Belek, known as the Turkish Riviera, is one of the most famous holiday destinations in the world today. With its lush green forests meeting the blue Mediterranean, it looks like a natural wonder. You may be surprised but Belek 40 years ago was much different.  If you are wondering about the origins of the spectatular nature of Belek, we have prepared a blog with a bit of history. We hope you will like it!

If you would like to book now to start a wonderful holiday in Belek, Papillon Hotels is ready with its 3 hotels, all in the Belek region.

The Lush Green Nature of Belek

Until 1960s, all of the Belek was a barren shoreline, only with sand dunes and small bush like plants (makis). In 1961, the forest workers of Antalya were given a task by the Turkish Grand National Assembly: forestation of a 20-kilometer coastal band in Antalya, Belek to prevent wind erosion in nearby villages and fields.

By 1968, hundreds of thousands of pine trees had transformed the Belek shore from a desert-like landscape into a green oasis. The pines thrived in Belek and the trees were so beloved by the farming population that the efforts took on a life of their own.

The forestation begun in 1961, on just 20 square kilometres and extended throughout the 1980s, covering all the Belek shoreline. By that time, the majestic pine trees had grown tall and strong and the ecosystem also evolved. Beautiful flowers not seen before in this region, along with bees and butterflies, began to circulate everywhere inside these lush pine forests.

Even the sandy beaches, began to buzz with the lively sounds of birds and bees.  And the butterflies – a unique feature of the Antalya highlands and the Toros foothills since ancient times – reappeared in these miraculous hand-planted forests of Belek. The beauty of the highlands met the shores with human efforts and, in the 80s, Antalya, Belek started to share this incredible beauty with people from all over the world.

Polished beach resorts have emerged within this lush beauty, accessible only to a few fortunate tourists before.  Papillon Hotels, inspired by the nature of Antalya, has honoured the integration of nature in all its hotels since its very first day. Celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, our excitement remains as fresh as it was on our first day of business.

We wholeheartedly thank our guests from all over the world who have come to experience the beauties of Belek at our Papillon Belvil, Papillon Ayscha and Papillon Zeugma Relaxury and who have accompanied us on our journey for 25 years.

3 Pearls of Belek:  Papillon Belvil, Ayscha and Zeugma

Papillon Belvil

Papillon Belvil offers the ideal family hotel concept, with its expansive aqua park, long sandy beach and children’s playgrounds, as well as fully renovated hotel rooms and bungalow-style Comfort Club Rooms presenting large families with the perfect nature-intertwined experience.

Papillon Belvil, one of the Belek region’s hotels most preferred by sports teams, thanks to its sports facilities, was listed among TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Family Hotels and was recognized with the Traveller’s Choice 2018 award.

Papillon Ayscha

With both standard hotel rooms and villa-style accommodations, along with a spacious conference hall that can serve up to 750 participants, Papillon Ayscha greets guests in Belek’s İleribaşı district, renowned for its beautiful sea and sandy beaches.

Guests can enjoy the Suite experience Select, Deluxe or Presidential villas based on classic antique designs; or enjoy a 5-star holiday in four different room types in the main building. Our hotel also provides special rooms for disabled guests, with bedside support units, shower trays and closets with support units.

Papillon Zeugma Relaxury

With the RELAXURY concept, Papillon Zeugma offers relaxation and revitalization; including the sheer pleasure of a Luxury Pool Suites, where guests can enjoy a private pool – one of the major  trends in world tourism today. Papillon Zeugma Relaxury, named after the magnificent ancient city, brings the past into the present. Our swim-up style Luxury Pool Suites provide you excellent comfort.

Papillon Zeugma offers distinctive rooms ranging from Duplex Suites with an area of 140 square metres to the Excellent Suite, featuring an expansive terrace with panoramic Mediterranean views. As well, the Reborn SPA pampers guests with hammam, therapy and SPA Suite choices; while six different restaurants and eight bar options cater to any taste. Two spacious conference halls – Gaia and Turquoise – can serve up to 1,400 guests.

Papillon Zeugma offers the ultimate blend of style and professionalism for events and meetings with its unique RELAXURY concept.

Did You Know

• Papillon means ‘Butterfly’ in French, originally ‘Pāpiliō’ in Latin.
• Between 1961 and 1988, more than one million peanut pine trees, nearly 500 thousand eucalyptuses and 250 thousand Cyprus acacias were planted on the Antalya, Belek coast.
• There are 183 different butterfly species in Antalya and t3 species are endemic to Antalya.
• There are more than 350 species of butterflies in Turkey alone. Europe, as a continent, has only around 500 species.
• You can enjoy services offered by the Reborn SPA and the Papillon Sports Centre at all Papillon Hotels to celebrate our 25th anniversary!