Lara Beach – All You Need to Know

Lara Beach is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Antalya, Turkey. It features a long sandy beach with many hotels and beach clubs, making it one of our favorite destinations in Antalya. Here is all you need to know about Lara Beach in 2020.

Beach

Lara beach is a long stretch of sandy beach on the eastern side of Antalya at around 15 km (10 miles) from the city center. It is the second closest beach to the city after Konyaalti beach and the only sandy beach. It has earned the European Blue Flag which is a guarantee for safety, sustainability and cleanliness of the beach and waters.

Public Beach

The cheapest and easiest way to enjoy the beach is to simply throw a towel on the beach near the sea and enjoy life. This is certainly possible at Lara Beach given its sizeable stretch of public beach.

You don’t need to worry about showers and changing cabins as these are available to everyone at these public beaches.

Beach clubs

The other option is to check out one of the many beach clubs. Here you will be provided with individual sunbeds or a cabin to lounge. These beach clubs have a private beach where people who haven’t paid for a sunbed are not allowed.

The beach clubs also provide drinks, snacks, food and entertainment in the form of lounge music. They are a great choice if you are looking for a more upscale experience while at the beach and like to be served while sunbathing. Our personal favorite is Oba Beach Club.

Things to Do

Apart from the usual sunbathing and swimming there are countless other activities that can be enjoyed at Lara beach.

Jet Ski

Jet skiing is a popular activity that can be done at Lara beach. It is amazing fun to jet over the water with a machine. The rental price of a Jet Ski is usually around $50-80 per 10-15 minutes.

Parasailing

Parasailing is another amazing activity where you get towed by a boat while attached to a kite. By gaining altitude you can enjoy the amazing views of Antalya’s surroundings. Check out parasailing in Antalya for a truly unforgettable experience.

How to Get There

Lara beach is located near the city center making it easily accessible. If you’re staying in Antalya we recommend you take a taxi there. Taxis are relatively cheap and are easy to find anywhere in the city or near the beach on your way back.

It is also possible to get to Lara Beach by bus but in our opinion it is not worth the extra hassle over taking a taxi.

Places to Stay

There are many excellent hotels to choose from at Lara Beach. Lara Beach is an outstanding place to stay due to its location near Antalya Airport. It will only take you 15 minutes to reach any of these hotels by car. Here is our top 5 places to stay near Lara Beach.

5. Delphin Imperial Hotel

Delphin Imperial Hotel is a modern high-end beachfront resort featuring an art-deco decor. It features 9 restaurants, outdoor pools, water slides, a spa, gym, kid’s clubs and private beach.

The rooms are very modern and are in good condition. The cleanliness of the rooms and bathrooms at this hotel are good. The staff is known to be professional and friendly especially housekeeping.

4. Ramada Resort Lara

Ramada Resort Lara is an excellent choice if you are looking for something slightly more subdued compared to Delphin. It is also a very modern hotel with excellent amenities.

The services and facilities are highly rated. It features a huge 25.000 m² beach area with a big outdoor pool with 4 water slides. There is a diving school, water sports club, spa and fitness center on site.

There are 6 restaurants to choose from with a variety of international cuisines. There is a bar at the lobby one by the pool and another one on the beach.

3. Baia Lara Hotel

Baia Lara Hotel is another excellent choice for your stay at Lara Beach. The service is world-class and this offers outdoor pools, an aqua park with 9 slides and a heated indoor pool. The beach is outstanding and has access to a wooden pier.

The buildings comprising the hotel are very modern featuring contemporary rooms, some with sea views. Free Wi-Fi is widely available.

2. Royal Holiday Palace

Our second favorite place to stay at Lara Beach is Royal Holiday Palace. It is a 5-star luxury resort which spans an area of 53.000 m2. It features a spa, outdoor pools with water slides and a funfair.

Royal Holiday palace offers a variety of restaurants with Italian, Mexican an fish dishes. Cocktails, snacks and drinks are available throughout the day at the pool bar.

There is a kid’s club which organizes live shows and games throughout the day for kids of all ages.

1. Lara Barut Collection

Barut our top place to stay at Lara Beach. It features 8 restaurants, 4 bars, a nightclub, outdoor pools with water slides and an amazing spa center. It is one of the most upscale all inclusive resorts near Lara Beach.

The rooms are very chic and come with Free-WiFi with balconies and terraces. Most rooms offer sea views and some have hot tubs. There is a plethora of activities to choose from like tennis, yoga, squash and archery.

Places to Eat

Lara Beach is near the Lara neighborhood of Antalya which offers excellent dining opportunities. In our opinion the best places aren’t the ones nearest the beach so expect to travel around 10-15 minutes by taxi to get to these restaurants.

3. Kaison Sushi

In our opinion Kaison is the best sushi restaurant in Antalya. The setting is chic, the service is good and the quality of the food is top notch. The atmosphere is calm and relaxed making this an excellent choice for sushi in Antalya.

2. Turgay Et

Feeling like a steak? Turgay Et is the place to be. This is by far our favorite Steak House in Antalya. You can choose from a wide range of beef and lamb cuts which are seared to perfection.

1. Antalya Balik Evi

Antalya Balik Evi is our favorite restaurant in Lara and one of our favorite fish restaurants in Antalya in general. The service is impeccable and the freshness of the fish is unmatched.

For starters you need to choose from a range of small plates known as meze accompanied by a few glasses of raki. As a main we recommend the grilled sea bass. You won’t be disappointed by the quality of the dishes at this restaurant.

On top of all this the terrace has a good view of the sea. We visit this restaurant regularly for a good reason!