Rafting transforms Antalya neighborhood’s way of life

ANTALYA

In a neighborhood in the southern city of Antalya’s town of Manavgat, rafting has replaced farming and livestock as the main source of livelihood, transforming the lives of nearly every resident.

This remarkable shift began in the mid-1990s in Beşkonak, when a foreign company brought an inflatable raft to the Köprüçay River.

Locals, who had long depended on small-scale agriculture and animal husbandry, soon embraced the new activity.

Restaurant owners bought a few boats and started taking visitors on the river, adding rafting to the meals and hospitality they already offered.

The shift coincided with the rise in visitors to the area’s natural and cultural attractions, such as Tazı Canyon and the ancient city of Selge.

As tourists flocked to see the sites, they also embraced the thrill of rafting, making Beşkonak and the Köprüçay increasingly popular.

Today, rafting is more than a sport here, it is a way of life. Nearly every household in the neighborhood, which has a population of around 1,700, is connected to tourism, offering guiding, transport, accommodation or home-cooked meals.

Women prepare traditional dishes from their own produce, students work as guides, boat captains or waiters to cover their expenses and older residents contribute as drivers or support staff.

Köprüçay is now considered one of Türkiye’s safest and most accessible rafting routes, welcoming thousands of domestic and international tourists each year.

Mehmet Taş, whose father was among the first to take up rafting in the region, said his family has been involved in the business for nearly three decades.

“At first we were hesitant, but we quickly adapted,” he said. “Now we have more boats, more staff, and especially in summer the demand is overwhelming.”

Taş said rafting has helped the neighborhood thrive in ways that agriculture and livestock alone never could.

“Without rafting, young people would have left. Instead, the opposite happened — people are coming here to work.”

Ayşe Göbüt has worked in the region’s rafting businesses for 20 years, mostly in the kitchen. For her, the transformation has meant financial independence.

“Rafting became my livelihood, and not just mine; it’s everyone’s here,” she said.

For university student Ali Karaca, rafting is both a summer job and an adventure.

“I’ve been a boat captain for six years,” he said. “It’s fun, and at the same time, it helps me earn money for school."

From young students to elderly residents, Beşkonak has woven rafting into its social fabric. Once a quiet farming community, it is now a hub of adventure tourism where the river sustains nearly every family.