The Mediterranean Region - Turkey with Your Family: From Bustling Bazaars to Historic Sites - page 162

Nature Reserves, Parks &
Gardens

★★
Aqualand, Dumlupinar Bulvari
Konyaalti, Antalya. b [phone]
00; www.beachpark.com.tr

Aqualand

VALUE

★★
Kepezaltı, Antalya b [phone]
76 60.

Antalya Zoo

GREEN

A family holiday in the
Mediterranean region of Turkey
wouldn't be complete without a
visit to Aqualand and its neigh-
bouring Dolphinland (see
below) - both are havens
designed very much with chil-
dren in mind. Aqualand, as its
name suggests, is a purpose-
designed complex full to the brim
with water flumes and slides,
some around 100m in length that
twist and turn, and lagoon-style
swimming pools. Many of the
pools even have caves in which to
swim and explore, and there's a
wave pool, a whirlpool and
another specially reserved for
watersports. Crazy River is an
area where children can take a
raft down a slide into a pool,
while young children of 5 years
and under have their own super-
vised playground and water area.
The complex has been carefully
thought out, and there are plenty
of restaurants with menus tai-
lored for children, and toilet and
baby-changing facilities.
Open 9am-6pm daily, with reduced
winter times. Admission 40 YTL
adults, 25 YTL children, under 4s
free. Amenities restaurants, baby-
changing facilities, under-5s play-
ground and pool.

More than 750 animals of nearly
90 different species can be found
at the Antalya Zoo in Kepezaltı.
Among them are alligators and
snakes, which will be sure to
make your little ones shriek,
along with apes and cheetahs.
They'll love the African Ostriches
as they playfully move around
their enclosures too, and enjoy
watching the numerous bird fam-
ilies that include cranes, pelicans,
storks, ducks, hens, pheasants,
pigeons and even gulls. There are
parrots and songbirds too. This is
one of the most popular tourist
attractions in Antalya, and sees
thousands of visitors every day.
Children can learn about animals
that are under the threat of
extinction and how the zoo is
working to protect them through
a series of posters and workshops.
They can see animals being fed
and, because enclosures are
designed to resemble natural
habitats, see how they would live
if they were in the wild. Antalya
zoo has refreshment outlets, toi-
lets and picnic areas. On a glori-
ous sunny Mediterranean day, a
visit to see the animals in the zoo
followed by a picnic on the lawns
will be a great family day out for
sure.
Open 9am-5pm daily. Admission 15
YTL adults, 8 YTL children.

Beydaglari Natural Park,
Antalya
Located 12km south of Antalya.

Otherwise known as Olympos,
the Beydaglari Natural Park is

162