Cirali sits on a beautiful long cove on the Mediterranean coast in Turkey. It is a place in the middle of unspoiled, peaceful nature, environmentally friendly affordable accommodations and has an amazing, stress free relaxed atmosphere. We have been to Cirali Turkey for many family vacations. It is our favorite destination for a relaxed beach vacation in Turkey .
Çıralı (pronounced as Chah-ruh-lah) is a small seaside village in the middle of the protected Olympos national park and natural reserve. Constructions are not allowed in this beautiful cove. The only accommodation options are bungalows in the middle of orange orchards. Thus, this little piece of paradise, unspoiled by the effects of mass tourism, have been around for decades to come.
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Where is Cirali in Turkey?
Cirali is located on the Mediterranean coast in south Turkey in province of Antalya. It is a little village close to the resort town of Kemer on the west coasts of Antalya.
What is the closest airport to Cirali Turkey?
Closest airport to Cirali is Antalya International Airport (airport code AYT) and is about 90 km away. It takes about 1 hour and a half to get to Cirali from Antalya airport.
How to get from Antalya airport to Cirali?
Traveling by taxi, arranging an airport transfer from the hotel you stay in Cirali or using public transport (not very fast or convenient but doable) are some of the options to get to Cirali beach. You can also opt in to rent a car from Antalya airport and drive yourself to Cirali.
How are roads to Cirali?
After you land to Antalya airport, you still have one and a half hour long trip to travel over to reach to Cirali. First, you cross through the busy city of Antalya. Then, you keep going by the many resort towns like Tekirova and Kemer on the west coasts of Antalya. Finally, you leave the highway and turn into the connecting road to Cirali.
After a 15 minute drive through some winding roads in a forest and then through a valley (no need to worry, all the roads to Cirali are in great condition), you finally arrive to Cirali. Yes, it takes a while but Cirali undoubtedly is worth for all the time you spend to get there!
Do you need to rent a car for a Cirali holiday?
It totally depends on the kind of vacation you are planning to have in Cirali. Indeed, Cirali is a very walkable small village. Cirali beach, restaurants to eat all are in close distance. Moreover, the best way to experience this unspoiled village surrounded by nature is by walking or biking in it. If you are planning a kind of relaxing vacation as: walk to the beach, go back to your hotel, dine in the restaurants around; a car is not a must, you can arrange a transport to and from the airport instead.
However, there are many places to explore around Cirali. Definitely, all of those places would add a lot to your Turkey vacation. If you are planning to visit different places around Cirali, you would need a car.
What does a holiday in Cirali Turkey look like?
There aren’t any fancy resort hotels in Cirali. In other words a Cirali beach holiday is kind of return to the basics for a vacation. The accommodations to stay in this little seaside village are bungalows in the middle of lush gardens and orange orchards. Most of the bungalow hotels in Cirali also offer free bikes to ride during your stay. You walk, bike, swim and just relax…
Cirali is a paradise for nature lovers. It is a perfect place to wind down after our busy everyday lives. In short, it is a vacation place for people who look forward to be immersed in the nature, surrounded by sea and spend some stress free days.
The amazing nature in Cirali
Cirali is surrounded by mountains and green forests. In addition, the village is located literally among the orange orchards. On your way to the beach you walk through these orchards with the amazing smell of orange blossoms. Since, it has quite a hot climate, some tropical trees like enormous avocado trees, banana trees, even some giant cacti with their prickly pear fruit on them are common in Cirali. A symphony of crickets, news about some baby sea turtles hatched the night before, some cockerel crowing sound coming from far away in the mornings all make me appreciate this incredible nature.
What does Cirali beach look like?
Cirali beach is set on a 3 km long cove which stretches all the way to Olympos beach and antique site on its western edge. Access to Cirali beach is free. There are sun beds and umbrellas at the side of the beach close to restaurants and Cirali village. Sun loungers and umbrellas in front of the restaurants can be used for free when you purchase food from the restaurants.
Cirali beach is sandy at the back and it’s pebbly and rocky at the shore and in the sea. Obviously, thanks to this rocky sea bottom, the sea water of Cirali beach is crystal clear. Usually, the sea is very calm early in the morning and at the midday it gets more choppy. In addition, because of the hot climate in Antalya region, the seawater temperatures are warm enough to swim from late spring to autumn.
I personally love the setting of Cirali beach! There are two cliffs at the both ends of the beach, mighty mountains are set at the back and lush trees stand just by the beach. And at the center of all of these sits the blue waters of the best beaches in Turkey: Cirali beach.
