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Thousands rush to waterfall in Antalya
Thousands rush to waterfall in Antalya
Kurşunlu Waterfall in the Aksu district of the Mediterranean province of Antalya, a major tourist destination in Turkey, has been attracting thousands of visitors each year with its unique blend of amazing colors. Click through for the story in photos...
Antalya is very popular among travelers and tourists for its rich history, ancient cities and beaches but it is also home to natural wonders such as Kurşunlu Waterfall.
The waterfall, which is located some 20 kilometers from the Antalya city center, was discovered in 1989. It was declared a “natural park” and opened to visitors. DPK-Photo / Alamy
Visitors enjoy the area surrounded by a unique natural landscape, rich plant life and singing birds. Kurşunlu Waterfall is a “hidden paradise” for visitors. Iconotec / Alamy
The cluster pine is the dominant tree species in the area, with small groups of eastern plane, laurel, carob, wild olive, mastic, willow, fig, myrtle, oleander, blackberry and wild rose. In the water, there are clusters of water mint, bamboo, water chandelier and green water lily.
Animals like wild boars, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, bats, hoopoe, woodpeckers, stock doves, carps, water tortoises, snakes and lizards live in the natural park.
Thousands of people rush to the waterfall each year to enjoy the spectacular scenery and beautiful nature. Westend61 GmbH / Alamy
“The Kurşunlu Waterfall Natural Park covers an area of 596 hectares and 20 hectares of this space is open to the public,” İsmail Kaya, the head of the directorate of nature conservation and national parks in Antalya told state-run Anadolu Agency.
“The most distinctive feature of the park is the waterfall that flows during the four seasons. The water level naturally drops during summer. But we have found a solution to this,” Kaya said.
According to Kaya, pipes will be laid to carry water from the Küçük Aksu Dam built by the Directorate General for State Hydraulic Works (DSİ). Mykola Ivashchenko / Alamy
With this project, during summer months the waterfall will be as lively as in other seasons. robertharding / Alamy
“People enjoy hiking in nature and we also have picnic areas for visitors,” Kaya said, adding that people from all around the world visit the waterfall and the natural park. Robert Dziewulski / Alamy
Last year, a total of 250,000 people visited the area.
“Some 400,000 people have already come here this year. We expect the number of visitors to reach 500,000 by the end of 2018, which translates into a 50 percent increase from last year,” Kaya said. Ekin Yalgin / Alamy
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