Kurşunlu Waterfall

Kurşunlu is a nature park in a narrow valley about twenty kilometres east of Antalya, where a tributary of the Aksu drops around eighteen metres into a pool and then runs down through a series of smaller travertine terraces and pools shaded by pine, laurel and plane. A walking path follows the stream between them, crossing bridges, past the remains of an old water mill that gave the valley its working past, and there are picnic areas and a café near the entrance. It is much smaller and gentler than Düden or Manavgat and considerably quieter than either, and it is the kind of place Antalya families come for an afternoon rather than a destination in itself. Terrapins, kingfishers and a good deal of birdlife use the stream, and the valley stays cool when the coast is baking. Flow drops in late summer, as it does everywhere here, but the pools hold water.

What you actually see

• The main fall - the eighteen-metre drop into its pool.
• The travertine terraces - smaller pools stepping down the valley.
• The old mill - the remains beside the stream.
• The shaded path - the walk under pine and laurel.

When to go

April to June and September to November for the best flow and colour. Weekdays are quiet; weekends bring local families and the picnic grounds fill.

Honest expectations

It is modest in scale - two hours covers it. Flow is much reduced in late summer. Paths are stepped and can be slippery. A car is effectively required.

Nearby

Perge is a short drive at Aksu; Antalya and Kaleiçi are 20 km west.