Unspecified/General

Giant figures and scenes sculpted entirely from sand fill Sandland, an open-air sand sculpture museum on the Lara shore of Antalya that has run as an annual exhibition since 2006. Each spring, professional sand sculptors from many countries gather at the site on Lara Beach and spend around three weeks shaping thousands of tonnes of river sand, mixed only with water, into elaborate works that can reach several metres in height and length. The result is a sprawling display of sculptures arranged around a chosen theme that changes from year to year, ranging from mythology and history to space and popular culture, all rendered with surprising detail and craft in a material that is famously difficult to control. The art form carries a quiet philosophy: because sand sculptures are temporary and will eventually be cleared away, they embody the idea that nothing is permanent, and visitors are seeing works that exist only for a season. By day the figures stand pale and monumental under the Mediterranean sun; after dark a coloured lighting system and music transform the area into a different, more theatrical experience, and a single ticket allows a visit by both day and night. Large screens show a documentary on how the sculptures are made, and telescopes are sometimes set up for stargazing. Open through much of the year, weather permitting, with longer summer hours, and located on the famous beach a short distance from the centre of Antalya, Sandland is an unusual and family-friendly attraction that makes a change from the region's ancient ruins and resorts, and one of the larger sand-sculpture events of its kind anywhere in the world. The skill involved in working such an unstable material is considerable, the artists relying only on compacted sand and water with no glue or framework, and the scale of some pieces, rising several metres, makes the achievement all the more impressive given that the works are destined to be cleared away when the season ends. This impermanence is part of the point, a gentle reminder that nothing lasts, and it gives a visit a slightly poignant quality. Families with children enjoy spotting familiar figures and scenes among the sculptures, and the changing annual theme gives returning visitors something new to see each year. The contrast between the daytime and night-time experiences, the same figures transformed by coloured light and music after dark, effectively offers two visits in one. Set on the famous Lara shore and easy to reach from the city and the resorts, Sandland is an affordable, unusual and photogenic attraction that adds variety to a holiday on the Turkish Mediterranean coast.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Guzeloba Mah. Lara Cad. No:208/1, Muratpasa, Antalya, Turkey

Telephone: +90 242 349 11 55

Website: https://www.sandlandantalya.com