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Saklikent ski resort is located in southwest Turkey in the Beydag mountain range, not far west from the Mediterranean town of Antalya. Apart from the couple of easy slopes, the big attraction here is the fact that in under an hour you can access Antalya, where you can bathe on the Mediterranean beaches even in the mild winter ski season months.

Saklikent resort lies at 6,560 feet above sea level and offers visitors a ski school, ski and snowboard equipment rentals at the Bakirli Motel, ski shops and a supermarket. Accommodation is in the form of the small Bakirli Motel and a number of private rental houses and chalets. The hotel comes with a restaurant and disco and there are also local coffee houses in Saklikent offering après-ski.

There are only a couple of runs at Saklikent ski resort that will appeal to beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders. Two t-bar ski lifts provide slope access for hundreds of people per hour and rise to an altitude of 7,874 feet above sea level. Considering the resort’s proximity to the warm Mediterranean Sea, the snow quality is good.

Away from the slopes of Saklikent ski resort is the obvious attraction of the Mediterranean coastline, which is less than an hour away by car. The town of Antalya itself is well worth exploring, with its wealth of mosques, monuments and museums. Be sure to visit Hadrian’s Gate, an entrance gate and Roman triumphal arch, while Clock Tower in nearby Kalekapisi Square is also a gem.

The ski season at Saklikent ski resort runs from mid-December to April and has its best flurries of snow from mid-January to mid-March. Flying to Antalya and hiring a car is the most convenient way of getting to Saklikent ski resort.

Skiing in Saklikent

Located near the Mediterranean Sea in southwest Turkey, Saklikent ski resort is for those who enjoy skiing without all the trappings of the busy mega resorts of France and Switzerland, while still being near enough to enjoy the sun and sea of a coastal resort. Saklikent is only a small ski resort with few slopes, but it does boast a half-pipe.

The pistes at Saklikent ski resort rise to heights of 7,874 feet above sea level and are made accessible by two t-bar drag lifts that are able to carry hundreds of skiers and snowboarders per hour. There are two slopes here that cater for beginner and intermediate skiers as well as a half-pipe for keen snowboarders.

There isn’t much in the way of alternative winter activities at Saklikent ski resort and wellness facilities are also lacking here. Accommodation is provided by the small Bakirli Motel at Saklikent and a couple of pensions and chalets nearby, while après-ski can be enjoyed at the hotel’s restaurant and disco, the coffee shops in Saklikent and the numerous bars and nightclubs in nearby Antalya.

The best snow can be found in January and February during the December to April ski season at Saklikent ski resort, while cheaper rates are on offer at the beginning and end of the ski season. The best way to get to and from Saklikent is to fly to Antalya from Istanbul, from where you can hire a car. Buses and shuttles to the resort are infrequent and unreliable.

Transportation to Saklikent

Saklikent ski resort is located in the Beydag mountain range, 416 miles south of Istanbul and 25 miles west of Antalya in southwest Turkey. There are few transport options for getting here, with driving from Istanbul or flying to Antalya and hiring a car being the most recommended means of getting here.

Travelling to Saklikent ski resort by car is feasible from Istanbul and from Antalya airport. The drive from London is arduous, with a journey time of about five days. From Istanbul’s Atatürk International Airport, head east through Istanbul to Izmit and then south to Bilecik, from where the D-650 continues south to Antalya. From Antalya head west through Duraliler and Sinandegirmeni before reaching Saklikent.

Four trains leave daily from London’s Waterloo Station to Istanbul with four changes via Paris, Munich, Wien Westbahnhof and Bucharest. If you are on a budget and don’t wish to fly, it’s best to take a long distance bus to Antalya on arrival in Istanbul as trains only go as far as Isparta, 80 miles north of Saklikent.

By far the best way to get to and from Saklikent ski resort is to fly to Istanbul and then fly to Antalya with either Onur Air or Turkish Airlines. From Antalya airport you can reach Saklikent ski resort directly by taxi or hire car. The drive from Antalya airport to Saklikent is just over 30 miles via the D-650 Antalya bypass and the towns of Duraliler and Sinandegirmeni.

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