Hidden high in a rugged mountain valley, 34km northwest of Antalya, lies the ruined but still massive ancient city of Termessos. Neither Greek nor Lycian, the inhabitants were Pisidian, fierce and prone to warring. They successfully fought off Alexander the Great in 333 BC, and the Romans (perhaps wisely) accepted Termessos' wishes to remain independent and an ally in 70 BC.
In the car park, at the end of the Termessos access road (King's Road), you come across the lower city ruins . The portal on the hillock to the west was once the entrance to the Artemis-Hadrian Temple and Hadrian Propylaeum . From here follow the steep path south; you'll see remains of the lower city walls on both sides and pass through the city gate before reaching, in about 20 minutes, the lower gymnasium and baths on your left.
A short distance uphill from the lower city ruins are the remnants of Termessos' upper city walls and a colonnaded street . Just above is the upper agora and its five large cisterns; an ideal spot to explore slowly and to catch a bit of shade.
On the eastern side of the upper agora is the theatre , which enjoys a positively jaw-dropping position atop a peak, surrounded by a mountain range; you can see Antalya on a clear day. Walk southwest from the theatre to view the cut-limestone bouleuterion , but use caution when scrambling across the crumbled Temple of Artemis and Temple of Zeus south of it.
Termessos' southern necropolis is at the very top of the valley, 3km – or one hour's walk – up from the car park at the site entrance.
Termessos is spread out and requires much scrambling over loose rocks and up steep though well-marked paths. Allow a minimum of two hours to explore the site, and bring plenty of drinking water.
Taxi tours from Antalya cost around TL170, or you could take an organised or group excursions for about TL50 cheaper. An even cheaper option is to catch a bus from Antalya otogar bound for Korkuteli (TL12) and alight at the entrance to the national park. Taxis waiting here in the warmer months will run you up the 9km-long King's Rd to the ruins and back for about TL25.
