Playing In The Sands

Antalya has a coastline of more than 640 kilometers, which is naturally very suited to handball and other beach activities. The beaches, where adrenaline-fueled sporting events take place, are famous for their highly contested beach volleyball competitions.

The first seeds for beach volleyball organisations were planted in the second half of the 1980s. Today these have become regular events. Alanya hosted its first international tournament in July, 1990. Although the first tournaments were fairly amateur they proved to be extremely successful in the long-run. A few tournaments were held until 1995. In 1995, Alanya succesfully applied to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to host the Beach Volleyball World Cup. They not only won the bid, but delivered the event with flying colours. Alanya came to be recognised all over the world as a leading destination for prestigious beach volleyball events. But Alanya’s rightful place was further cemented in 2012. The President of the European Volleyball Confederation, Mr. André Meyer, proclaimed Alanya as the hub of European Beach Volleyball. Today the beaches of Alanya host numerous beach volleyball competitions which have become a festival of sorts alongside recreation activities and dance performances.

Another address of beach volleyball activities is Antalya’s Konyaaltı Beach. The Epirden Women’s Beach Volleyball Tournament is organised in the months of June and July each year and has become a fixture in the calendar.

 In addition, local beach football tournaments are held on beaches across the whole region during summer. The most famous of these, organised every July in Alanya, is the Turkish Regional Football League Cup.