Antalya

Is Antalya safe?

Yes. Antalya is one of the calmer parts of Turkey for a visitor, and crime is not what usually goes wrong on a holiday there. Eurostat's regional data put Antalya province at about 2.6 homicides per 100,000Homicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary people in 2024, and most of those killings were not random attacks on strangers. Residents feel safe: 80% told the European Commission's 2023 city survey that they feel safe walking alone at night, against 44% in Istanbul.

What harms visitors is more ordinary: the roads, the summer heat and wildfires, and the sea. We score Antalya 76, ahead of Istanbul and Athens, behind Dubai.

Crime and scams in the resorts

Most visitors stay in all-inclusive hotels along the coast at Lara, Belek, Side, Kemer or Alanya, or in the old town of Kaleiçi and along Konyaaltı beach in the city. The UK Foreign Office's warnings about street robbery and pickpocketing are aimed at Istanbul; the Turkish Riviera sees much less of it. Recorded robbery in Antalya province was about 12 per 100,000 in 2024, below Kraków.

What you will meet is money trouble rather than danger:

• Unofficial taxis. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary calls lifts from unofficial drivers "highly risky". Use registered yellow taxis, note the plate and make sure the meter runs, or book a transfer through your hotel.
• Overpriced extras. Boat trips, hamam packages and "free" shop visits on excursions can end in hard selling of leather, carpets and jewellery. Agree prices in writing first.
• Counterfeit dollars. Banks may refuse $50 and $100 notes because of fakes, the FCDO says. Pay in lira or by card.
• Beach theft. Keep phones and wallets out of sight on public beaches and use the room safe.

Nights out, drinks and assaults

Antalya's nightlife runs late in Kaleiçi, around the harbour and in Lara and Konyaaltı, and Alanya is louder still. The main streets feel safe after dark, which matches the survey: Antalya ranked 15th of 80 European cities for night safety, with 83% of residents feeling safe in their own neighbourhood.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary has two warnings that matter in resorts. First, among 4.27 million British visitors to Turkey in 2025, 29 sexual assaults, including rape, were reported to consular staff, most during the season in coastal resorts and often by someone the victim met that day, including hotel and spa staff. There have also been attacks on children using toilets alone. Second, people in Turkey have died from illegally produced spirits and fake branded bottles containing methanol. Buy your own drinks, keep them in sight, and stick to beer, wine or sealed bottles.

The roads are the biggest risk

This is where Antalya scores worst. TÜİK figures show 258 road deaths in Antalya province in 2025, the fourth-highest count in Turkey and about 9.5 per 100,000 residents, roughly five times the rate in Istanbul. The figure covers the whole province, including mountain roads and the D400 coastal highway that links the resorts, and millions of tourists add traffic in summer.

• Book airport transfers with a known company rather than hiring a car for the first night.
• Think twice about renting scooters or quad bikes. Helmets are compulsory and police fine riders without them.
• The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says jeep safaris have had a number of accidents. Ask about seat belts and insurance.
• Cross at lights. Drivers often ignore zebra crossings.

Heat, wildfires and the sea

Summer in Antalya is hot, and July and August days regularly reach the mid-30s Celsius or higher. Heat exhaustion is easy to get on an excursion to Perge or Aspendos at midday. Go early, carry water and rest in the afternoon.

Wildfires are a real summer hazard. The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says the risk is high from April to October. In July 2021 a fire near Manavgat, fanned by strong winds, killed three people, burned homes and forced villages and some hotels to evacuate. Lighting a fire or throwing away a cigarette in woodland can bring a fine or prison sentence. If local authorities tell you to leave your hotel, go.

The FCDO also says people drown every year in Turkey's sea and pools. Some beaches have strong currents and hidden rocks. Follow the flags (red means stay out), swim where there are lifeguards, never jump headfirst into unknown water, and watch children even in hotel pools. Book water sports only at licensed centres.

Antalya lies in a moderate earthquake zone, less exposed than Istanbul or western Turkey. Flash floods after autumn storms can block roads.

Health care and water

Antalya has modern private hospitals used to foreign patients, and many large hotels have a doctor on call. Treatment is quick but billed, so travel insurance matters. If you are considering cosmetic or dental surgery, the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary notes that seven British nationals died in Turkey in 2025 after medical procedures; talk to your own doctor first. Drink bottled water.

How we scored it

Walking at night (85) and violent crime (84) are Antalya's strongest factors. Theft and scams (80) reflects overcharging more than theft. Traffic safety (52) is the weakest, because of the province's high road death rate, and natural hazards (66) reflects wildfires, heat and drowning. Night safety follows the EU's 2023 survey of residents, which we use for every European city.