Follow the road north from Manavgat into the Taurus Mountains and, sooner or later, you arrive at Beskonak - a modest village strung along the banks of the cold, turquoise Koprucay. This is the launch point for almost every rafting trip in the region, and the true gateway to Koprulu Canyon.
A village shaped by the river
Beskonak sits inside Koprulu Canyon National Park, in the pine and cypress country of the western Taurus. For centuries life here has been quietly bound to the Koprucay, the river that carves the canyon. Fed largely by karst springs deep in the limestone, the water runs remarkably cold and clear even at the height of an Antalya summer - a fact you feel the moment it splashes over the raft.
The village itself is small and unhurried. Riverside terraces cling to the water's edge, wooden platforms hang out over the current, and the surrounding slopes rise steeply into forest. It is the kind of place where the temperature drops a few welcome degrees the instant you step out of the coastal heat.
The base camps: where the rafting day begins
Strung along the Koprucay around Beskonak are the rafting base camps - the working heart of the village's tourism. Here you are fitted with a helmet, buoyancy aid and paddle, given a safety briefing, and split into raft crews before the shuttle carries you upstream to the put-in.
The classic descent runs roughly 14 kilometres of mostly grade II-III water: lively enough to be genuinely fun, gentle enough for first-timers and families. Between the rapids there are long, calm turquoise pools where guides often let you slip into the water and float. Most trips launched from Beskonak follow this same stretch, which is why the village has become synonymous with Antalya rafting. You can see how a full day comes together on our rafting from Side page, and browse the wider range of options on our tours page.
Trout restaurants and riverside tables
No description of Beskonak is complete without its restaurants. Along the banks, and clustered near the historic Oluk Bridge, sit the trout houses the valley is famous for. Fed by the same cold, spring-fresh water, farmed river trout is the local speciality - typically grilled or pan-fried and served simply at tables set right over the rushing current, in the shade of the trees.
For many visitors this riverside lunch is the lasting memory of the day: paddling done, still slightly damp, eating fresh trout with the sound of the Koprucay a couple of metres below your feet. Most organised rafting excursions build in a stop like this, turning a couple of hours on the water into a proper day out.
The gateway to the canyon
Beskonak is more than a starting line. From here the deeper wonders of the national park open up. A short way along the gorge stands the Roman-era Oluk Bridge, a graceful stone arch spanning the Koprucay - proof that people have been crossing this canyon for the best part of two thousand years. High on the slopes above, reached by a steep mountain road, lie the ruins of Selge, an ancient Pisidian and Roman city with a remarkable theatre and long views over the forested peaks. The wider region is also threaded by the long-distance St Paul Trail, popular with walkers exploring the Taurus.
Many travellers pair their rafting with a visit to the bridge or a drive up to Selge, making Beskonak the natural base from which to experience the canyon by both water and land.
Why the village matters
It would be easy to treat Beskonak as a car park with rapids. In truth it is the living connective tissue of the whole experience - the place where the guides live, where the river's rhythm sets the pace of the day, and where the food, the forest and the cold clear water all come together. Understanding the village is understanding why Koprulu Canyon feels different from anywhere else on the Antalya coast.
Ready to see it for yourself? The easiest way to reach the heart of the canyon is a guided day on the water - explore our rafting from Side trips and let Beskonak be the start of your Taurus adventure.
