If you felt like going for a swim after skiing in the Alps, what could you do? I don’t know what they’d say in Switzerland or Austria, but in Antalya it’s as easy as pie. If you remember to put on your swimsuit under your snowsuit, you can plunge into the Mediterranean’s blue waters just 37 km away. And the heady scent of orange orchards and pine groves will accompany you on this 45-minute journey from winter to summer.
If you fly into Antalya, it’s just 50 km to the world’s nearest-to-the-sea ski resort. Not only can you request a transfer from hotel to hotel, you can also take advantage of the midibus shuttles that operate daily from the city center. The same shuttle allows visitors going up to the slopes for the day to return again in the evening. But if you prefer to turn this short journey that starts from the village of Cakirlar and ends on the slopes at Bakirli Dag into a veritable feast, then you’ll need to hire a private vehicle. That way you can either succumb to the irresistible aroma of the savoury ‘gozleme’ pastries offered by roadside vendors or sample the trout raised in terraced pools.