Watersport in a very popular activity in Antalya. There are many choices available for sports and water lovers. Indeed, you can see in our Guide of Waterports in Antalya the variety of things to do in the beautiful nature of Antalya.
One popular activities available in Antalya is Rafting. Many great places are the idea landscape for rafting in Antalya province specially during hot summer days.
On this page, you will find ideas of places famous for rafting in Antalya, information about rafting excursions and frequently asked questions.
Let’s dive into it…
1. Rafting at Köprülü Canyon
Köprülü is the biggest wild water rafting center in Turkey. There are rafting excursions from all resorts between Kemer and Alanya. Booking of the excursions is possible online with round trip transfers from the hotel.
The tours are offered all year round, even in the winter months. Depending on the provider, the rafting tours include rafting with an inflatable boat, a jeep safari, a photo stop at Eagles Canyon, zip-lining or canyoning.
The equipment needed for rafting is supplied by the provider. This includes, among other things, the life jacket and helmet.
Normally, the rafts are designed for 4 – 12 people. The inflatable boats are made of very sturdy rubber and have several independent air chambers, so even if one chamber is damaged, the boat will not sink. Even in summer, the water is very cold and hardly gets warmer than a maximum of 12 degrees.
- Check these fully detailed articles about Köprülü Canyon National Park and Tazi Eagles Canyon.
- Check our recommandation of hotels in Antalya
2. Rafting in Saklikent
Saklikent National Park is divided between Antalya province and the neighboring province of Mugla. Rafting is offered in Saklikent on a small scale. On the river there are mainly offers for rafting with floating tires, which is also called tubing. The oversized tires are also known as “donuts” or “biscuits” because of their shape. Unlike rafting, where 4-12 people sit in an inflatable boat, each equipped with a stab paddle, in tubing you sit alone with a double paddle in a floating tire. Since the tires are smaller than the inflatables, they spin more often and faster in the water.Tours are available from Antalya province from the Kas region, usually in combination with a jeep safari to ancient ruins such as Xanthos or Patara, Patara beach and an optional mud bath near Saklikent.
- Check this fully detailed article about Saklikent Canyon National Park
3. Rafting at Alara River (Alanya)
The Alara River, about 70 kilometers long, flows into the Mediterranean Sea at the seaside resort of Okurcalar. In spring the water in the river is high enough for rafting. Narrow canyons, sometimes large boulders as well as some steep steps, which can only be overcome by jumping into the water pools below, are on the rafting tour. The trips are organized by local tour operators depending on the water situation. This is an option from the seaside resorts in Alanya county, from Okurcalar to Alanya city. If rafting on Alara River is not possible, Köprülü Canyon National Park is an alternative all year round.
- Read more about Alara Han & Castle in Alanya
- Read more things to do in Alanya
4. Rafting at Düden River
Rafting is possible at the Düden River between the Upper Düden Waterfall and the Lower Düden Waterfall in Antalya-Lara. The boats go up to the upper part of the 50 m high Düden Waterfall on the cliffs of Antalya, also called Karpuz Kaldıran, which is secured with mettal grids. The 4-kilometer rafting course contains several switchbacks and narrow places.
Especially at the end of the route, the expert knowledge of the professional guides is needed so that the boats can be stopped on time in front of the metal grids and brought to the shore.
The excursions for rafting on Düden River can be booked only from Antalya city region with local tour operators.
- Check out more details about Lara Beach in Antalya or Konyaalti Beach in Antalya
Where can I book Rafting in Antalya?
Booking is possible directly from the provider, with local travel agencies, in hotels or online, depending on the option chosen.
Bookings in Antalya
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Price: The cheapest offers for rafting start in the low season partly already from 20 €. Average offers with round trip transfer from the hotel, food and additional program cost more.
- Transfer: Most rafting offers in Antalya include transfer from the hotel to the rafting center and back to the hotel.
- Equipment: Safety equipment such as life jackets, wetsuits, helmets and paddles are provided by local operators.
- Clothing: Safety clothing is provided by local vendors, this includes wetsuits. Swimwear may be worn underneath.
- Food: Rafting tours in Antalya usually have lunch included in the price. Depending on the provider, drinks are also included in the all-inclusive package.
- Photos: It is difficult to take your own photos during the rafting. For this we recommend your own waterproof camera, for example a GoPro. The rafting providers have their own photographers who take souvenir photos of the participants. They can be bought from the independent photographers.
Bottom line
Rafting is a welcome change from beach and bathing vacations. In Antalya province, these trips are organized from all seaside resorts between Kemer and Alanya with hotel pickup. Köprülü is the biggest wild water rafting center in Turkey, here rafting is possible all year round.
In addition, there are various regional offers for rafting, which are not offered by every seaside resort. Rafting in Saklıkent is available in the region of Kas, guests from Alanya and surroundings come to the Alara River and rafting on the Düden River is suitable for guests in Antalya.
With proper equipment and professional guidance, rafting in the Antalya region is considered as being safe.
More ideas of things to do in Antalya here.