Winter Football Camp in Antalya: Regions, Weather and Planning

When the season stops for winter in much of Europe, the Antalya coast fills with football teams. Temperatures are mild, the hotels are used to hosting squads and the pitches are a short drive away. But "Antalya" covers a coastline more than 100 kilometres long, and the region you pick shapes the whole camp.

What the winter weather looks like

The Turkish State Meteorological Service publishes long-term averages for Antalya, measured from 1930 to 2025. For January the average temperature is 10.1°C, with an average daily high of 15.0°C and an average low of 6.1°C. December and February are similar, with average highs of 16.7°C and 15.6°C.

That is good training weather, but it is not dry. January has on average just over 12 rainy days and around 225 mm of rain. In practice, a ten-day camp will almost certainly lose a session or two to heavy rain. Plan for it: ask the hotel for a gym or an indoor hall, and keep one flexible slot in the training plan. You can check the figures yourself on the Meteorological Service's Antalya page.

Mornings are cool and the sun is lower in winter, so many coaches move the first session to late morning and the second to early afternoon.

Five regions along the coast

Lara. Closest to Antalya Airport, roughly 15 km away, and on the edge of the city. Short transfers and easy access to city stadiums for friendlies.

Belek. The best known winter camp area, about 35 km east of the airport. Large resort hotels and pitches sit close together, so the team spends little time on the bus.

Side. Further east, around 65 km from the airport. Quieter, with good hotels and a slightly longer drive to the airport.

Kemer. About 55 km west of the airport, between the mountains and the sea. A calm setting, though the narrow coastal strip means fewer pitch options close to the hotels.

Alanya. The furthest east, roughly 125 km from Antalya Airport. Worth it for some clubs because of hotel options, but the transfer is long. Gazipaşa Airport is closer, with fewer international routes.

Distances are approximate and depend on the exact hotel. We give the drive time to each pitch in the quote.

When to book

The busy weeks are from the start of January to mid-February, when many leagues pause. The hotels and pitches that suit teams fill first, so start planning three to four months ahead. Clubs that book in December often end up with a good hotel but pitches across town.

If your dates are flexible, the first half of December and the end of February are calmer and give you more choice.

Friendlies on the coast

With many teams in the same region at the same time, winter is a good moment to find opponents at the right level. Agree early on how many matches you want and of what level, and we look for teams whose camp dates overlap with yours. See Friendly Matches for what we arrange around a match.

Putting it together

A typical winter camp plan looks like this. A group of 30 to 35 people, 10 days in January and two sessions a day. Two or three friendlies, and a 5-star hotel with halal full board. The region is then chosen by pitch distance, flight times and the level of friendlies on offer.

Our Camp Locations page sets out all nine regions we work in, winter and summer.