Düden Waterfalls

Overview

Most rivers end quietly in a delta. The Düden River ends with a leap. On the eastern edge of Antalya, it runs across the plain and then drops straight off a line of cliffs into the Mediterranean, in a white curtain of water and spray. A few kilometers upstream, the same river pours over a rock wall in a shady park, with a cave behind the falling water. Together, the Düden Waterfalls are the easiest natural wonder to reach from the city.

So bring your camera and pair the two falls in one afternoon.

Düden Waterfalls, One River and Two Falls

The Düden River has a strange journey. North of the city, it disappears into the ground at the Bıyıklı sinkhole. Then, about 18 kilometers (11 miles) further on, it comes up again from a karst spring. Soon after, it forms the Upper Düden Waterfall, and finally, near Lara, it reaches the sea at the Lower Düden Waterfall.

Upper Düden, the First of the Düden Waterfalls

To begin with, the upper falls lie in a green park about 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the center. Here, the water tumbles over a mossy rock wall into a clear pool, surrounded by plane trees, ferns and picnic tables. Also, a path with steps leads down into a cave behind the falls, where you see the water from the inside, a cool and noisy world in summer.

Locals also call it the Waterfall of Alexander, because, by legend, Alexander the Great watered his horses here when he marched through Pamphylia in 334 and 333 BC. Today the park is a place to eat, rest and picnic, run by companies of the Antalya Metropolitan Municipality.

Lower Düden, Where the Düden Waterfalls Meet the Sea

On the coast near Lara, the river reaches the end of its journey. There, it drops about 40 meters (131 feet) off the cliffs straight into the sea. Above it, a park runs along the clifftop, with viewing terraces right above the falls. In the late afternoon, for example, the spray catches the sun and rainbows appear over the water.

The best view, however, is from the sea. Boats from the old harbor of Kaleiçi sail along the cliffs and stop below the falls, so you feel the spray on your face.

Kurşunlu, the Third Waterfall Near Antalya

East of the city, in the Aksu district, Kurşunlu Waterfall completes a day of falls. Its water drops about 18 m (59 ft) inside a canyon of about 2 km (1.2 miles), with seven small pools linked by cascades, and the area has been a nature park since 1991. Upper Düden lies at Düdenbaşı in Kepez and Lower Düden on Lara Avenue in Muratpaşa, so our Antalya waterfalls tour links all three in one easy loop.

How to Visit the Düden Waterfalls

Getting there

In general, both falls are a short drive from the city center. Upper Düden lies in the Kepez district north of the center, and Lower Düden is on Lara Avenue in Muratpaşa. The T3 tram (Varsak–Müze) stops at Şelale for Upper Düden, city buses also run there, and taxis are easy to find. The Upper Düden park is run by companies of the metropolitan municipality, so check its current hours and entry before you go. With Kurşunlu, see our Antalya waterfalls tour.

Seeing them with us

Both falls are part of our Antalya city tour, together with Kaleiçi and the cable car at sunset. For more of the region, read our guide to Antalya, and further east, see the wide Manavgat Waterfall near Side. Arriving by ship? Read our Antalya cruise stop guide.