Antalya–Kemer–Olympos: The Classic Taurus Mountain Loop

Route Overview

The Kemer loop begins and ends in Antalya, covering approximately 120km in a roughly circular route that hugs the coastline westward, turns south past Phaselis and Olimpos, and returns to Antalya via the mountain gorge road of Kesme Boğazı. The full circuit takes five to six hours including stops — a comfortable day ride that can also be split across two days with an overnight in Çıralı or Olimpos.

This is not a high-speed route. The D400 from Antalya to Kemer is fast and smooth, but south of Kemer the road narrows and the corners arrive steadily. The return via Kesme Boğazı is a genuine mountain road — steep, narrow in places, and completely different in character from the coastal stretch. That contrast is exactly what makes this loop so satisfying.

Antalya to Kemer: The Coastal Start

The first 35km from Antalya to Kemer is the smoothest section of the loop — wide road, moderate traffic, and continuous sea views through the pine forest that begins almost immediately west of the city. The road passes Beldibi and Göynük before arriving in Kemer, a purpose-built resort town with a good marina, a beach promenade, and several fuel stations. This is the last easy fuel stop before the road gets more remote.

Kemer itself is worth a short stop for breakfast or coffee if you leave Antalya early. The marina area has good cafés that open from 07:00, and the short walk along the beach promenade after coffee before getting back on the bike is a ritual many of our regular customers have adopted. The backdrop of the Bey Mountains rising directly from the coast is already impressive here — the road ahead takes you directly into them.

South of Kemer: Where the Road Gets Interesting

South of Kemer the resort strip gives way to genuine pine forest, and the D400 begins to narrow and twist. The first major stop is Phaselis — an ancient Lycian harbour city of extraordinary beauty that sits where three bays meet. The ruins include a colonnaded main street, three separate harbours, an aqueduct, and a well-preserved theatre. A walking track of about 1km connects the car park to the main ruins and to the northern beach, which is sheltered, calm, and turquoise.

Phaselis was a favourite resort of Alexander the Great, who wintered here in 333 BC before his campaign into Persia. The historical weight of the place sits lightly — it is more a beautiful coastal park with ruins in it than a formal archaeological site. In May and October, you may well have the northern beach entirely to yourself.

Ulupınar: The Trout Valley

Eight kilometres south of Phaselis, a signed turn west off the D400 leads 2km up a side valley to Ulupınar — a cluster of open-air restaurants built over and around a fast-flowing cold river. The restaurants serve freshwater trout farmed in channels fed directly from the mountain spring, accompanied by salads, bread, and ayran. The sound of rushing water, the shade of the plane trees, and the cold river air make this a natural lunch stop regardless of whether you are particularly fond of trout.

Ulupınar has been known to regular visitors to this route for decades, but remains genuinely unpretentious — wooden tables on raised platforms over the water, cats waiting patiently beneath, and waiters who have been serving the same route riders for years. Arrive before midday to claim a riverside table; after 13:00 the coach tour groups from Kemer's hotels fill the outdoor area. The ride back down to the D400 from Ulupınar takes less than five minutes.

Olimpos and the Chimera

Olimpos sits in a valley of ancient ruins where the river flows through the remains of a Lycian and later Roman city before emptying onto a pebble beach. The site is managed as an open-air museum — walk from the car park through the ruins (entrance fee applies) to the beach, which has remarkably clear water and no development beyond a few seasonal beach cafés. Tree-house pensions and small boutique camps operate just outside the archaeological site and make excellent overnight options.

The Chimera (Yanartaş in Turkish — 'burning rock') is a hillside 3km from Olimpos where natural methane seeping through fissures in the rock has been burning continuously since antiquity. The walk from the car park takes 35–45 minutes uphill on a rocky path; start the climb no later than 16:00 to arrive before sunset. The flames are more vivid at dusk and after dark — in daylight they appear as pale blue flickers, but as the sky darkens they intensify to a deep orange that has been visible from ships at sea since antiquity.

Best Motorcycles for This Route

The Kemer loop suits almost any motorcycle, but the character of the road shifts significantly from the coastal section to the mountain return. For riders who plan to stay on the D400 throughout and take the coastal road back to Antalya, the Yamaha XMAX 400, Honda Forza 250, or Yamaha NMAX 155 are all entirely comfortable choices.

For the Kesme Boğazı mountain return — which includes a few kilometres of road that is narrow, cambered, and occasionally has gravel from rockfall — an adventure bike (BMW R1250GS, Honda Africa Twin, or Yamaha Tracer 700) gives more confidence. The Yamaha Tracer 700 is our most frequently requested bike for this specific loop: its combination of sporty handling, comfortable long-distance ergonomics, and genuine off-road capability makes it the best all-round choice for a route that blends fast coastal riding with mountain gorge work.

The Mountain Return: Kesme Boğazı Gorge

The return from Olimpos to Antalya via the inland mountain road is one of the great hidden rides of the Antalya region. From Olimpos, retrace the D400 north for a few kilometres before turning east onto the D635 toward Kuzdere. The road climbs immediately and steeply through the pine forest, with the gradient easing as you enter the gorge itself.

Kesme Boğazı (literally 'cut gorge') is a narrow limestone canyon where the road follows the river upstream through walls that rise several hundred metres on both sides. The road is paved but narrow — single lane in the tightest sections — and there is no traffic. Pull over occasionally to listen: the only sounds are the river, wind in the pines above, and the occasional kite circling on thermals. The gorge emerges at Kuzdere village, where the road widens and begins the gentle descent back toward Antalya through orange and lemon groves.

Practical Information

Fuel: Fill in Antalya before departure and again in Kemer. There are no fuel stations between Kemer and the Olimpos area. The distance from Kemer to Olimpos is about 35km — any motorcycle in our fleet will comfortably cover this on a full tank. If you are doing the full Kesme Boğazı return, note that the next fuel after Olimpos is in Kuzdere (about 20km inland) or back in Antalya.

This loop is achievable as a day trip in five to six hours if you leave Antalya by 08:30. For a more relaxed pace — Chimera at dusk, overnight in Olimpos or Çıralı, and the Kesme return the following morning — two days are ideal. We offer free hotel delivery in the Kemer area for rentals of three days or more. Contact us on WhatsApp for pickup and drop-off coordination — we handle multi-point itineraries regularly.

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