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Çıralı (pronounced tcherale!) is a small village located on the
mediterranean coast, in the district of Kemer and the region
of Antalya, south of Turkey.
Çıralı is situated 80 km west of Antalya, between the towns of
Kemer and Kumluca. Located in the foothill of Mount Olympos (Tahtalı
Dağ 2366m), the bay of Çıralı is a triangular shaped plain surrounded
by mountains, with a 3,2 km long beach limited on both ends by cliffs.
The beach with a width varying from 50m to 100m, is a mixture of
fine sand and pebbles. In the winter months, three streams reach
the sea on the Çıralı shore.
Along with its beautiful natural and historical features, Çıralı
is also famous for its citrus groves and its greenhouses producing
vegetables in the winter. With a population of 1000 local inhabitants,
the village has a touristic capacity of 1500 beds, mainly offered
by family-run guest houses.
The bay is protected by legal status aiming to preserve both its
natural assets and its historical and archeological wealth. İt is
divided into different zones of protection trying to control the
impact of development. The valley sheltering the ancient city of
Olympos and the neighbouring shore are protected archeological sites.
The beach and the bay have been designated as a protected areas
of natural interests of 1st and 2nd degree. The ecological environment
of the bay along with a rich and diverse fauna and flora also plays
a vital role in the reproduction of the sea turtles Caretta caretta,
an endangered specie.
Although tourism has been a growing sector in the village over
the years, its protected status has spared it from major touristic
development so that no big hotels nor commercial centers have been
built. It is one of the only places left on the Antalya coast where
you will find small scale alternative tourism with most pensions
hidden amongst the orange trees and chicken roaming freely on the
streets. Because of the agriculture sector and the village school,
life in Çıralı can be felt all year round.
There are no post office, bank nor doctors in the village but you
can find a few grocery stores selling basic goods, a pharmacy, a
couple of gift shops and rent-a-car offices.
There are open markets taking places in the neighbouring towns on
a few days of the week. These are easily accessible by car or by
bus. Both Kemer and Antalya have hospitals and also provide further
opportunities for night life and shopping.
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