Alanya
Alanya is a large, beautiful, and very popular tourist destination on Turkey's Mediterranean 'Turkish Riviera'. Boasting enormous beaches (three of which bear elite Blue Flag status), innumerable excellent restaurants (serving delicious seafood, Turkish and international dishes), bars and harbourside cafès; dazzling historical sites and so much more, Alanya has just about everything as the perfect Turkish holiday getaway.
The focal point of the town is the magnificent 13th Century, double-walled Seljuk Castle, a citadel appearing as the crown of Alanya Peninsula, but just as dramatic is that most of the old town occupies a great rocky promontory that juts imposingly out from the coastline into the twinkling azure waters of the Gulf of Antalya. With the two main beaches of Alanya running east and west from this 250 metre high promontory, there are few stretches of coastline anywhere in Europe, or the rest of the world for that matter, that make for such an idyllic picture postcard setting. Add the bright colours and atmosphere of the seemingly permanently open bazaars and boutiques; the amazing, octagonal harbour sentinel Kizil Kule (Red Tower, 1225) and a breathtaking backdrop of the pine forest-clad Taurus Mountains, and it is easy to understand why Alanya is such a well-loved Turkish holiday destination.
Of the many natural attractions in and around Alanya, it is the enchanting sea caves and grottoes that hold the most allure for visitors in search of something a little different. No visit to Alanya can be considered concluded without a trip to see the Damlatas Cave's strange rock, stalactite and stalagmite formations that give it the evocative local nickname 'Cape of Dripping Stones'. Accessible by foot, this site is something of a sanctum for asthma sufferers who are said to benefit greatly from the cave's warm, moist atmosphere. Excitingly, other nearby caves can only be reached by boat; three in particular are certainly worth peeling yourself from the beaches to explore: Fosforlu Magara (Phosphorous Cave) contains - as the name encapsulates - stunning phosphorescent rock formations; Kizlar (Girls Cave) is where pirates of bygone days imprisoned their female captives, and Asiklar's (Lovers Cave) human history is perhaps best left to the imagination!
The cooling blue sea all around Alanya, as all along the Turkish Riviera, is crystal clear and clean; perfect for swimming and the great variety of water sports that are on offer in the town. A refreshing dip off the award winning beaches is just the way to refresh the visitor after basking in the sunshine of the Turkish Riviera's typical Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and humid winters.