Saklıkent, Turkey

Burak GEZ from Turkey writes:

Every year Turkey’s holiday paradise Antalya accommodates millions of much appreciated visitors who come for its history, sunshine, sea, touristic hotels and warm hospitality.
The Taurus Mountains rise in all their glory to the west of the city. From the beginning of December onwards they wear a mantle of white snow. Saklikent is a skiing complex on the northern slopes of Mount Bakirli in the heights of the Taurus range. It has 500 mountain houses and full skiing facilities. After leaving the warm Antalya shore with its orange and pomegranate groves, the Saklikent Ski Centre, at an altitude of 1800 – 2400 meters is reached after a journey lasting one hour. 20 km from the sea as the crow flies, the centre is 40 km from Antalya.
Saklikent is one of the closest ski centres to the Mediterranean and the Equator and offers the opportunity of 120 days of top quality skiing from December 10 to April 10. Because of the climatic conditions, the temperature during this period rarely falls below minus 5 and the centre averages 70 to 80 days of sunshine. In March and April it is possible to snowboard at Saklikent and waterski in Antalya on the same day meaning that it visitors can experience a beach holiday and a skiing holiday at the same time. The average snow cover is between 100 and 230 cm and at times this rises to 500 cm at the summit. Skiing and snowboarding beginners and professionals alike can enjoy their sports on the Saklikent slopes.A 1400 meter doublechairlift, two teleskis, a babylift and a snowtubing lift are at the service of visitors.
Because light pollution is at a minimum level, the Tubitak Obsevatory is situated 150 m from our Panorama Cafeteria at the summit of Mount Bakirli and it attracts astronomers to Saklikent throughout the year to use the telescope donated by our Russian friends.
Saklikent’s natural environment is ideal for sports such as skiing, snowboarding, trekking, climbing, rockclimbing,paraglideing, walking, riding, hunting and football and it provides people with a refuge from Antalya’s summer heat.

The cheerful staff at the ski and snowboarding school, where you can rent a full range of skiing and snowboarding equipment and arrange lessons, the 200-seater Lodge Restaurant, the 300-seater Panorama Cafeteria which serves skiers and other visitors to the summit and the 40-bed motel look forward to hosting you. In addition we are happy to announce that we will be able to accommodate skiers and nature lovers in greater comfort and with a wider range of facilities at the new hotel which will open during the 2006 season with its 240 beds, indoor swimming pool, Turkish bath, sauna, wellness centre,spa, disco and 200-person capacity conference hall.
We invite you to an enjoyable holiday amongst the peaks.

Burak GEZ
Int.Ski&Snowboard Instr.
burakgez@saklikentskiresort.com
www.saklikent.com.tr/www.saklikentskiresort.com

ANTALYA – TURKEY

Name Altitude Length Capacity

1.Karakaya Chairlift 1900-2400m 1400m 800p/h
2.Sakl?bel Teleski 1890-2100m 645m 400p/h
3.Nadir Gez Teleski 1900-2200m 950m 300p/h
4.Snowtubing lift 1890-1980m 350m 300p/h
5.Babylift 1900-1930m 200m 100p/h
6. Upper station and summit cafeteria 2400m

2006-01-08