalagmites, reaching a meter length. In the cave for millions of years there was a special microclimate. It allows the development of a bizarre form of growth. The sightseeing trail is illuminated so that step by step visitors see new objects shimmering in darkness. The cave Zeytin-Tash is located to the north from Serik settlement.

History of Belek (Turkey)

Attractions of the resort are not limited to natural beauties alone. 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 land around it was inhabited long ago. Archaeologists find artifacts of Persian origin, dating from the fourth century BC. And in the second century before Christ's birth, the Hellenic port of Riskopos arose near the modern Belek. When these lands were captured by Rome, and especially when the emperor Hadrian chose them as their residence , the city reached its peak in the ancient era of flourishing.

Under the rule of Byzantium, the whole area around Antalya suffered from frequent and destructive earthquakes. Many cities fell into disrepair, and some of them were completely abandoned. A new life was breathed into this region by the Seljuks, who in the 13th century conquered these lands from Byzantium. And when the Ottoman Empire was established, in 1423 a small fishing village received its present name - Belek. For a long time, on the wonderful beaches, the nets were dried and the boats were repaired. But in 1984 the Turkish government decided to turn Belek into an international resort. When attracting investors' funds, beautiful hotels were built, golf courses were broken, modern infrastructure of the city was developed. That's 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 Parkh. But the most flourishing city reached under the rule of the Romans. In the second century BC they built a theater in Perge (in place of the old, Greek). This building is the most well preserved in the territory of Asia Minor. Also here you can see the ruins of watchtowers, fortress walls, therma, a portico bordering the forum. Perge is included in the "mast" list for all tourists visiting Belek. Photo attractions of this ancient city, which visited the Apostle Paul with Barnabas, truly fascinating.

Water Park "Troy"

In the city of Belek, attractions are of an entertaining nature. 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 smaller, waterfalls, cascades, springboards, pools with various attractions and even a place for diving. The complex "Troy" also includes a dolphinarium. In addition to the bottlenose dolphins, the audience is amused by walruses, seals and beluga whales.

Coast

But the main attractions of Belek are, of course, its twenty-kilometer long beaches. A wide strip of sand allows you to enjoy rest to all comers. Many of Belek's beaches are awarded with the Blue Flag for its cleanliness and developed infrastructure from year to year.