Alanya is a small tourist town, officially numbering 100 inhabitants, but unofficially twice that. From April to October, it turns into a real Big City, famous for its Cleopatra Beach, the ruins of the castle towering over it, and its colorful nightlife.
Alanya is the most popular resort among Russian tourists. Once a fishing and farming village, in the 1980s, under the influence of arriving Germans, it turned into a lively place. It has been only thirty years, but Alanya is still developing. Check out the list of the most interesting things to see in Alanya.
Fortress in Alanya (Ich Kale, Ehmedek)
The castle is located on top of a 250-meter high cape hill, where the oldest traces of a settlement are located, dating back to Roman times. In the 13th century, the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubat resided here, who built a fortress and an impassable wall around it. The name of the city comes from the name of the Sultan, Alayya, then Alanya. The walls are more than 6 kilometers long. The fortress offers a stunning view of the whole of Alanya and both its beaches: Cleopatra (west) and Keykubat (east). You can get to the castle by bus no. 4, starting from Damlataş, and after visiting the ruins, descend on foot (about 1,5 hours). Entrance to the castle: 15 TL. Bus to Kale (no. 4): 2 TL
Port of Iskele
The port is a few attractions in the heart of the city. During the day you can see the Red Tower (Kizil Kule with the Ethnography Museum in the center) and the recently restored Seljuk shipyard. It is also worth walking to the end of the cape with the lighthouse. Around 23-24 pm, a regular music party starts in the nearby nightclubs, visited by tourists and locals from all over the region. You can party until the morning or walk around and watch the people looking for entertainment. Choose one of the panoramic pubs with music and enjoy the view with a glass of wine or a mug of tea. In September, a jazz festival takes place under the Red Tower - admission is free. Entrance to the Red Tower: 4 TL. Entrance 2 in 1 (Red Tower + docks): 6 TL. Entrance 3 in 1 (Red Tower + docks + Damlataş Cave) 10 TL.
Damlatas cave
Damlataş Cave was discovered by accident in 1948. Thanks to its microclimate, which apparently cures respiratory diseases such as asthma, it brought Alanya its first tourist patients, who came here for 3-week treatments. The cave is located in the very center of Alanya (on the other side of Cape Kale), so it is easy to get to. It is not a large cave: several dozen meters long and 15 meters high. The cave has a constant temperature of 23 degrees throughout the year and very high humidity, which causes condensation. Please note that hypertensive patients may feel unwell in the cave. Entrance to Damlataş Cave: 4 TL.
Dim Cave
Dim Cave is much more impressive, but hidden in the mountains. It is located outside the city, an hour's walk from the Antalya-Mersin transit road, at an altitude of 232 m above sea level, and was only discovered in 1999. After entering the cave (down the stairs), two corridors open up in front of you, the total length of which is up to 410 meters (of which 360 are open to visitors). At the end of the longer (left) corridor, there is a cave lake with a depth of 2 meters. The cave, like the first one, is illuminated, so you can admire the fantastic rock formations. The constant temperature is 18 degrees. After leaving the cave and breathing fresh air into your lungs, you can admire the fantastic panorama of the Taurus Mountains and Alanya in the background. You can get there by car.
