Turkey guide
Delve deep into our Turkey travel guide to discover what we rate & what we don’t to help you travel like a local.
Best time to go to Cirali beach
Loggerhead turtles lay their eggs on Cirali beach between May and August. Visit from early September onwards and you may catch sight of the hatchlings slowly waddling toward the sea.![]()
Temperatures in Cirali and along the Antalya coast tend to be pleasantly warm all year round, with January the coolest month, averaging around a manageable 14°C. July and August are the hottest months of the year, when the daytime temperature can peak at 34°C, and it’s advisable to seek shade around midday – luckily there’s plenty of it about in Cirali, and many accommodations are surrounded by trees and have private porches. Late July to early September are the peak travel months coinciding with school holidays, so the best time for Cirali beach holidays is during late spring or autumn, when the weather and the water are still glorious, and the beach is usually far less busy.
Cirali Beach Weather Chart
MIN °C
MAX °C
RAIN (mm)
JAN
5
14
216
FEB
5
15
156
MAR
7
18
101
APR
10
21
46
MAY
14
25
29
JUN
18
30
9
JUL
21
34
3
AUG
21
34
5
SEP
18
31
11
OCT
14
26
73
NOV
9
20
130
DEC
7
16
246
Cirali beach, month by month
Things to do in Cirali beach
Olympos
Olympos is an ancient Lycian city dating to the 4th century BC and bearing traces of Greek and Roman civilisation. It was also once inhabited by medieval pirates – something that may interest older children. The ruins, around a 20-minute walk from Cirali beach, form part of the Olympos Beydaglari National Park, and contain temples, sarcophagi and a theatre. It’s a fragrant place to wander, lined with grapevines, fig, pine and bay trees, and fragments of artifacts poking through the soil.
Chimaera
Named for the fire-breathing monster of Greek mythology, Chimaera, otherwise known as Yanartaş, sits behind the beach. A brisk hike over rocky ground brings you to a clearing where dozens of small fires burn constantly, fed by combustible gases escaping from vents in the ground – published accounts of the phenomenon date back to the 5th century BC. Sailors once used the fires to navigate but now visitors brew tea or toast marshmallows over them instead. Make sure you bring a torch for the way back down.Turtles
Between May and August, endangered loggerhead turtles clamber out of the water to lay their eggs in the sand of Cirali beach by night. Nesting sites are protected by cages, and conservation volunteers are on hand to ensure that curious onlookers don’t disturb them, while restaurants and hotels dim their lights and music so the turtles don’t become disorientated. From mid August onwards you may be lucky enough to see baby turtles hatching and making their way down to the sea.Hiking
There are many walking trails in the mountains around Cirali, including easy and moderate routes, although you’ll want to carry plenty of water even in spring and especially in summer. The best known route of course is a section of the 509km Lycian Way. The Cirali section towards the end is one of the most scenic parts of what’s considered to be among the most beautiful coastal walks in the world.
Handicrafts workshops
In summer the middle of the day can be uncomfortably hot. Some accommodations offer traditional Turkish handicrafts workshops free of charge, where children, and their parents, can practice their painting and weaving. It’s a fun way to keep entertained in the shade while avoiding the worst of the midday sun.Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Cirali beach or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Cirali beach holidays advice
Serkan Cetin is a guesthouse manager in Cirali. He’s given us a few useful tips below, but we also have a more in-depth interview with Serkan about the wonders of Cirali beach holidays.
Chimaera
“Yanartas (Burning Stone) or Chimaera is the name of the spot where natural flames come out of the ground. In the past the flames are said to have been massive, visible clearly from out at sea. These days the biggest flames are waist high, with most of them being quite small, dotted around the mountain side. Basically, natural gas comes out of the earth and inflames on contact with air. Ancient people attributed these flames to a fire-breathing monster. For people visiting Cirali, I guess it is a must see! It is better to go after dark, for the best effect, people need to bring a torch for the climb up and down! The climb can be steep at times but with regular breathers along the way it should not be a problem for most people. The site is worth the effort.”
