THE VILLAGE
Far from the coast street in the spurs of the Taurus mountains lies Cirali and the neighbouring village Olympos. Next to some small shops that sell all vital (from the sun protective agent up to the diaper) there are also several restaurants. The sand - grit beach about 3,5 km long is limited on both ends with cliffs, which invite to snorkel. Boat tours to neighboring beaches and sights are also offered from the Rüya - pension directly. By walking through shady mountain forests you reach the "Eternal flame", called chimera that burns since the antiquity fed by natural gas directly on the rock. If you have luck, you can see one of the last dinosaurs of the world at the beach - sea turtles (Caretta Caretta). In Olympos you can visit an antiquated theater, a Byzantine chapel, graves and further remains of the roman culture.
CHIMERA (FLAMING ROCK)
Yanartaş (flaming rock) is the Turkish name of a geographical feature near the Olympos valley and national park in Antalya Province. It is the site of dozens of small fires which burn constantly from vents in the rocks on the side of the mountain. Directly below the fires are the ruins of the temple of Hephaistos, the Greek god who was associated with fire through his role as the blacksmith to the gods. To see the fires and the ruins, visitors must first go to the entrance at the foot of the mountain. The site is at the top of a one kilometre climb. This is basically a rock stairway and is easily managed. Most people visit at night, when the fires are at their most spectacular. In ancient times sailors could navigate by the flames, but today they are more often used to brew tea.
OLYMPOS
Olympos was an ancient city in Lycia. It was situated in a river valley near the coast. Its ruins are located south of Çıralı in the Kumluca district. Together with the sites of the ancient cities Phaselis and Idyros it is part of the Olympos Beydaglari National Park. In the Middle Ages, Venetians, Genoese and Rhodians built two fortresses along the coast, but by the 15th century Olympos had been abandoned. Today the site attracts tourists, not only for the artefacts that can still be found (though fragmentary and widely scattered), but also for its scenic landscapes supporting wild grapevines, flowering oleander, bay trees, figs and pines.
PHASELIS
Phaselis was an ancient Greek and Roman city on the coast of Lycia. It lies between the Bey Mountains and the forests of Olympos National Park, 16 km south of the tourist town of Kemer. Phaselis and other ancient towns around the shore can also be accessed from the sea by daily yacht tours. There are ruins of shops and stores on the sides of the street and near these are ruins of public places such as Roman baths, agoras and theatres, water canals between the town centre and the 70 m plateau, numerous sarcophagi. These structures are dated to the 2nd century BC. It takes only 30 minutes to reach Olympos from Rüya.
THE LYCIAN WAY
Highlights of the Lycian Way with paths can also be found in Çıralı. One of these paths runs from Çıralı to Tekirova (19 km) and another travels from Çıralı to Ulupınar and then back down to the flames of the Chimaera, which is around 12 km. Another section of the Lycian Way (Likya Yolu) near Çıralı, is the summit of Tahtalı Dağ, also known as Mt. Olympos. It is located in the National Park of Olympos or Olimpos Bey Dağları Parkı. Çıralı is full of historic sites such as the ruins of Olympos and the flames of Chimaera. It is also a highly visited location during the summer for its large seaside.
