Discover Kumluca: Landscape, Culture and Tradition

Discover Kumluca through its landscape and traditions: the town centre lies on an alluvial plain, the municipality is home to natural attractions, and historic sites and Gelidonya Lighthouse are nearby. Regular camel wrestling events and a past edition of the traditional Yağlı Pehlivan Güreşleri add to the mix. These different highlights can help guide your holiday apartment search: consider whether you would like your trip to focus primarily on local culture, nature or excursions in the surrounding area.

An alluvial plain and nature within the municipality

Kumluca town centre lies on an alluvial plain formed by deposits carried down from the mountains by Alakır Çayı and Gavur Deresi. This describes the location of the centre; the Alakır Valley offers a different landscape within the municipality. It is home to a first-degree nature reserve, where many endemic plants can be seen.

Kargılıdere is also within the municipality of Kumluca and is considered a suitable place for camping and nature sports. This gives you a choice of different nature-related activities: the plant life of the Alakır Valley and the camping and nature sports opportunities in Kargılıdere. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can weigh up these interests against your preference for staying in the town centre or elsewhere in the municipality.

Wrestling traditions and festival culture

The traditional Kumluca Yağlı Pehlivan Güreşleri and camel wrestling are different types of events. The 25th edition of the Yağlı Pehlivan Güreşleri was held at Kumluca City Stadium. Camel wrestling, by contrast, is held regularly in Kumluca today; along with Demre, it is one of the two places where such events are held regularly.

Across the wider Antalya travel region, camel wrestling is largely part of a Yörük tradition that brings together folk music, crafts and other cultural elements. The chilli pepper eating contest at the 27th Tarım ve Seracılık Festivali in Kumluca district added another festival highlight. It complemented the wrestling traditions with a food-based competition. Together, these examples show different aspects of cultural life, without implying that a particular festival edition takes place regularly.

Cultural sites and nearby attractions

The 70. Yıl Kent Müzesi opened on 5 January 2024 at Cumhuriyet Meydanı in Kumluca. Korydalla, now called Hacıveliler, lies one kilometre west of the centre of Kumluca district. The ancient city of Kitanaura is located within the boundaries of Gölcük in the district, around 40 kilometres from the district centre. It can be reached by car or by Gölcük minibuses from the district bus station. If you plan to take the minibuses, check the latest departure times in advance.

Gelidonya Lighthouse is also nearby, along the Lycian Way route. The area around the lighthouse offers opportunities for mountain and nature walks, camping and nature photography. These activities offer a different focus from visiting cultural sites, bringing movement and nature to the fore. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth sorting the destinations by the themes that interest you most and choosing your holiday apartment accordingly.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Elmalı, Kargicak, Duacı, Payallar, Bozyaka Bucağı, Türkler Belediyesi, Sarıbelen, Okurcalar.

Go to the main travel overview: Antalya.