Turtle watching
“People are not encouraged to go looking by themselves for sea turtles that are due to lay. This can confuse the turtles and disturb their laying. If there are only a few of you, then a warden may be available to take you to watch this but as I say, this is not the best way forward. Instead, it is better to watch the baby turtles hatch and make for the sea. This happens around the middle of August and goes on for about a month or so. Wardens mind the nests, and at around 5/6am, one can organise to meet up with the warden to view the hatchlings walk to sea. This has less impact on the turtles cycle than potentially disturbing an adult female.”
Tips from our travellers
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travellers are often... other travellers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do - and opinions about what not to.
We’ve selected some of the most useful Cirali beach holiday tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
We’ve selected some of the most useful Cirali beach holiday tips that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your holiday – and the space inside your suitcase.
It’s a lovely base for walking, but you need to be fairly fit as the path is steep and rocky.![]()
– Diane Blakely
“Pack light...very laid back & informal. Do pack some good walking shoes & something more sturdy than flip flops to get you over the pebble beach & hot sand.” – Helen Tighe
“Enjoy it for what it is. No luxuries just an amazing place, fantastic fresh local food, superb hospitality with amazing scenery.” – Alison Johnson
“Take with you comfortable shoes suitable for walking (trainers or similar) as much of the area is quite rough and rocky - especially the Chimaera. A torch is a necessity also! The beach is also pebbled and gets very hot on the sand, so is hard on the soles; some decent beach shoes are recommended. A perfect blend of rustic and luxury in a beautiful part of the world. Perfect for escaping everyday life, while offering plenty to do and explore at the same time.” – Edward Parker
“If you are looking for a very quiet and chilled beach experience in a beautiful environment then this is for you. We rented a car from Antalya airport, which is not necessary unless you want to do many day trips. You can walk/cycle everywhere you want to around Cirali, and take taxis for longer distances.” – Claire Elias
“Be prepared for a lot of heat. Make sure you do all the recommended visits and excursions. Go to lots of different bars and restaurants. It is worth having Euros with you as some things (eg Excursions) are cheaper. You don't need a huge amount of money as most meals were between 55tl and 70tl for two people. We read that sterling was accepted but we found nowhere that accepted it.” – Simon Paine
“Enjoy it for what it is. No luxuries just an amazing place, fantastic fresh local food, superb hospitality with amazing scenery.” – Alison Johnson
“Take with you comfortable shoes suitable for walking (trainers or similar) as much of the area is quite rough and rocky - especially the Chimaera. A torch is a necessity also! The beach is also pebbled and gets very hot on the sand, so is hard on the soles; some decent beach shoes are recommended. A perfect blend of rustic and luxury in a beautiful part of the world. Perfect for escaping everyday life, while offering plenty to do and explore at the same time.” – Edward Parker
“If you are looking for a very quiet and chilled beach experience in a beautiful environment then this is for you. We rented a car from Antalya airport, which is not necessary unless you want to do many day trips. You can walk/cycle everywhere you want to around Cirali, and take taxis for longer distances.” – Claire Elias
“Be prepared for a lot of heat. Make sure you do all the recommended visits and excursions. Go to lots of different bars and restaurants. It is worth having Euros with you as some things (eg Excursions) are cheaper. You don't need a huge amount of money as most meals were between 55tl and 70tl for two people. We read that sterling was accepted but we found nowhere that accepted it.” – Simon Paine
The beach is also pebbled and gets very hot on the sand, so is hard on the soles; some decent beach shoes are recommended.![]()
– Edward Parker
More about Cirali beach
It’s not only the Chimaera flames, springing from the rocks on nearby mountains, that burn eternally. As our Cirali beach holidays guide explores, this secluded and pristine resort has a knack of inspiring an enduring passion in all who visit, persuading people to come back year after year. Find out why by reading on.
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