Kemer
An aerial view of Kemer
An aerial view of Kemer
Map showing Kemer District in Antalya Province
Map showing Kemer District in Antalya Province
Kemer is located in Turkey
Kemer
Kemer
Location in Turkey
Coordinates: 36°36′N 30°33′E / 36.600°N 30.550°E / 36.600; 30.550
CountryTurkey
ProvinceAntalya
Government
  MayorNecati Topaloğlu (CHP)
Area
412 km2 (159 sq mi)
Elevation
4 m (13 ft)
Population
 (2022)[1]
49,383
  Density120/km2 (310/sq mi)
Time zoneTRT (UTC+3)
Area code0242
Websitewww.kemer.bel.tr

Kemer is a seaside resort, municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey.[2] Its area is 412 km2,[3] and its population is 49,383 (2022).[1] It is on the Mediterranean coast, 43 km (27 mi) west of the city of Antalya, on the Turkish Riviera.

Kemer is on the Gulf of Antalya, 53 km (33 mi) of sea coast with the skirts of the western Taurus Mountains behind. The coast has the typical Mediterranean hot, dry weather and warm sea. Until the early 1980s this was a quiet rural district, but today the town of Kemer and coastal villages in the district play a very important part in tourism in Turkey.

History

Historic map of Kemer by Piri Reis

Kemer was the ancient Greek city of Idyros, member of the Lycian League, which after the Ottoman era was called Eski Köy (Old Village) until a 23 km (14 mi) long stone wall was built in 1916 - 1917 to channel the mountain stream water and protect the town from flooding, which until then had been a persistent problem. The name Kemer refers to those walls.

Before the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, Greek families lived in the area with the Turks of the area peacefully coexisting. A water mill still exists in the village of Aslanbucak that used to belong to the Greeks of the village of Kemer and Aslanbucak, but the mill is currently located in private property.

Until the 1960s there was no road connection and the district was accessible only by boat. Then a road was built and from the 1980s onwards this was followed by a great investment in infrastructure, planned by the state and funded by the World Bank, aimed at developing a large tourist industry.

Demographics

The municipality is divided into 12 neighbourhoods,[4] shown in the table below with populations:

Neighbourhood Population (2022)[1]
Arslanbucak 11,795
Beldibi 3,376
Beycik 531
Çamyuva 6,067
Göynük 7,868
Kiriş 1,093
Kuzdere 5,941
Merkez 4,962
Ovacık 149
Tekirova 3,044
Ulupınar 1,315
Yenimahalle 3,242
Total 49,383

Economy

The economy of Kemer district is mostly based on tourism. In the district, which has been declared a first-degree tourism area, there are generally touristic businesses on the coast. Especially orange, lemon and tangerine are grown in the region where agriculture and fruit growing. Recently, pomegranate cultivation has also become widespread.

Tourism in Kemer

Beaches and marina of Kemer near Antalya on the Turkish Riviera

One of the major attractions of Kemer is its natural environment, including the sea, mountains and pine forests. The shore from Beldibi to Tekirova consists of a number of beaches in bays of various sizes, mostly stoney rather than sand.

Supported by transport and communication links, and related municipal services, Kemer has a large proportion of the hotel bed capacity of the Antalya region, and attracts visitors from countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and in recent years families from Russia. Many of the visitors come as part of low-cost all-inclusive package deals but tourism is still the mainstay of the local economy. There are so many visitors that most shops in Kemer are set up to sell things like leather jackets to overseas visitors, and trade in the euro as well as the Turkish lira.

Moonlight Beach near Kemer

Kemer's 320 berth marina offers several restaurants for the tourists as well as being a wintering-over marina for liveaboard sailors from the US, England and other parts of Europe.

Göynük (Goynuk) Canyon, Ulupınar, Olympos, Chimaera, Phaselis, Three Islands and Eco Park are the touristic sites of the Kemer area.

The town of Kemer has a number of clubs, bars and restaurants, blue flag beaches and a 320 capacity yacht marina. Coastal villages include Beldibi, Kiriş, Çayova, Aslanbucak, Kuzdere, Beycik, Çamyuva, Göynük, and Çıralı.

Annual events in the area include art exhibitions in Phaselis, boat races, WRC (World Rally Championship), Turkey Offshore Championship, Turkey Motocross Championship, Phaselis Art Festival, and Kemer Carnival. International pop stars and DJs, such as Tarkan and DJ Tiesto, give summer concerts on this coast.

The Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (Turkish: Cumhurbaşkanlığı Bisiklet Turu) is a professional road bicycle racing stage race held each spring.

In recent years there is a rising number of outdoor enthusiasts visiting Kemer for trekking the Lycian Way and for mountain biking.

Climate

Kemer has a hot Mediterranean climate with very hot, long and dry summers with cool, rainy winters. In the height of summer temperatures frequently exceed 40 °C (104 °F).

Climate data for Kemer
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 22
(72)
23
(73)
28
(82)
34
(93)
39
(102)
45
(113)
45
(113)
44
(111)
42
(108)
38
(100)
34
(93)
26
(79)
45
(113)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 14
(57)
15
(59)
19
(66)
23
(73)
28
(82)
33
(91)
35
(95)
36
(97)
34
(93)
28
(82)
22
(72)
16
(61)
25
(77)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 5
(41)
6
(43)
8
(46)
12
(54)
15
(59)
19
(66)
22
(72)
22
(72)
19
(66)
15
(59)
11
(52)
6
(43)
13
(56)
Record low °C (°F) −8
(18)
−4
(25)
0
(32)
−1
(30)
5
(41)
1
(34)
13
(55)
13
(55)
11
(52)
2
(36)
1
(34)
−4
(25)
−8
(18)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 108
(4.3)
89
(3.5)
100
(3.9)
98
(3.9)
87
(3.4)
58
(2.3)
21
(0.8)
18
(0.7)
27
(1.1)
58
(2.3)
68
(2.7)
125
(4.9)
857
(33.8)
Average rainy days 11 10 9 8 6 3 1 1 2 6 8 12 77
Source 1: Weatherbase [5]
Source 2: Weather2 [6]

Transport

Kemer Bus Terminal, which was put into operation in 1990, has facilitated the transportation of the district. There are bus services to Kemer Bus Terminal from almost every city in Turkey. There are regular shuttles from the surrounding districts to Kemer Bus Station every day.

Places of interest

Sites of natural interest

Historical sites

International relations

Kemer hosted the 2007 World Youth Chess Championship

Kemer is twinned with

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Address-based population registration system (ADNKS) results dated 31 December 2022, Favorite Reports" (XLS). TÜİK. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  2. Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  3. "İl ve İlçe Yüz ölçümleri". General Directorate of Mapping. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  4. Mahalle, Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. "Kemer, Turkey Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)".
  6. "March Climate History for Kemer | Local | Turkey". Archived from the original on 2012-03-20.
  7. "Oriental plane close to Gedelme village in Kemer, Mediterranean Region, Turkey". monumentaltrees.com. 2015.
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