🏖️ “Turkish Vice City” Escape: 7 Sunny Days in Antalya + 1 Quiet Day in Ankara
If Vice City were reskinned with Ottoman domes, spotless streets and turquoise water, you’d get Antalya. Locals even use the nickname, and after a week at Porto Bello Hotel Resort & Spa we see why—neon sunsets, palm-lined boulevards and energy that never sleeps.
Life at Porto Bello (All-Inclusive Bliss)
• Food: Unlimited mezzes, pide straight from the stone oven and desserts that made “just one more baklava” our anthem.
• Animation team: Morning aqua-gym, afternoon beach volleyball, nightly shows—boredom simply not allowed.
• Sea: Konyaaltı’s shingle shore shelves into the Mediterranean so clear it looks like a baby’s tear; bring reef shoes and you’ll float all day.
Evenings in “Turkish Vice City”
• Old Town (Kaleiçi) – Roman harbour, Ottoman balconies, cats on cobblestones.
• Lower Düden Waterfall – Lit up after dark, roar amplified by the quiet sea.
• Konyaaltı Promenade – Super-clean, flood-lit even at 2 a.m.; teens play basketball, kids whizz on scooters, joggers share the lane. 🍦 Classic Turkish ice-cream show (yes, the vendor stole the cone twice) and strong Turkish coffee kept us strolling past midnight.
• Souvenir maze – Shopkeepers invite you for apple tea while you debate which Nazar keychain is cutest.
City vibe: Spotless pavements, LED lighting everywhere and a permanent buzz—Antalya feels safe, lively and alive 24/7.
Quick Tips for August Travelers
1. Sea-view room + A/C—humidity peaks after lunch.
2. Sunrise swims (before 08:00) give you empty water and dolphin chances.
3. Reserve excursions online; on-site desks sell out fast in school-holiday weeks.
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Bonus Chapter: 24 Hours in Sleepy-Yet-Charming Ankara 🏛️
Our return route included an overnight lay-over in the capital. We landed 21:00, stored bags at ESB lockers and metro’d into a city that had already gone to bed—streets empty, shutters down.
Morning reset:
• Ankara Castle – Bird’s-eye view of orderly boulevards and low-rise houses whose white walls and blue shutters remind you of Greek island villages.
• Local café breakfast – Menemen + simit; owner surprised by foreigners, treated us to free ayran 🥛.
• Kızılay Square & Anıtkabir – Respectful hush around Atatürk’s mausoleum; changing-of-the-guard worth the climb.
By 15:00 we were back at the airport, souvenirs stowed and minds expanded by Turkey’s two contrasting faces.
Seven beach-happy days in bright, buzzing Antalya followed by a calm, Greek-toned capital—Turkey packed more variety into eight days than most trips give in a month. ✈️❤️🇹🇷
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