Çıralı and Olympos Guide: Beach, Ruins and Chimaera Flames

Çıralı lies on the coast south of Kemer and Tekirova, inside the protected Olympos-Beydağları coastline, where pine-covered mountains drop straight into the sea. It is a village rather than a resort: orchards and gardens behind the beach, small guesthouses and low-rise places to stay, and a slow rhythm that feels very different from the busy hotel strips further north.

Three things bring people here:

• The beach – long, natural and uncrowded, backed by green hills.
• Ancient Olympos – ruins hidden in a wooded stream valley at the southern end of the beach.
• The Chimaera (Yanartaş) – natural flames that burn from the rocks on the hillside above the village.

You can see all three in one long day trip, but Çıralı rewards those who stay a night or two, especially if you want to see the flames after dark and enjoy the beach in the quiet morning hours.

Çıralı's beach stretches for a few kilometres between rocky headlands, with clear water and a backdrop of forested mountains. It is one of the nesting beaches of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). In the nesting season the females come ashore at night to lay their eggs in the sand, and later the hatchlings make their way to the sea.

Because of this, the beach is protected and stays quiet at night. You will see marked nest areas and information signs. Please respect them:

• do not disturb marked nests or walk on them;
• avoid lights and noise on the beach after dark;
• take your rubbish with you and leave no holes or sandcastles that could trap hatchlings.

During the day it is simply a lovely, relaxed beach, good for long walks and swimming.

Olympos was an ancient Lycian city, and its remains are spread along a stream valley at the southern end of Çıralı beach. What makes it special is the setting: walls, tombs and building remains peek out from fig trees, oleander and pines on both banks of the stream, and the path leads you down to the point where the valley meets the sea.

There are two ways in:

• On foot from Çıralı – walk south along the beach to its end, where the stream valley opens up.
• By road from the Olympos side – a separate road comes down the valley from the other direction, to the Olympos settlement inland of the ruins.

Allow a couple of hours, wear comfortable shoes and bring water; in summer, mornings and late afternoons are far more pleasant than midday.

On the slope above Çıralı, small flames burn straight out of cracks in the rock. They are fed by natural gas seeping from the ground and have been burning since antiquity. The place is linked with the myth of the Chimaera, the fire-breathing monster defeated by the hero Bellerophon, which is why it is known as the Chimaera; in Turkish it is called Yanartaş, the "burning stone".

Reaching the flames takes a short but steady uphill walk on a stone path from the foot of the hill. The best time is dusk: the flames are much more striking as the light fades, and the air is cooler for the climb. Some practical tips:

• bring a torch or head-lamp for the way down in the dark;
• wear proper shoes, not flip-flops;
• keep children close to you near the flames.

The long-distance Lycian Way walking trail passes through Çıralı and Olympos, so you will often meet hikers with backpacks. Even without walking the whole route, you can follow short sections along the coast for views.

Çıralı also combines well with two highlights near Tekirova:

• Tahtalı cable car – it climbs to the summit of Tahtalı mountain, with huge views over the coast. Read our Tahtalı cable car and Olympos guide.
• Phaselis – an ancient harbour city set among pines on a small peninsula by the sea.

For the wider area, see our Kemer region travel guide.

Çıralı is ≈ 85 km from Antalya Airport, about ≈ 100 minutes. The route follows the coastal highway south past Kemer and Tekirova; then the road leaves the main highway and winds down through the forest to the coast. That last section is narrow and curvy, and it can feel long after an evening flight, so many travellers prefer to be driven. Times are typical; high-season traffic can add time.

With a private transfer your driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign, tracks your flight and waits free of charge if it is delayed. The price is fixed per vehicle, not per person, and agreed before the trip – no night surcharge, no luggage fee. Choose a Minivan (1–6), VIP Mercedes-Benz Vito (1–7) or Mercedes Sprinter (8–16), ask for free child seats, and pay in the vehicle. See Antalya Airport to Çıralı for live prices and book via WhatsApp or the booking form; you can add the return at the same time.

Staying in Kemer, Tekirova or Antalya instead? A private car is also a comfortable way to do Çıralı, Olympos and the Chimaera as a day trip and come back after dusk.