Swimming among the ruins
The north bay is shallow and calm for children, the south bay sandy and wider, both a few steps from the columns.
You can swim in the harbour of a city that once welcomed Alexander the Great. Phaselis is not a ruin you admire from behind a rope but a pine-forested peninsula scattered with columns, bath-houses and a Roman theatre between three small bays, every one of them open for a dip. Settlers from Rhodes founded it in the seventh century BC, buying the land from a local shepherd with dried fish according to the legend, and the city opened its gates to Alexander without a fight in the winter of 334-333 BC before growing rich as a Roman trading port. Pirates, Arab raids, earthquakes and the silt that slowly choked its harbours emptied it for good. The visit follows one axis: a stone-paved main street of about 225 metres running from the south harbour to the central one, lined with the remains of baths and agoras, while the arches of the Roman aqueduct still stand among the trees along the north harbour. A gate at the street's southern end was raised in AD 131 for Emperor Hadrian's visit, and the small theatre leans into the hillside looking over the ruins and the sea, with the summit of Tahtalı, snow-capped until late spring, rising behind the site. Be honest with yourself: the stones are modest next to Aspendos or Perge, and anyone coming for the archaeology alone may find it less than they hoped. What makes Phaselis exceptional is the setting, the shade and scent of the pines and turquoise water a few steps from every ruin. With children it is one of the best outings on this coast. The north bay is calm and shallow and suits small swimmers; the south bay is sandier, wider and busier. Paths are earth and gravel, so a pushchair copes only on the paved street and a carrier is easier. There is no restaurant inside, just a kiosk selling drinks and sandwiches, so bring water, fruit, a sunshade or beach tent, and wear swimwear under your clothes. From Antalya it is roughly 58 km along the coastal D400 towards Kemer, about an hour's drive, with the turn-off clearly signed just before Tekirova and a side road down to the car park at the gate. Without a car, take the Kemer bus from Antalya's otogar, then a Tekirova dolmuş and get off at the Phaselis junction for a hot walk of one and a half to two kilometres. The third option is a day boat from Kemer's marina, but those arrive with the crowds around midday. In summer the trick is to be at the gate at opening and out by eleven, or to return after four when the boats pull away and the bays go quiet.
The north bay is shallow and calm for children, the south bay sandy and wider, both a few steps from the columns.
About 225 metres of Roman paving between the south and central harbours, starting at a gate built for the emperor's visit.
A small hillside theatre looking over the ruins and the sea, with a summit behind it that keeps its snow into late spring.
Tekirova Mahallesi, 8011 Sokak No:1, off the D400 between Kemer and Tekirova, Kemer district, Antalya
It depends what you want. Aspendos has one of the best-preserved theatres in the Roman world and Perge is far larger as an archaeological site; both beat Phaselis on stones. But with children in summer, or if you want a day that mixes ruins with swimming in the shade, Phaselis is the easier and more enjoyable choice, and Aspendos or Perge can wait for another morning.
Yes: the Antalya-Kemer bus, then a Tekirova dolmuş to the Phaselis junction, then a walk of one and a half to two kilometres on an exposed road, which is hard work in August with children. The boat from Kemer is easier but fixes your arrival and departure times. For a family, hiring a car for the day solves it and lets you arrive at opening.
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