Alanya

A popular resort town on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, with a Seljuk castle on its peninsula, the Red Tower and Cleopatra Beach, plus paragliding over the bay.

Alanya lies on the Mediterranean coast in the east of Turkey's Antalya Province, about 130 km from the city of Antalya, and is one of Turkey's seaside resorts most popular with European and Russian visitors. The city centres on a rocky peninsula about 250 m high that juts into the sea. On top stands Alanya Castle, built in the 13th century by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I; at its eastern foot are the Red Tower and the old shipyard, to the west are the famous Cleopatra Beach and Damlataş Cave with its stalactites, and to the east are the harbour and Keykubat Beach. The old town between the two beaches is packed with hotels, restaurants and bars. Nearby to the east are the Dim River valley and Dim Cave, with Sapadere Canyon about 40 km further east; to the west are Alara Han caravanserai and castle, İncekum Beach and ancient sites such as Syedra. The climate is Mediterranean: the beach season runs May–Oct, with daytime temperatures often over 35°C in Jul–Aug; Apr–May and Oct–Nov are pleasant and good for castle hikes and canyon trips; winters are mild and rainy, and most boat tours stop running. Getting there: the nearest airport is Gazipaşa–Alanya Airport, about 40 km southeast (domestic and a few international flights), but most visitors arrive via Antalya Airport, about 2 hours away by airport bus or private transfer. Plan to stay 3–5 days: one day for the castle, Red Tower and shipyard, one day for the beaches and a boat trip around the peninsula, one day for the Dim River and cave, and one day for Sapadere Canyon or a jeep safari in the mountains. Note: pirate boat trips often include loud parties, so check the itinerary before booking; paragliding takes off near the castle, so choose a licensed operator.

Top sights

• Alanya Castle – A castle built by the Seljuks on a rocky headland, encircled by 6.5 km of walls and overlooking two bays and the harbor.
• Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) – An octagonal red-brick tower completed in 1226, about 33 meters tall, serving as Alanya's city emblem and housing an ethnographic museum.
• Cleopatra Beach – A fine-sand beach about 2 km long on the west side of the castle peninsula, with clear water and a gentle slope. It has been awarded Blue F…
• Alanya Tersane (Seljuk Shipyard) – A five-arched dock built in 1228 beneath seaside cliffs. It is the only surviving Seljuk-era shipyard in Turkey.
• Damlataş Cave – A stalactite cave accidentally discovered in 1948 during stone quarrying. The cave stays at a constant temperature and humidity, and it is…
• Alanya Cable Car – A sightseeing cable car that runs from the seaside at Damlataş straight up to the castle hill. The one-way trip takes about 5 minutes, with…
• Alanya Harbour & Cave Boat Tour – A boat trip from the old harbor around the castle peninsula, passing Pirate Cave, Lovers' Cave, the Phosphorescent Cave, and the Red Tower…
• Alanya Archaeological Museum – A collection of artifacts unearthed from ancient sites around Alanya. The museum's highlight is a Roman-era bronze statue of Heracles.
• Keykubat Beach – A long sandy beach on the east side of the castle peninsula, stretching several kilometers and lined with hotels and seaside promenades. It…
• Dim River (Dim Çayı) – A cool river valley flowing down from the Taurus Mountains, with waterside platform restaurants built over the river. You can eat grilled t…
• Dim Cave – A large stalactite cave at the foot of the Taurus Mountains, with a path of about 360 meters leading to a small lake at the bottom. The cav…
• Sapadere Canyon – A narrow canyon deep in the Taurus Mountains, with a wooden boardwalk following the stream for about 750 meters past small waterfalls and e…
• Alarahan & Alara Castle – A stone caravanserai built in 1231 along a Seljuk trade route, with a Byzantine-Seljuk castle on the rocky peak behind it. Visitors can cli…
• İncekum Beach – A fine-sand beach on the western outskirts of Alanya, surrounded by a pine forest. Its name means 'fine sand.' The water is shallow and the…
• Syedra – A Cilician ancient city on a hillside by the sea, southeast of Alanya, with a colonnaded street, baths, cisterns, and a rock cave with Byza…
• Iotape – A Roman ancient city ruin along the D400 coastal highway, with headlands and small bays where the ruins meet the blue sea.
• Atatürk House Museum (Alanya) – A traditional two-story house where Atatürk stayed during his 1935 visit to Alanya. Exhibits cover his life and local folk customs.

Where to eat

• Ravza Restaurant – An Alanya establishment founded in 1955 that still uses its original recipes for pide and flatbread.
• Kaşıkara Ocakbaşı – A charcoal grill a short walk from the beach, popular with locals for mixed grill and fresh-picked cold meze with raki.
• Mezze Grill – A popular charcoal grill on Atatürk Avenue, with good reviews for its Adana kebab and wood-fired bread.
• Gardenia Restaurant – A scenic restaurant inside Alanya Castle that overlooks the bay and Cleopatra Beach at sunset.