← Runtalya Marathon·2 nights

Çıralı: Flames on the Hillside and a Beach with No Resort

A farming village on the Kemer coast with a 3.5 km beach, the ruins of Olympos and gas flames that burn out of the mountainside.

Duration2 nights
TransitCoach from Antalya towards the Çıralı junction, then a booked transfer; a little over an hour by road
DepartsAntalya

After the Runtalya Marathon: Çıralı

The Route: Antalya → Çıralı junction → Çıralı → Antalya Airport Logistics: A coach along the coast road, then a short transfer to the village. Book the final leg in advance. Marathon Month: April Duration: 2 nights

Antalya Otogar ──(coach, a little over 1 hr)──> Çıralı junction
                                                    │
                                          (booked transfer to village)
                                                    │
Antalya Airport ◄──(coach back, then AntRay or taxi)┘

Çıralı has no high-rise strip and no promenade. It is a farming village in the Kemer district with a long beach, a handful of pensions and a hillside where the ground is on fire. After a city marathon, that is a useful contrast.

April in Çıralı: the sea is usually still cold in April. The mean April temperature in Antalya is 16.4°C, with some rain across the month, so pack a light waterproof.

Getting there

Çıralı is a little over an hour's drive southwest of Antalya. The regional coach operator Batı Antalya lists a stop called Çıralı Kavşağı, which is a road junction rather than the village itself. The junction is not at your pension, so ask your accommodation whether a regular onward bus runs and book the last stretch before you leave Antalya. Confirm the day's departures and the last return coach with the operator.

Night one: arrive and rest

Settle in and do very little. The village is flat, and the beach stretches for about 3.5 km, with clear water and sand underfoot. Walk to the water's edge in the late afternoon. The beach is a nesting site for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta), so leave no litter and keep off the sand after dark if signs ask you to.

Pensions run along the lanes behind the beach. Ask for a ground-floor room, confirm whether dinner is included and ask about the transfer back to the junction.

Day two: the flames

The Chimaera, a cluster of permanent natural gas vents, is reached by a short uphill walk from the village. It is the day's one climb, and it is steep enough to leave after a marathon. Go slowly, wear shoes with grip and take a torch if you go after dark, which is when the flames show best. The ancient city of Olympos lies at the far end of the coast, within walking distance of the village.

Walk to Olympos if your legs allow it, and take the ruins at a stroll. If you would rather rest, spend the day on the beach and save the flames for the evening.

Getting home

Return on the morning of day three by booked transfer and coach. Leave a margin of at least three hours for your flight, because the coast road is slower in the evening and a missed coach will leave you reliant on a taxi. AntRay and city buses serve the airport, so check the current service.