The regional center of Elmali, on the edge of the Elmali Ovasi, offers some relief from the heat of summer as it stands at an altitude of 1,200m/3,936 ft in the Taurus mountains surrounded by cedar and pine forests. Until the 1950s the valley lay under large, shallow karst lakes, but these have since been drained (Karagöl, Avlan Gölü), although the outline of the water levels can still be discerned. A typical example of a drained karst lake and drainage channel are to be found at Düden Magarasi about 15km/9mi south of the town below the road to Finike.
In Beyler and many other villages in the Elmali Ovasi on the road to Kas ancient wooden grain-stores of varying sizes can be seen. The construction methods used are reflected in the many Lycian rock tombs. Clearly a centuries-old building tradition was preserved as it passed down the generations.
In the 1960s American archeologists found the remains of an early Bronze Age settlement at Karatas-Semayük 5km/3mi northeast of Elmali. Finds included a walled Megaran-type building with an oval courtyard.
Not far from Karagöl and to the southwest of Elmali, excavations at Kizilbel and Karaburun exposed some sixth-fifth century B.C. wall paintings, depicting images from Greek mythology, the Land of the Dead and hunting scenes. They have been skillfully restored.
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