Perched on a limestone plateau at the foot of the Taurus Mountains, Antalya lounges on a sweeping bay that ebbs between ancient civilisation and contemporary cool. Here the breathtaking marble archways of Hadrian’s Gate and vestiges of the Roman Empire meet lively cafes and boutiques in Ottoman-era townhouses, where coffee might fuel a meander of cobblestone streets in the harbour-front old town or bustling 15th-century covered bazaar. Beyond the city, ruins at Termessos, Perge and the sprawling ancient city of Aspendos beckon, as beguiling as this area’s waterfall, cedar and pine-filled national parks, Palaeolithic caves and sun-baked beaches of the Turkish Riviera.