Finike
Finike is located on the south of the Teke coast, 90-minute drive west of the modern city and capital of the region, Antalya. Finike, which was formerly known as Phoenicus was founded in the 5th century by the Phoenicians and served as a major trading port for the region under the Persian rule. The ancient port later became part of Alexander the Great's Empire, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, it fell to the Seljuk Turks and finally came under the Ottoman Empire. The resilient port town has survived attacks of armies from Syria, Egypt, Rhodes and was temporarily occupied by Arab forces. Historical sites are dotted about the town and ancient sites remain scattered across the rugged mountain backdrop.
Despite a huge increase in tourism in southwest Turkey, the town of Finike had remained mostly untouched. The old port is now a modern marina which hosts a small fleet of fishing boats plus Traditional Turkish Gulet boats. The town's main source of income comes from the cultivation of oranges, the flat plains east of the town are filled almost exclusively with orange orchards. Street vendors can be seen selling the juicy fruit every hundred meters or so. Even the local symbol of the town is an orange although this is not the regions only produce. Every Saturday a huge agricultural market is held, where you can find an abundance of fresh fruit and veg, meats, cheeses, olives, nuts, and other locally sourced products.
A wide sandy beach stretches to the east of the city for over 20 kilometres, the sea here is rich in underwater life and the beaches are home to rare loggerhead sea turtles and the protected Mediterranean monk seal. Sea bass, sardines, sea bream and swordfish have also been spotted along the coastline.
Finike is well connected by local buses to other major towns along the coast, at less than an hour from the tomato growing town, Demre and the popular holiday town, Kas.