Mount Tahtali cable car

This is Europe's longest cable car ride at 4,350 meters long. It is a mere half an hour away from the sun drenched shores of the Mediterranean - uniquely linking the coast to the slopes. Built on Mount Tahtali in the resort region of Antalya, Turkey; the connection between ski slopes and the sea will be fully operational by the winter of 2008.

The cable car delivers the practical reality of a swim in the warm waters of the Mediterranean in the morning and all the fun of the piste in the afternoon (or vice versa!)– it is now actually possible to do both activities within an hour.....

Skiing on crisp snow and swimming in the sea on the same day or even in the same hour might seem like travel agent glossy wordage - but all credit to the Doppelmay Garaventa Group; they have realised the pipe dream and invested €25m to make it happen.

The facility will be operational throughout the year and will also attract nature lovers during the summer months. The best skiing is between December and end of April. In the warmer months the cable car will deliver adventurers to one of the best Mediterranean views in the world - enjoyed from a natural unspoilt paradise.

Tahtali is a proper working mountain village offering restaurants and basic shopping facilities. The area is a designated national park and is protected from commercial development - it is good to know that such beauty and integrity is preserved.

There are small pensions in the village providing comfortable accommodation, however most people will stay in one of the many coastal hotels below the mountains or at gorgeous human scale resorts such as Kas and Kalkan (1 to 2 hours away). Buying property in these areas for year round holidays or for investment has never made better sense.

The cable-car line co-joins the 2,365 meter peak of Mount Tahtali and the Tekirova resort and the Mediterranean. The two opposite bound cars climb and descend every half hour during the summer and hourly during the winter. Each car accommodates 80 people giving every passenger a gloriously scenic and breathtaking ride. It is a 10 minute journey to travel the 4,350 meters between the base and the summit - 2,356 meters above sea level. Clearly not a direct route!

In addition to the Euro Cable Car Project, Doppelmay Garaventa is also digging deep in to their pockets at a cost of €12m to construct a cross country ski track in time for the 2009 season. It will be completed in three stages and will have a total length of 12 km with each stage being 4km long. There is also a more localised ‘chair lift’ on the construction plans.

1000 visitors per day are expected during the summer months. They are certain to enjoy the dramatic scenery of the ride of a lifetime. At any time of year, day trippers will be treated to a truly unique and wonderful experience. To ride the cable car expect to pay about 40 YTL (approx. £17)