Alanya

Alanya is a beach resort city and a component district of Antalya Province, on the southern coast of Turkey, in the Mediterranean.

Alanya Castle was built in the 13th century. The Citadel is built 250m up, at the highest point of the rocky peninsula that juts out into the Mediterranean Sea. The walk from the centre of Alanya up to the Citadel is a moderate one, and those with walking difficulties may find some parts to be inaccessible.

Alanya Dockyard and Arsenal were completed in around 1228. The Dockyard was the Seljuks’ Mediterranean naval base. The Arsenal was built to defend the neighbouring Dockyard against seaborne attacks from the south west.

The Red Tower is an impressive 35m high octagonal tower, built to protect the Dockyard.

Alanya Archaeological Museum includes bronze, marble, ceramics, glass artefacts, mosaics, works of art, traditional belongings, guns, handicrafts, pots, pans and a replica of an old Alanya room.

Damlataş Cave is 30m long and 15m high and contains numerous stalactites, stalagmites and columns. The cave is part of a small tourism complex, which includes a restaurant, shops and beach, about 35 minutes’ walk from the port area.

Sealanya is a large and modern aquatic park, one part dolphinarium one part sea life centre, located at Türkler, 20km from Alanya.

Other attractions include a visit to the Managvat River and Waterfall, the popular resort of Side, and Iotape, a Roman city 40km from Alanya. The ruins here include baths, an acropolis, a church, a necropolis and a small harbour.

There is a huge choice of Turkish (Hamam) baths in and around Alanya including old traditional baths and luxurious modern bathing centres.

The two main beaches in the city are naturally separated into an eastern and western part - the 'Eastern' beach and Cleopatra beach, both offer a large number of activities.

Shops in Alanya range from small specialist retailers to luxury malls. The Bazaar, near the local bus station, is less than 15 minutes’ walk from the port. The Bazaar is pedestrianised and partly covered, goods here include spices, leather items, carpets, clothing, ceramics, glassware, linen and souvenirs. There are also daily street markets held offering souvenirs and a huge variety of fruit and vegetables.

A Turkish Meze has lots of small dishes and are very popular with visitors and locals alike. They are traditionally served with Raki, an aniseed flavoured spirit.

Other local dishes include 'Köfte' (spicy lamb meatballs), 'Shish kebab' (meat skewer), 'Pide' (kind of pizza topped with cheese and eggs) and 'Dolma' (vine leaves or vegetables stuffed with pine nuts and currants).

Cruise ships can either dock in port, which is situated on the east side of Antalya Bay or anchor and tender passengers ashore.

The terminal has a passenger lounge, cafe/restaurants and a shop. Alanya centre is only a few minutes' walk from the terminal.

There are plenty of taxis in town, these are metered but for long journeys, it's best to negotiate a price beforehand.