Çirali
Encyclopedia
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the southwest of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
in Antalya Province
Antalya Province
Antalya Province is located on the Mediterranean coast of south-west Turkey, between the Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean sea.Antalya Province is the centre of Turkey's tourism industry, attracting 30% of foreign tourists visiting Turkey. The province of Antalya corresponds to the lands of...
. It is close to the ancient ruins of Olympos and Chimaera
Chimaera (geography)
Mount Chimaera was a place or places in ancient Lycia, notable for volcanic phenomena and said by some ancient sources to be the origin of the myth of the Chimera.Ctesias is the oldest traceable author to offer this euhemerizing theory...
permanent gas vents.
It is a very small rural village located just over an hour's drive southwest from Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
and boasts a beautiful 3.5 km secluded beach, the ruins of Olympos, the flames of the Chimaera
Chimaera (geography)
Mount Chimaera was a place or places in ancient Lycia, notable for volcanic phenomena and said by some ancient sources to be the origin of the myth of the Chimera.Ctesias is the oldest traceable author to offer this euhemerizing theory...
/ Yanartaş
Yanartas
Yanartaş is the Turkish name of a geographical feature near the Olympos valley and national park in Antalya Province in southwestern Turkey. The location is 80km southwest of Antalya, near the town of Çıralı. It is generally believed to be the ancient Mount Chimaera...
, as well as being a protected area by the WWF for the nesting of Caretta, also known as loggerhead sea turtle
Loggerhead sea turtle
The loggerhead sea turtle , or loggerhead, is an oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around long when fully grown, although larger specimens of up to have been discovered...
s.
Also near Çıralı is the Ulupınar
Ulupinar
Ulupınar is a village situated 30 kilometres from the district centre of Kemer, in Turkey's Antalya Province. It is on the outskirts of the Olympos Valley National Park, famous for its eternal fire, and commands a region of stunning natural beauty...
region, which is rich in rivers and creeks. Cirali/Çıralı is one of the last unspoilt natural areas along the Antalya coastline.
For the intrepid trekkers, highlights of the Lycian Way
Lycian Way
The Lycian Way is a long-distance footpath in Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia. It is approximately 500 km long and stretches from Ölü Deniz, near Fethiye, to Hisarcandir, about 20 kilometers from Antalya...
with paths are also found in Çıralı. One runs from Çıralı to Tekirova (19 km) and another travels from Çıralı to Ulupınar
Ulupinar
Ulupınar is a village situated 30 kilometres from the district centre of Kemer, in Turkey's Antalya Province. It is on the outskirts of the Olympos Valley National Park, famous for its eternal fire, and commands a region of stunning natural beauty...
and then back down to the flames of the Chimaera which is around 12 km. All these trails and paths are marked in red and white.
Another wonderful section of the Lycian Way
Lycian Way
The Lycian Way is a long-distance footpath in Turkey around part of the coast of ancient Lycia. It is approximately 500 km long and stretches from Ölü Deniz, near Fethiye, to Hisarcandir, about 20 kilometers from Antalya...
(Likya Yolu) near Çıralı is the summit of Tahtalı Dag, also known as Mt. Olympos. It is located in the National Park of Olympos or Olimpos Bey Dağları Parkı.
There are no large hotels but numerous small places with accommodation, e.g., family run pension
Pension (lodging)
A pensione is a family-owned guest house or boarding house. This term is typically used in Portugal, France, Spain, Italy, other Continental European countries, in areas of North Africa and the Middle East that formerly had large European expatriate populations, and in some parts of South America...
s.
Although close to Olympos it is not possible to drive between the road of Çıralı and the road to Olympos since they are separated by the beach and the ruins of Olympos.