In Which District of Antalya is it Best to Live with Children?
Antalya is the ideal city for families with children of all ages.
This city outshines small resort towns like Alanya or Kemer, for instance.
Plenty of sunshine, sea, clean beaches, and a large Russian-speaking community make Antalya a wonderful place for an extended stay.
If you're planning permanent relocation and choosing a district in Antalya that offers all the essentials for a comfortable life and holistic development of children, this article will be helpful.
In it, we discuss which city districts have the best infrastructure for children's education and leisure: schools, sports sections. About all districts of Antalya from the perspective of real estate purchase benefits, we have described in detail in a separate article.
Let's note right away that there are many public nurseries and schools in all city districts.
And for those immigrants who envision their children’s future in Turkey, attending a public school could be an excellent choice.
Admission to these schools is only according to the place of registration and the child must have a residence permit.
The only downside to public school is the frequent overcrowding of classes which sometimes results in a class size of 35-40 students.
Naturally, with such a number, it’s difficult for teachers to allocate time for individual attention to each child. Hence, in older grades, many parents hire tutors in the subjects chosen for specialisation for further education in college or university.
Education in public schools is conducted in Turkish, therefore many immigrant parents place their child a grade lower (from sixth to fifth, for instance) so they can adjust and learn the language over the course of a year.
The level of education in public schools is quite high and in each district, you can find a good educational institution. For this, we recommend studying the reviews online and on the forums.
Antalya also has private schools, which we'll elaborate on below, while also examining the other infrastructure of the districts.
Kepez: A Decent District for Living with Children
In Kepez, the private school Antalya Bilim Koleji operates, whose main feature is the study of Russian language from the 4th grade.
The school caters to 400 students, with no more than 20 children per class. By paying for the entire year at once, you can avail a discount of 10%, and discounts are available for educating multiple children from the same family.
The school students are kept busy all day: in the morning they have lessons, then (until 5:30) there are electives, rest, sports sections, homework completion.
The school has classes for robotics, music, drawing, and other well-equipped rooms.
In English lessons, more attention is given to practice: children are taught to communicate in everyday situations like visiting a hospital, bank, or restaurant.
Another private school in Kepez is ADALYA KOLEJİ. It accomodates children from 4 years old (pre-school group — up to 6 years), and teaching is conducted in Turkish and English.
As stated on the institution's website, its primary goal is to teach children to think freely and reason, rather than memorising paragraphs.
The school has a vibrant cultural life with many events, including those aimed at career guidance for students and support in choosing a future profession.
Overall, the Kepez district can be considered suitable for living with children; its only drawback is the lack of direct access to the sea and not a significant foreign community compared to Konyaalti or Lara, for example.
But this is compensated by efficient public transport: you can reach the beach on a comfortable tram, as well as the airport or Antalya Zoo.
Kepez has a large Dokuma park with a toy museum and a forest library.
The park is full of trees, so even in the heat, you can find shade. The inhabitants of the park are peacocks, ducks, and, of course, local cats. There's a badminton court, table tennis tables, and children's playgrounds.
Kepez houses sizable shopping complexes, one of them is "Erasta", where you will find Decathlon, Migros 3M, Waikiki, H&M, Colin's departments.
The shopping centre features a cinema, a playroom for children, and a substantial food court.
Nearby it is a store with home goods and repair materials called Bauhaus. Another major shopping centre in Kepez is Ozdilek Park where, in addition to a supermarket and brand departments, there's also bowling and a children's entertainment centre.
Muratpasha (or Lara): A favourite district of immigrants.
This district boasts the most private schools, including the Russian school - Moscow International School, which was opened in 2011 and also operates the "Sunshine" kindergarten.
Education in this school is conducted according to programs approved by the Russian Ministry of Education. Meals, uniforms, textbooks, and transfers (service) are paid for separately from tuition. Each class accommodates 11-12 students.
