Çıralı & Yanartaş

A sea-turtle nesting beach, ancient Olympos, and natural flames rising from the rock.

Why it is worth visiting

Çıralı is one of the few places where, in a single day, you can swim at a beach, walk through an ancient city and watch flames rise from the rock in the dark. This coast in the Kemer district has stayed largely free of the concrete that surrounds much of the region, which makes it one of the Mediterranean’s quietest corners.

The character of the coast

The long pebble beach forms a thin strip between the mountains behind it and the open sea. It is also a nesting ground for loggerhead sea turtles. During the nesting season in particular, keeping light off the beach at night, staying away from marked nests and leaving no trace matter for the future of the place. Responsible visiting is part of the price of seeing Çıralı as it is today.

Ancient Olympos

The southern end of the beach opens onto the ruins of the ancient Lycian city of Olympos. Sarcophagi, baths and gate remains scattered among the trees along the streambed recall a city that was once an important port. Walking down to the beach through the ruins is one of the best ways to see the area.

The flames of Yanartaş

North of the beach, Yanartaş lies within the Beydağları Coastal National Park, at about 250 metres above sea level. The flames here form when methane gas seeping from the rocks below reaches the surface and ignites on its own — one of the few continuously burning natural gas sources anywhere. In antiquity the flames were tied to the myth of the fire-breathing Chimaera recorded by Homer; the myth is striking, but the explanation for the flames is geological.

Day and evening

The climb to Yanartaş follows a stony path of about 20–25 minutes from the car park; walking shoes and water help. The flames are visible by day, but they come into their own after dark. Most visitors spend the day at the beach and climb to Yanartaş toward evening. Since the return is in darkness, a torch is essential.

Planning a day

The way to do Çıralı justice is to split the day in two. Morning and afternoon can be spent on the beach and among the ruins of ancient Olympos, with the late afternoon saved for the climb to Yanartaş. That order both avoids the daytime heat and lets you see the flames in the dark. Because the village is small and quiet, dinner and lodging are mostly handled at the guesthouses behind the beach. As the return from Yanartaş will be in darkness, a torch and careful walking matter; the path is stony and steep in places.

Nearby

To the south, the cove of Adrasan offers a quieter swim, while the Mount Tahtalı cable car is a close option for anyone wanting to go from sea to summit in the same area.