What is Belek known for?

Belek is best known for its world-class golf resorts and five-star luxury hotels, set among pine forests and long sandy Mediterranean beaches. It's also a superb base for ancient sites like Aspendos and Perge, and for the Land of Legends theme park.

What are the best things to do in Belek?

Top experiences include playing or visiting the famous golf courses, seeing the superbly preserved Roman theatre at Aspendos, exploring the ancient city of Perge, relaxing on the pine-backed beaches, visiting the Land of Legends theme park, and taking a white-water rafting day trip into the Taurus canyons.

Can you go rafting from Belek?

Yes. Belek is an ideal base for a rafting day trip to Köprülü Canyon (Class II–III, family-friendly) or the more extreme Tazı Canyon (Class IV–V). Trips include free hotel transfer, guides, gear and insurance, with prices from around €20 and pay-on-the-day booking.

Is Belek good for families?

Very much so. The shallow, warm beaches are family-friendly, the Land of Legends theme park is a full-day attraction for all ages, and gentler Köprülü Canyon rafting suits older children and beginners.

When is the best time to visit Belek?

Belek is a warm-weather destination best enjoyed from spring to autumn. The outdoor and rafting season runs roughly April to October, with hot, dry, sunny summers; July and August are the busiest and hottest months.

Things to Do in Belek: Culture, Sights & Trips

Welcome to Belek

Belek is Turkey's polished resort town on the Mediterranean coast, roughly half an hour east of Antalya's airport. Backed by fragrant umbrella-pine forests and fronted by long, sandy beaches, it grew from a quiet stretch of shoreline into one of the country's most refined holiday destinations. Today Belek is best known for two things: world-class golf and five-star luxury. Yet just beyond the manicured fairways lies some of the richest ancient history in all of Anatolia, which makes Belek an unusually good base for travellers who want both comfort and culture.

History & Culture

The countryside around Belek belonged to ancient Pamphylia, a fertile coastal plain settled by Greeks, later ruled by Persians, Alexander the Great, and finally the Romans, whose engineering still defines the landscape. The region prospered under Rome, and the monuments left behind are among the finest surviving anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Aspendos

A short drive from Belek stands the Roman theatre of Aspendos, widely regarded as the best-preserved ancient theatre in the world. Built in the 2nd century AD, its towering stage wall and steep tiers of seating remain almost intact, and the acoustics are still so good that the venue hosts concerts and opera today. Nearby you can also see the remains of a Roman aqueduct striding across the plain.

Perge

Also close by is Perge, one of the great cities of ancient Pamphylia. Wandering its long colonnaded main street, monumental gateway, stadium and baths gives a vivid sense of Roman urban life. Many of the finest statues unearthed here are displayed in the Antalya Museum, but the site itself is atmospheric and rewarding to explore on foot.

Beaches & Nature

Belek's coastline is its everyday pleasure. The beaches are long, sandy and backed by pine woodland, and the shallow, warm sea makes them ideal for families. This coast is also an important nesting ground for sea turtles, so you'll find protected dunes and a strong local awareness of the natural environment. For a change of scene, the pine forests inland are laced with quiet trails, and the Taurus Mountains rise as a dramatic backdrop just to the north.

The Land of Legends

For families, The Land of Legends theme park is Belek's headline attraction, combining a large water park, rides, shows and shopping. It's one of the biggest entertainment complexes on the Turkish coast and easily fills a full day.

Adventures & Day Trips

Belek's luxury base is perfect for slower days, but the real thrill lies in the mountains just inland. The flagship adventure from this coast is a white-water rafting day trip into the Taurus canyons, and it's the single most memorable thing many visitors do on their holiday.

The classic run is Köprülü Canyon, where the Köprüçay River carves through pine gorges over Class II–III rapids that are exciting yet family-friendly, suitable for beginners and older children. Our rafting trips from Belek include free hotel transfer, all gear, experienced guides and insurance, and you simply pay on the tour day, with prices from around €20. Browse the full range on our white-water rafting page.

Thrill-seekers can step up to the dramatic Tazı Canyon, where steeper Class IV–V water delivers a genuinely extreme rafting challenge. Many guests pair rafting with zip-lining, quad safaris or a canyon lunch, and you'll find these in our combo tours. See everything on our tours page.

Practical Tips

The rafting and outdoor season runs from roughly April to October, with warm, dry summers and a busy peak in July and August. Belek is very walkable within resort areas, but a hire car, taxi or organised transfer is the easiest way to reach Aspendos, Perge and the canyons. Because most day trips include hotel pick-up, you rarely need to arrange your own transport for excursions.

Whether you come for the golf, the beaches or the Roman ruins, don't leave without one day on the water. Rafting from Belek is the perfect way to trade the fairways for the rapids — book your rafting day trip and see the Taurus Mountains from the river.