Hotels near Olympos and Chimaera

Olympos is a Lycian-Roman city whose ruins are scattered through a forested valley that opens onto a stunning pebble beach. The site includes tombs cut into the cliff face, a Byzantine church, Roman bath houses, and a theatre partially reclaimed by trees. The beach at the mouth of the valley is one of the loveliest on the coast - long, backed by forest, and far less developed than Konyaaltı or Lara. It is also a nesting site for Caretta caretta sea turtles.

Nearby Chimaera (Yanartas) is a separate attraction: a cluster of natural gas vents on a hillside that have burned continuously for at least 2,500 years. The flames, fed by methane seeping through the rock, flicker across the mountainside and are especially impressive after dark. Olympos is 80 km southwest of Antalya (about 1.5 hours by car). Entry to the ruins is TRY 130 (EUR 3.60), covered by the Museum Pass. Chimaera entry is TRY 50 (EUR 1.40). Both can be visited in a single day trip.

Pro Tip: Visit Olympos during the day for the ruins and beach, then drive 7 km to Chimaera at dusk. The flames are barely visible in daylight but mesmerising after dark. Bring a torch for the 20-minute uphill walk to the vents - the path is rocky.