Baklava is layered pastry taken to its extreme: dozens of tissue-thin phyllo sheets, each brushed with clarified butter, stacked with premium nuts, baked until golden, and then soaked in syrup. Tradition calls for exactly 40 layers of phyllo, and the syrup must be cool when it hits the hot pastry or the layers turn soggy. A skilled baklava maker can stretch the dough thin enough to cover an entire table. In Antalya the benchmark is fıstıklı baklava, made with pistachios from Gaziantep; trying it first is the standard test of a shop's skill. Güllüoğlu in Kaleiçi has been making baklava for over a century, and Hacı Bekir Tatlıcısı in the old town works from five generations of Ottoman recipes. Buy it in the morning, when the layers are crispest, and eat it with Turkish coffee.

Antalya's cooking is Mediterranean: olive oil, fresh fish, and vegetables from the surrounding plain. Many kitchens follow family recipes that have changed little over generations.

Anyone who wants to try local cooking will do well here. Ask for the daily fish; it usually comes from nearby waters.

First-time visitors and solo travelers both manage easily here. The area is walkable, and staff at most sites are used to tourists.

Food markets in Kaleiçi sell spices and local produce. Marina restaurants have tables facing the water.

Nearby bazaars sell Turkish crafts and souvenirs. Tea houses in the side streets are a good place to rest between sights.