Antalya Traveller Health Guide: Seasonal Illnesses, Tummy Bugs and Getting a Doctor
Health guide for visitors to Antalya: summer heat, sunburn, traveller’s diarrhoea, spring allergies, winter colds and how to reach an English-speaking doctor 24/7.
Antalya is the busiest holiday region in Turkey, and its health pattern follows the tourist calendar. The swimming season runs from late spring into November, hotels are full from June to September, and most of the illnesses visitors report come from a short list: too much sun, too little water, rich buffets and long days on the move. Knowing what is likely in each season makes it easier to avoid it, and to act early when something does go wrong.
Spring in Antalya: pollen, changeable weather and the first sunburns
From March to May the coast is green and mild, and the air is full of pollen from cypress, pine and grasses. Visitors with hay fever or asthma often notice sneezing, itchy eyes and a dry cough within a day or two of arriving, even if they have never had symptoms at home. Bring your usual antihistamine or inhaler. The sun is also stronger than it feels in April and May, and the first beach days are the ones that produce the worst burns, because the skin has not yet adapted and the sea breeze hides the heat.
Summer in Antalya: heat, humidity and dehydration
July and August are hot and humid on the Antalya coast, with daytime temperatures that regularly pass 35 degrees and little relief at night. Heat exhaustion, headaches, cramps and dehydration are the typical problems, especially on excursion days when people walk around Kaleici, climb to a waterfall or spend hours on a boat. Drink water before you feel thirsty, avoid alcohol in the afternoon, and give children and older relatives shade and rest in the middle of the day. Swimmer’s ear is another summer classic after hours in hotel pools and the sea, so dry your ears after swimming.
Traveller’s diarrhoea in Antalya
Large all-inclusive hotels serve thousands of meals a day, and the vast majority are safe. Even so, food that sits warm on a buffet, salads washed in tap water, ice cubes and fresh juices from street stalls are the usual suspects when a stomach bug strikes. Tap water is not recommended for drinking in Turkey, so use bottled or filtered water, including for brushing teeth if you are prone to stomach trouble. Most cases pass in two to three days with fluids and oral rehydration salts from a pharmacy. If you cannot keep fluids down, see blood in the stool, or a child becomes drowsy, speak to a doctor the same day.
Autumn and winter: colds, flu and quieter coasts
From October the sea is still warm but evenings cool, and visitors who swim all day and sit outdoors at night often catch colds and sore throats. In winter Antalya is mild and wet rather than cold, and the long-stay residents and winter visitors in Konyaalti, Lara and Kaleici see the same seasonal flu, bronchitis and ear and sinus infections as anywhere in the Mediterranean. Mountain day trips to the Taurus can be several degrees colder than the coast, so pack a jacket.
Insects, animals and water
Humid evenings bring mosquitoes in many resorts, so repellent and covered legs help. Stray dogs and cats are common in parks and on beaches; do not feed or pet them, and wash any bite or scratch straight away and have it assessed, because rabies advice depends on the exact exposure. In the sea, sea urchins on rocky shores and the occasional jellyfish are the usual hazards, and water shoes prevent most injuries.
Where to get medical help in Antalya
Antalya has public hospitals, private hospitals and clinics concentrated around the city centre, Lara, Konyaalti, Kemer, Side and Alanya. In an emergency call 112. For everyday problems an on-demand doctor can see you by video in minutes, wherever you are staying, send an e-prescription to a pharmacy near you, and arrange a home or hotel visit in selected areas. Use the list below to find your resort.