For more about a Cirali holiday click at my blog post:
“8 Reasons why I chose Cirali Turkey for vacation“
Cirali beach turtles
Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean coasts house more than 20 hatching areas of the endangered loggerhead sea turtles known as Caretta caretta. Cirali beach and Iztuzu beach are among the primary breeding grounds for these turtles.
Every year in early summer Caretta carettas come to Cirali and lay their eggs in the sands of Cirali beach. When you visit Cirali in summer months, you would see the covers around the nests and the labels on them put by the volunteers. After 45 – 65 days of incubation, in about August the little baby turtles hatch. Next, the difficult journey from the nest to the sea starts. The hatchlings try to reach the sea, going through the beach following the moonlight. That’s why, in order not to distract the baby turtles, Cirali beach is not illuminated and kept dark at night during summer months.
Cirali restaurants
There is one little street in Cirali village center with different restaurants throughout the street. In addition, there are some fish restaurants offering some freshly catch, set along Cirali beach. We have tried a few of the fish restaurants on the beach. I don’t have a specific recommendation, all have good vibes and fresh produce. Try a Lagos fish (also called Lahos or Grida by locals or White grouper in English) which is local Mediterranean fish. Definitely a delicious meal by the beach adds a lot to your summer vacation experience.
Among the restaurants in the village center, Simge restaurant is our favorite. It is a family run restaurant with some cool and chilling out vibes. We have been going there for years to come and every time enjoyed its good food and relaxing atmosphere.
Cirali Turkey hotels
Cirali hotels are mostly wooden bungalows located in lush gardens. There are not any all inclusive resort hotels in Cirali.
There are a lot of places to stay just by Cirali beach or a short walk away from the beach. Obviously, the prices of the accommodations get cheaper when you get further from the beach. Also, you can find some low key bed and breakfasts or camping areas set just aside of the beach.
Charming romantic places for couples, one or two bedroom wood houses for families, even some accommodations with swimming pools, choices are plenty in Cirali. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday in Cirali Turkey, you would definitely find a perfect place for you.
We had many Cirali holidays over the years. My top picks for the best places to stay in Cirali are:
- Kimera Lounge Boutique Hotel: A high class hotel with exceptional bungalow rooms in a lush garden with fruits and orange trees. Kimera Longe offers a great breakfast, a nice swimming pool and it is very close (50 meters, 2 minutes walk) to the beautiful Cirali beach. (booking.com score 9.4 for more than 190 reviews)
- Azur Hotel: A delightful place with wooden bungalows within a lush garden, a good breakfast, a swimming pool, very close (120 meters) to the beach and also close to the Cirali village center with lots of restaurants. (booking.com score 9.3 for more than 50 reviews)
- Aida Hotel: Located about halfway between Cirali village center with restaurants and Cirali Beach, Aida Hotel is in very short and convenient walking distance to both of them. There are different types of accommodations to stay in, especially deluxe bungalows are great for families. Hotel also offers a good breakfast and a swimming pool. (booking.com score 9.2 for more than 220 reviews)
- Azra Villas: If you are looking for a more affordable place with detached private bungalows, Azra Villas can be a good choice. Those are quite roomy, self catered, wooden houses with options of one or two bedroom accommodations and a full kitchen. We stayed in a two bedroom villa and having a dishwasher, a washing machine, a fridge, a stove for cooking and free bikes was very convenient. It is about ten minutes walking distance to the beach and restaurants. (booking.com score 9.7 for more than 20 reviews)
- Simge Pension: If you are looking for a simple, affordable and a cozy place in a short walking distance to the beach and restaurants in Ciralı, this is the place! No need to look further. Located at the centre of Cirali village among all the restaurants and just a short 5 minutes walk to the beach. This affordable stay has some lovely bungalows, friendly staff and a great breakfast. Actually, Simge Pension is a part of our favorite restaurant in Cirali – Simge restaurant, as I mentioned above. Since the prices of Simge Pension don’t break the bank, you can easily extend your vacation to a week or 10 days and enjoy the beautiful Cirali at its best. (booking.com score 8.8 for more than 200 reviews)
- Olympos Lodge: Pricey but a gorgeous place, located right on Cirali beach. It is a first class stay with a private beach area, a kind of a place for an exceptional and unique holiday in Cirali. (booking.com score 9.1 for more than 30 reviews)
For more places to stay in Cirali, please click here.
You can also like, my post “12 Amazing things to do in Cirali“