LARA BEACH / THE CABLE CAR / THE OTHER TRAM LINE IN ANTALYA
LARA BEACH BUS ROUTE
Lara Beach terminal area
Most visitors to Antalya airport will head to the interminable beaches along its coastline. You can get some beach action if staying in the city by heading east to Lara. A number of buses run from the city centre to the terminal at Lara and the most popular one is number LF-09 [Map]. This passes number of attractions and, if weather permits , could make for some pleasant walks.
The number LF-09 bus terminates at Güzeloba Depolama which is a small terminal. From there you can walk to the coast in a couple of minutes and see the long stretch of coastline. The area also contains a number of hotels including the imposing Club Hotel Sera which includes its own private beach area.
Düden Waterfalls area
The waterfalls and surrounding area are around 3 kliometres from the bus terminal so if the weather is not too hot it is a nice walk or you can hop on the same number bus that will drop you off at the top of Düden park which is a few hundred metres from the actual waterfall. You can get good views of the waterfall also some interesting sights of tourists having snaps with a parrot on their shoulder. Overall it is a pleasant area to stroll around and get some nice views. This area is also in the flight path for planes about to land at Antalya airport.
Retail areas
Around 2.5 kilometres from the waterfalls you can find Terra City shopping centre which is also along the bus route LF-09. This is one of the largest malls in the city and contains the usual outlets and decent food court. Another kilometre further is Shemall shopping centre which is a smaller and less attractive retail location.
From the retail centres there are a number of different buses than take you back to the centre of town.
ANTALYA CABLE CAR
Antalya’s cable car (Tünektepe Teleferik Tesisleri) is an enjoyable way of getting a spectacular overview of the city and the beaches and an escape from the hustle and bustle below. You can take a the bus number VS-18 for the pleasant journey to the cable car station. The bus runs roughly every 10 minutes from the centre of town.
The cable car journey takes about 20 minutes and at the station at the top there are many great views. Also there are quite a few facilities such as restaurants and cafes and these are quite affordable for the location.
The ticket is 30 lira (October 2021) and this is for a return trip. However you can walk down the road leading back down to the bottom and there are very few cars using this route so it is peaceful walk, although quite steep going downhill and takes about an hour. Near the bus terminal there is a port but access is difficult and not recommended.
T3 Tram - Varsak-Atatürk
While most visitors will likely be familar with the two other tram lines in Antalya, there is another line that is not used often by tourists although it is an important people carrier for residential area s in the north of the city. At present it is also not connected to other tram lines so you will need to walk 1.4 kilometres to Dokuma station on T1 line.
However, construction is ongoing on an extension of the line to the main bus staion and then down to Muze station which connects to the Nostalgia T2 tram line. This will mean the line will be used more by visitors.
Travelling along the line is likely to be currently of little interest is it mostly passes through residential areas although it is a way to see how life goes on for the city dwellers. It could also be useful as a break from the heat in summer as the trams are air-conditioned. At Sütçüler station you can find a number of shoes and clothing outlet store.
There is an interesting small park at the end of the line although much closer to the second from last stop. Masal Parkı contains some delightful life size models of favourite cartoon characters from the past which will delight the kids but also bring back fond memories for the parents. Great for selfies and family photos. There is a small cafe in the park
