The historical past, the various natural and historical sights and the multicultural way of life have made Alanya an unforgettable experience. Many different kinds of watersports, the colorful bazaar and the night-life made Alanya very popular with local and European tourists. It's population rises up to about 400.000 in summer seasons.

Alanya is also known as 'Pearl of the Turkish Rivera' and is world-famous for it's kilometers of fine and clean beach, crystal-clear water and the mild Mediterranean climate. At the north of Alanya there are the massive Taurus Mountains with peaks up to 3,000 metres above sea level. You will also find several plateaus here with beautiful scenery where the local people live. The plateaus on the north side of the Taurus mountain range at about 1000 meters above sea level. Because the Taurus mountains do not give a pass into the north direction by sea, it's possible to get inside the Anatolian through the Kocdovat pass, Yel bridge, and Eagle's nest. The Dim and Alara rivers make it possible to get into the Dim and Alara valley.

On the Mediterranean sea coast Alanya is one of the most important settled cities with it's economic cultivation, fishing, hand skills and other specialities. On the road that leads to the castle of Alanya you can buy carpets, bags, silken woven tissues, dolls out of pumpkins and blouses and dresses made out of a kind of cloth, made as gifts in the weaving frames owned to the people that live in the castle. There are beautiful caves in the north and west side of Alanya, like the pirates-, love- and phosphore caves. If you go to the north direction from the harbour the first cave you will cross is the pirates cave. With a sea motor you can get into the 10m. wide and 6 m. high entrance of the cave that widens up to the north.

With mild, rainy, wet winters and hot, dry summers, the climate in Alanya is typical of any town on the Mediterranean coast. The winters pass most of the time like summer. The high temperature of the seawater and the fact that you can keep on sun bading for a long time makes that many people like to stay in Alanya. The average temperature in Alanya is around 19 degrees. August is the hottest month while January the coldest. The temperature in the mountain plateaus is normally 13-14 degrees lower than the temperature in Alanya. In the town night frost is rare and snow is almost never seen. Nevertheless bananas, oranges and vegetables are always planted in places where the cold and the north winds from the mountains cannot reach them.

Sightseeing in and around Alanya

The castle
The fortress of Alanya is 117 meters above sea level and its town wall with 140 watch towers has a total length of 6 km. around the hill. It was originally established as a smaller pirate fortress on the protected hill. It was conquered and destroyed by Pompey in 67 B.C. Alaaddin Keykubat captured the fort after a long battle and made Alanya an important naval base. Today's fine fortifications were built then. The platform pinned into the cliff at edge of the citadel is said to have been the place from where prisoners were pushed over the edge into the sea.

The views from the fort are breathtaking. On the way up the winding and sometimes very steep road you will find small cafes and cosy restaurants. Near the sultan palace you can visit a church/mosque which is a very important relic of the Christian and Islamic heritage of the town. The road to the castle is very narrow and busy and therefore care should be taken when walking.

The red tower
After battling for five years, Sultan Alaaddin Keykubat finally conquered Alanya and had The Red Tower built primarily to defend the town`s shipyard. The Red Tower is one of the town`s main attractions and landmarks. It was illustrated on the old Turkish bank notes with a value of 250,000 tl.

 The octagonal (eight sided) tower was finished in 1226 and is 33 metres high with five floors. The lowest floor these days often houses exhibitions, for example historical collections of fabrics, work tools, weapons or other items from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods.

Characteristic of the Red Tower are the oblong embrasures, which can be seen on all sides of the tower. Soldiers in the tower could defend themselves without being hit and, if attackers approached too closely, boiling water or other unpleasant substances could be poured out through the small openings.

The Atatürk House & Museum 
The founder of Turkish Republic, the Great Leader Atatürk, came to Alanya on February 18th, 1935 and stayed in the house to rest for a while. The house was donated to the Ministry of Culture by its owner Tevfik Azakoğlu and in 1987 the house was restorated and decorated in order to receive visitors as "Atatürk's House and Museum". On the first floor, Atatürk's personal possessions, photographs, a telegram written to the people of Alanya by Atatürk and other historical documents are exhibited. On the second floor the elements typical to a house in Alanya can be seen and some ethnographical objects unique to the region are exhibited. 

Dimçay
Dimçay is a river that leads trough the mountains of Tosmur, at the east of Alanya, where you can have a picknick on one of the seats that float on the river. You can go there with your tour operator or rent a car or motorbike yourself and choose one of the many restaurants there are at dimçay. The restaurants that are further away from Alanya have the most beautiful view. In the middle of the summer season it is very refreshing to sit by the cool river and if the water is not to cold, you can also swim in the river. Or just let your legs into the water while you are eating from grilled fresh forells, enjoying the great view. The Dim cave is not far from the river Dimçay.

CAVES
- Dim (Gavurini) Cave
The cave is located at Kuzkaya village, at the westside of the Cebireis mountain (1691 m.) at the east of Alanya. Reaching the cave is possible either via the Dim creek valley or via the Yaylalı village at the south. The total length of the cave is 357 meters and the cave is horizontal and dry. There is only a quiet small lake towards the end of the cave. Dim cave is one of the most beautiful caves of Turkey. Its environment is covered with forests and picnic sites. Because the cave was used as a shelter by prehistoric and historic periods, the cave was called as "Gavurini Cave" by the local people.
- Damlataş Cave 
The cave is located at the coast of Alanya, 3 km away from the city center. The total length of the cave is 30 m. And the cave is dry and horizontal. It covers an area 200 m. The cave is 15 meters high and has a marvelous vision formed by numerous stalactite and stalagmites. With the carbon dioxide gas, high humidity, low temperature and radioactive atmosphere, the cave is extremely beneficial for asthmatic patients. Therefore the asthmatic patients form the most dense visitor groups. The formation period of the stalactite and stalagmites inside the cave is estimated to be between 20.000-15.000 B.C.
- Kadıini Cave
Situated about 15 km northeast of Alanya, at a place called Çatak, the picnic areas in the vicinity bring a liveliness to the area.

SEA-CAVES - these caves are shown at boat tours that start in the harbour of Alanya.
- Pirates Cave
The mouth of the cave, which is approximately 10 m wide and 5-6 m. tall, is big enough to allow boats to go in and out. The dome-shaped interior with its colorful ceiling leads northward into the pitch-black depths of the cavern.
- Lovers Cave
The mouth of the cave is about 2 m. above the sea and big enough for a person to get through. The mouth of the cave is adorned with stalactites, stalagmites and columns.
- Fosfor Cave
Having a similar appearance with Pirates Cave, Fosforlu Cave can be accessible by boat since its entrance is wide enough. Various hues deep into the sea display great views.