Finike, the historic district in Antalya, is recognised into the International Cittaslow Association for its natural beauty, distinctive cuisine, and leisurely pace of life. With Finike joining the network, Türkiye now has 22 slow cities and districts registered with the International Cittaslow Association.
After more than three years of effort and consultations, Finike, one of Antalya's favourite towns, had been chosen to be worthy of the title "slow city" since it fulfilled the criteria on the environment, infrastructure, urban life quality, social cohesion, and hospitality. With the inclusion of Finike, the Cittaslow network has expanded to 22 districts from 17 provinces in Türkiye.
The Holiday Paradise of Beautiful Antalya: Finike
Finike, despite its small size, is a popular tourist destination in the Mediterranean due to its history, natural beauty, and gastronomic culture. In antiquity, the district was known as Phoenicus (Phoinikos) and is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians around 500 BC. For years, Finike was a harbour from which Limyra, Lycia's capital, exported agricultural products. Many historical buildings and old cities can be found in the area, home to many civilisations throughout history. For example, the Ancient City of Limyra and the Ancient City of Arykanda are the areas where you can learn more about Finike's history.
Finike is a one-of-a-kind resort because of its natural beauty, scenic bays, and beaches. Finike has everything a nature lover could want: Gökbük Canyon, which offers a variety of activities, particularly trekking, and Suluin Cave, which draws attention with its stalactites, travertines, and pools of varying sizes; and Andrea Doria Bay, which is home to the famous Mediterranean seals. Gökliman Bay is one of Finike's most famous natural beauties, offering options for various activities such as picnics and camping.
Finike's cuisine culture offers its guests exceptional gourmet experiences. This small city has restaurants where you can eat fresh Mediterranean fish made with local recipes and enjoy beautiful views. One of the delicacies that must be consumed during a visit to Finike is the Finike orange, which is famous worldwide for its aroma and flavour.
The Number of Slow Cities in Türkiye is increasing.
Cittaslow, a combination of the Italian words "citta" and "slow" in English, denotes "slow city." The Cittaslow movement began in Italy in 1999, intending to expand the Slow Food movement into the urban realm. The Cittaslow movement, which encourages living at a slower pace and enhances the quality of life, believes this will be achieved if the city's original structure, architecture, traditions and customs, local food, and historical identity are preserved. The Cittaslow movement, which campaigned for a new development model, quickly expanded worldwide and evolved into an international organisation to which municipalities may join. Members of the Cittaslow Association must meet 72 criteria for the topics of environment, infrastructure, and Slow Food and adhere to the slow city philosophy.
The Turkish network began in 2009 by including Seferihisar, a district of İzmir, in the Cittaslow Association, and the list of Cittaslow Türkiye, which started to form, continues to grow with the inclusion of new cities to the list. Finike, Ahlat, Akyaka, Arapgir, Eğirdir, Foça, Gökçeada, Gerze, Göynük, Güdül, Halfeti, İznik, Kemaliye, Köyceğiz, Mudurnu, Perşembe, Şavşat, Seferihisar, Uzundere, Vize, Yalvaç and Yenipazar are among Türkiye’s slow cities. Following Finike, efforts began to include Elmalı, Demre, and İbradı, Antalya's other historical districts, into the Cittaslow network.
The Cittaslow International Coordination Committee convened in Reszel, Poland, on April 14–15, 2023, and added Finike as a new district from Türkiye to its network.