The following international schools are popular among immigrants:
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Bilfen Antalya Secondary School. The largest school with nearly 100 classrooms and the total area of the building covering 20,000 square meters, it's situated in the Lara district.
English is taught from the first grade here, and high school students take part in project activities.
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Istek - this private school has branches in Lara (Muratpasha district) and Konyaalti. They follow the Turkish educational program + IBPYP (International Baccalaureate Programme).
Teaching is in English and Turkish, with some subjects (Maths, Science, Social Studies) being taught in both languages. The school operates from 08:30 to 16:30.
- Özel Antalya Koleji Lara Kampüsü (has campus in Lara and Konyaalti). Teaching is conducted in Turkish and English, with German and Spanish offered as foreign languages. It places much emphasis on the creative and physical development of children: it runs volleyball and gymnastics sessions, has a pool, and offers violin, drum, and other musical instrument lessons. Its curriculum consists of the Turkish program + Cambridge International school.
The district is well-developed, especially when it comes to infrastructure for children. Here, you can find the largest and most beautiful city park - Karaalioglu Park (also known as Falez Park).
It has everything you need to comfortably spend the entire day with your family: restaurants, cafes, playgrounds, exercise equipment.
The park is situated on a hill, providing a breathtaking view of the city. There are also many shopping centres in the area, with Mark Antalya being the most popular among locals.
Konyaalti: the most popular district amongst immigrants: plenty of schools, universities, and the beach is nearby
In this district, there is a private Russian school - International Russian School, a boarding school with 9-10 students in each class.
The school is licensed by the Turkish Ministry of Education, with teaching in Russian and in-depth study of Turkish and English.
The school was established based on the International Tourism College Eduant, and it runs a preschool for Russian-speaking children called "Limpopo".
Also in Konyaalti is the campus of the international school Özel Antalya Koleji. English is given a minimum of 12 hours per week, and as an additional language, students can choose from German, Russian, or Spanish.
From fifth to eighth grades, many subjects are taught not just by teachers, but by experts in various fields: science, robotics, and programming.
Located in Konyaalti is one of two universities in Antalya - Akdeniz University (Akdeniz Üniversitesi), for foreign admissions an examination called YÖS is required.
It is a public university with many faculties, attended by 63,000 students, with a very strong faculty and teaching staff.
Of course, prestigious private schools are not the only factor attracting foreigners with children to Konyaalti.
This district is adjacent to a long pebble beach, providing convenient access to the sea. Many sports clubs operate along the coast, offering a variety of disciplines: from football and tennis to martial arts and dancing.
In Konyaalti you'll find a large amusement park - Aktur Park, as well as many other parks and squares with open spaces for volleyball and basketball.
Döşemealtı: a district distant from the city centre with a small foreign community
In this district, you'll find the most "English" private school of Antalya, Antalya Toplum Koleji.
Education here is costly, and foreign student quotas apply - no more than 30% of the total number of students. Those wishing to enrol their children at this school often find themselves on a waiting list for several years.
The school is accredited as a Cambridge International School, with a teaching structure of 50:50, half the subjects are taught in Turkish and the other half in English by native speakers.
The classrooms are excellently equipped; all in all, the environment is more reminiscent of a luxury hotel than an educational institution: abundant plants, bright and spacious rooms, new furniture.
Another private school - Bahcesehir Koleji is also located in this district, and it has a campus in Lara.
Foreign students are welcomed here. In Döşemealtı you can also find Antalya's second university - Antalya Bilim University. It's a private university, with paid education, and you can apply with your school leaving certificate. The instruction is in English.
When choosing Antalya as a place to permanently move with children, practically any part of the city is worth considering, with perhaps one exception: Altintash. This is a new district that's still under construction, so it's most suitable for investment purposes.
In every other district, you can find both private and public schools, parks, children's activity centres, and sports clubs. Nurseries for Russian-speaking immigrant children are primarily located in the Muratpasha and Konyaalti districts.
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