Finike Turkey. Living in the Turkish “Orange Paradise”

Where is the town of Finike located? what is it like? is it a place for vacationing or living? what kind of tourists does Finike appeal to? what can you do in your free time there?

A small resort town in the province of Antalya Finike was founded in the 5th century BC. It is located between the cities of Kumluca and Demre, in the south of the Teke peninsula. The symbol of the city is an orange with a monument to this juicy fruit standing in the center of the town.

The mild Mediterranean climate and favorable geographical location attract tourists to come here, but there are incomparably fewer of them than in Antalya or Alanya itself.

Therefore, Finike is considered a haven for those who prefer to relax in peace and quiet being away from night parties and crowds of tourists on the beaches. It also helps that there are almost no big and noisy 5-star hotels in Finikе.

A little more than 49 thousand people permanently live in Finike.

However, a lot of respectable yachtsmen often arrive here to take a rest, thus, you can find a luxurious marina the capacity of which is to accommodate more than 300 ships.

Sea and beaches

The central well-maintained beach of Finike is located very near the town center. The beach is sandy, with a gentle entry into the water, so it is suitable for children.

If all of a sudden you make up your mind to find a pebble beach, then you have to set off to the western part of the city, there are many small coves. But be careful, there are lots of turtles that can be found on the rocky shores, which come ashore to lay eggs. Don’t disturb them!

The Mediterranean Sea in Finike allows you to enjoy a beach holiday most of the year – in August the sea water temperature reaches 29 degrees Celsius, and at the end of October it remains at the level of June – 24 degrees Celsius above zero.

Near the central beach in Finike, there are cafes and restaurants where you can try dishes made of blue crab, which is found in coastal waters, as well as a traditional Turkish breakfast.

Transport accessibility

Antalya International Airport is 90 kilometers away from Finike. You can get to the town from there by taking a regular bus, a shuttle, a rented car, or a minibus called a dolmush.

The coastal highway D-400 with its excellent asphalt surface will amaze you with picturesque views along the way. Highway D-635 runs from the interior of Turkey to Finike.

In the town itself, you can also ride a bike. In fact, it is a small place with a well-worked-out infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists.

Products and cost of living

In general, the cost of living in Finike is 20-30% lower than in major tourist cities. This is, first of all, the cost of renting housing. There are no luxurious expensive restaurants here, only one 5-star hotel, whose name is FUN & SUN Club Di Finica, so the prices for food and entertainment are moderate.

Life Safety

Travelers and tourists feel completely safe in Finike. This is a dwelling place where Turkish hospitality can be felt from the very first minutes of your stay. The crime rate here is much lower than in the capital and major tourist centers.

Education in Finike

There are several secondary schools, two lyceums, and an elementary school in Finike. There is also a private school where, of course, you have to pay tuition fees. The children of English speakers who have come here for permanent residence usually study remotely. And to receive higher education, students from Finike go to big cities, for example, Antalya.

Medical care in Finike

You can be sure that you will find inexpensive medical and health care of high quality in Finike, too: there are two public hospitals in the town, which have 24/7 ACIL ambulances. You can go here with an injury, high fever, and other emergencies at any time of the day of the week. Public clinics are well equipped, they are not worse than private ones. Many medical services are covered by the insurance policy partly or totally.

Culture and entertainment

Spoiled by a huge variety of activities, tourists are unlikely to find something like that in Finike. As a rule, most tourists come here for a leisurely rest, surrounded by stunning coniferous forests and orange groves. Life of full activities here booms only in the middle of summer when a local festival is held in the town with night performances, culinary competitions, concerts, and exhibitions.

But lovers of yachting, diving, and fishing will not be disappointed. For a relatively small fee, you can rent a yacht in Finike and ride through the clearest waters of the Mediterranean Sea, even reaching Olympos.

This is an ancient town on the territory of the National Park with well-preserved ancient buildings. Not far from this place there is a flooded Gek cave, which is considered one of the deepest in Asia. Individual and group tours are arranged for divers.

Numerous field trips to the ancient towns of the southern coast start from Finike. For example, you can visit Elmali with a 17th-century mosque, baths, and a market. Just 10 kilometers away from Finike are the ruins of Limyra, and 30 kilometers is Demre with St. Nicholas's Church. If you like boat trips, go on a tour of the town of Simena, and be sure to choose a yacht with a transparent bottom. During the boat ride, you can see the ruins of the ancient town, which was flooded during the earthquake.

Children in Finike will not be bored, either. For them, there is an amusement park as well as a water park. The city has excellent playgrounds, plenty of parks, and town gardens.

Adaptation among the locals

Mostly, Turks live in Finike, among tourists, there are many Europeans who are fond of yachting. Tourists, of course, come on vacation, but they are few. There is also no Russian-speaking community, although housing in the town is well-bought by foreigners, as a result, its attractiveness is increased by affordable prices.

Locals are friendly to visitors. Some sellers in the markets and shops can speak Russian, but you definitely have to learn a few basic phrases in Turkish to feel comfortable and get by with locals. However, if you show the driver a piece of paper with the word "pharmacy" in Turkish, they will take you to the place without any problems.

Shopping

There are no large shopping and entertainment centers or bazaars with souvenirs and other trifles in the town. Local residents buy food in the markets, where there is a huge variety of fresh vegetables and fruits all year round.

Sport

The city has a large stadium where football teams and athletes train on a daily basis. There is a sports complex, and a gym, and you can go jogging right on the coastline or in parks. In general, the attitude towards sport is excellent just like in any other city of Turkey – a healthy lifestyle is promoted in the country at the state level, and most sports clubs for children are free.

Religion

In terms of religious and cultural traditions, Finike is an ordinary Turkish town with about ten mosques in it. Most of the locals lead a secular lifestyle, no one requires tourists and foreigners coming for permanent residence to observe religious norms. But, of course, it will be great if you treat traditions with respect.

Cafes and restaurants

There are no expensive restaurants in the town. And most places where you can eat out are located not by the sea and, in fact, they are aimed at local residents. That is why their prices are low.

You can have a snack, drink tea or coffee and have a hearty dinner in any of the numerous cafes: Klass Pastane & Cafe, Sandal Beach Cafe, Şişci Ömer'in Yeri.

Most of the cafes are located along the main street of the town called Sherbetchi Boulevard. And, of course, Turkish breakfast Kahvaltı is served almost everywhere which consists of a lot of snacks with menemen omelet, gozleme and bazlam flatbreads.

Real estate

Real estate in Finike is represented mainly by villas and apartments in Finike in different complexes or houses. Complexes have their own car parks, a cozy local area, security, and video surveillance. Among the real estate offers, there are those that are suitable for obtaining a residence permit.