Finike

Mediterranean, Turkey 1 tours visit here

Finike is a small town and district on the Mediterranean coast of Antalya Province, on a fertile plain where rivers from the Lycian mountains reach the sea. Its name comes from Phoinix, the Lycian harbour that stood here in antiquity, and the maritime character has survived: a working fishing port sits beside a modern yacht marina, a stop for boats sailing the coast between Antalya and Fethiye. Inland the plain is given over to citrus, and the Finike orange is one of the region's best-known crops. The town is low-rise and lived-in rather than resort-built, with a long shingle beach along the shore, tea gardens facing the water and a produce market drawing people from the surrounding villages. For most travellers the appeal is position. Limyra, with rock-cut Lycian tombs on the hillside above it, lies just inland, and Arykanda spreads over mountain terraces further north, while Demre and the church associated with Saint Nicholas are west along the coast road. Finike is normally seen as part of a longer coastal route, an hour or two covering the harbour and seafront, more if the ruins are added. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, as midsummer here is hot and humid.