Under $100: Antalya

Antalya, Turkey, is just about as close as it comes to a perfect city. It is ancient yet modern, nestled in the mountains on the Turquoise Coast and ideally located as a jumping-off point for the region’s numerous attractions.

Hadrian’s Gate © Szirtesi | Dreamstime

Your hotel will most likely serve you breakfast, but if you want to get out early, try the Castle Café Bar, with spectacular vistas of the bay (10TL).

Spend the morning wandering around the old quarter, Kaleiçi, where you can see Hadrian’s Gate, the Roman harbor, the Broken Minaret Mosque and Hıdırlık Tower, which borders Karaalioglu Park and offers panoramas of the city and the mountains. Don’t miss the Owl Bookshop if you’re in need of a new read; it offers perhaps the best selection of second-hand foreign language book anywhere in the country.

© Radim Štrobl | Dreamstime

After your large breakfast, a gözleme and an ayran will fit the bill perfectly (Turkish pancake and yogurt drink). You can find a gözleme stand pretty much anywhere. Look for a woman cooking the pastry on top of a round oven (5TL).

Konyaalti Beach © Ozlem Ercan | Flickr

In the afternoon, you could head to the smooth-stone Konyaaltı Beach or the sandy Lara Beach. For the former, take the nostalgic tram westward to the final stop (2TL). For Lara Beach, take the City Bus 8.

But perhaps your best option is to take a cruise to the Düden waterfalls. Catch a boat at the old harbour (25TL). The two-hour cruise will take you down the coast to view the falls and for a swim.

Duden Waterfall © Nikolai Sorokin | Dreamstime

For dinner, eat at 7 Mehmet, which offers traditional Turkish cuisine overlooking Konyaaltı Beach (30TL).

From Antalya, you should also take the time to visit Olympus, where fire spurts naturally out of the ground, and several of the nearby ruined cities of Perge, Termessos, Aspendos, Side or Myra. You may also want to consider taking a few days to hike the Lycian Way.