Köprülü Canyon National Park - Antalya

If you ask where is the most known, popular and touristic canyon of Antalya, Turkey's richest city, the answer is very simple: Köprülü Canyon. The area covering an area of 36 thousand hectares with the canyon is Köprülü Canyon National Park, which was declared a national park in 1973. In this article, you will find everything you want to know about Köprülü Canyon National Park, such as general information, entrance fee, transportation, activities to do.

What You Will Find In This Article

General Information About Köprülü Canyon National Park

Köprülü Canyon is one of the longest canyons in Turkey with a length of 14 kilometers. Various endemic species and cypress forests in the national park enrich the natural diversity of the canyon. Spread over an area of 36 thousand hectares, the canyon and its surroundings were declared a national park in 1973. I have listed the important places you can see in the national park below.

1. Köprüçay River

The Köprüçay River, which originates in the Taurus Mountains within the borders of the Sütçüler district of Isparta, meets the Mediterranean Sea in the south of the Serik district of Antalya, that is, it empties into the sea here. The high walls of the valley, carved by the Köprüçay River for years, reach 100 meters in places. Köprülü Canyon got its name from the ancient Oluk Bridge on Köprüçay and started to be known as Köprülü Canyon.

2. Groove Bridge

Köprülü Canyon National Park - Oluk Bridge — Köprülü Canyon National Park – Oluk Bridge

Oluk Bridge is a stone bridge built over Köprüçay from the ancient period. It is a very narrow bridge that is 22 meters high and only 2.7 meters wide. When you turn from the Antalya-Alanya main road to the road following the Köprüçay River, magnificent views will accompany you along the way. The point known as a national park and which remained in the Roman period Groove Bridge It is also the starting point of activities such as rafting or boating. You can see the sights on both sides by crossing the Oluk Bridge, going to the main road on the right of the river and turning on the left.

3. Selge Ancient City and Adam Kayalar

After the Oluk Bridge, it continues towards the hill for another 11 kilometers. Founded in the 5th century Selge Ancient CityYou can reach . Currently, only the theater of the ancient city is standing, so you may be disappointed when you go. If your time is limited, I suggest you spend your time in Aspendos Ancient City. On the way to Selge Ancient City “Man RocksThe interesting natural shapes of the rocks, known as ”, are another beauty worth seeing.

4. Büğrüm Bridge and Picnic Area

If you come from the direction of Beşkonak, cross the Oluk Bridge and turn to the main road on the other side of Köprüçay, you will see another ancient bridge on the road, the name of that bridge is Büğrüm Bridge. At the point where the bridge is located, there is a picnic area with gazebos. Since the flow rate of the water decreases here, when the weather is nice, there are many people who enter the water and have picnics here. Since I went in March, there was no one. The water looked awesome too.

5. Greyhound Canyon

When you continue 16 kilometers north from Köprülü Canyon, you will reach the Tazı Canyon, which is famous for its view. The canyon, formed by the high walls eroded by the Köprüçay River, is one of the places that has increased its popularity in recent years.

For more information Greyhound Canyon Be sure to take a look at my post.

6. The Way of St. Paul

It is known as the path that St. Paul walked during his first missionary adventure in Anatolia and is among the ancient walking paths of Turkey. St Paul's Way45 km of it is within the borders of the national park. If you want to walk the St. Paul Trail, it is recommended to start the walk from Isparta.

Is there a Koprulu Canyon Entrance Fee?

There is no entrance fee for Köprülü Canyon National Park. Although some internet sites give information about the price, do not call, the information is not correct. Of course, there are fees for activities such as rafting, zipline, ATV rental in the canyon, but you do not have to pay a fee for the entrance to the national park.

Where is Köprülü Canyon and How to Go?

Born from the Taurus Mountains Köprüçay RiverThe Mediterranean Sea starts from the borders of Sütçüler district of Isparta and flows into the Mediterranean Sea from the vicinity of Serik district of Antalya. During this journey, it creates a canyon by creating deep cavities in the valley it passes through. The name of this canyon is Köprülü Canyon, and the name of the protected area is Köprülü Canyon National Park. The point where the national park is marked on Google Maps is where the historical Oluk Bridge is located. on google maps Click for location.

Bridge Canyon, Antalya city center 90 kilometers between
The distance between Köprülü Canyon and Antalya Airport is 82 kilometers,
The distance between Köprülü Canyon and Serik district center is 46 kilometers,
The distance between Köprülü Canyon and Manavgat district center is 66 kilometers,
Bridge Canyon, Aspendos Ancient City 39 kilometers between
Bridge Canyon, Greyhound Canyon 16 kilometers from the viewing point,
The distance between Köprülü Canyon and Selge Ancient City is 11 kilometers.

You can come to Köprülü Canyon National Park with your private car, by renting a car or by purchasing a daily tour from the hotels you stay in and around Antalya. Although the road is not very wide, it is an asphalt and smooth road.

To go to the national park, you will turn north towards Beşkonak at the 45th kilometer of the Antalya-Alanya road. After you turn in the direction of Beşkonak, you will see the Köprülü Canyon National Park signs. A beautiful road that continues alongside the Köprüçay River for 45 kilometers will accompany you. There are many facilities along the way. You can take a tea, coffee or lunch break or arrange activities such as rafting from here.

What to do in Köprülü Canyon?

Köprülü Canyon National Park, with its magnificent nature and history dating back thousands of years, offers many activities to its visitors.

One of Turkey's most important rafting tracks is located on Köprüçay. For rafting organization, you can get help from the places you stay in Antalya, tourism agencies, or you can get help directly from the Oluk Bridge or the facilities you will see along the way when you arrive. Pricing can be per boat or per person, you have to bargain well.
If you don't want to do rafting in Köprüçay, it is possible to do calmer trips by boat or canoe tours.
You can swim or fish in the calm parts of the river.
There are great routes for trekking in the national park, you can trek individually or with a hiking group.
Zipline and ATV tours are activities that are sold in packages together with rafting.

If you haven't made any plans before coming to the national park, you will see a small parking lot after crossing the Oluk Bridge. When you stop there, someone who is doing a rafting or boat tour will approach you. You can organize your organization right there. I said bargain well, didn't I?

Köprülü Canyon Travel Video

I went in March 2021; You will see the video below about my trip to Köprülü Canyon, Tazı Canyon and Aspendos Ancient City. Don't forget to subscribe to my channel after watching the video!

If you have come to visit Köprülü Canyon, you can add the following places to visit in Antalya, close to Köprülü Canyon, to your itinerary:

Köprülü Canyon National Park Photos

You can see the photos of Oluk Bridge, rafting area, Köprüçay River, Büğrüm Bridge and picnic area and Tazı Canyon in Köprülü Canyon National Park below: