Olympos Antalya

This ancient city is unique as visitors can view sections of the city whilst swimming in the
sea at Cirali beach.

Location
Olympos ancient city is built on two sides of the Akcay River, just
between Kemer and Adrasan on the eastern coastline of Antalya bay.

History of Olympos and Chimera

According to the Lykia Road Map Monument, Olympos or Korykos, was the largest city in the
Lycia area. In Hellenistic times this was one of the most powerful cities of its time and one of
only 6 cities to have 3 votes in 100 BC.
The ancient Lycian city Olympos, presumably took its name from Mount Olympos, thought to
be the present day Tahtali Mountain, made its historical debut during the 2nd century BC for
minting its own coins. Hephaestos, god of fire and blacksmiths and native to the region, had
a temple dedicated to him, the remains of which can be found near theChimera located in
the neighbouring village of Cral. There are two entrances into the site, one inland at the
end of the approach road, the other from the beach of Cirali.
Today, you can view the theatre (known as a typical Roman theatre), baths and an acropolis.
The agora and the gymnasium have yet to be unearthed.

Visitors
Olympos Valley is extremely popular with Australians and New Zealanders who flock here to
commemorate ANZAC day on 25th April and if you intend to visit at this time it is
recommended you made prior reservations. It is also very popular with backpackers as the
location is known for its budget tree house camps and pensions (B&B's); bungalows,
dormitories and camping are also available.

Things to do in Olympos
As the beach is some distance from here, when you want to go for a swim you have to pay
an admission fee to cross the archaeological site. The surrounding area offers the best
conditions for trekking, mountain biking, canyoning, rock climbing, sea kayaking and its
possible to rent equipment in the village and to take tours from there.

Getting to Olympos Ancient City

When travelling from Antalya, you need to follow the coastline road untilUlupinar and as you
reach there you will see the Olympos signpost. If you do not have a car, you can take the
minibus from Antalya to the Olymposroundabout after which you need to take a taxi or
another minibus (which only operates during summer months) to reach the Olympos ancient
city.