The Eastern Mediterranean (the stretch east of Antalya) is a fascinating place. It combines mega-resorts strung along sandy beaches with seldom-visited agricultural towns. The stretch from Antalya to Alanya is jam packed with hotels and tourists, but the stretch east of Gazipaşa until Kızkalesi is quiet, agricultural, mountainous, and retains a lot of old-school charm thanks to its inaccessibility. This entire stretch of coast gets insanely hot in the middle of the summer and is best visited in April / May or late September / October.
Getting around the region
There are 3 airports you can use to access the Eastern Mediterranean: Antalya airport (AYT) at the western edge, Adana airport (ADA) at the eastern edge, or Gazipaşa airport (GZP), a newer airport 30 minutes east of Alanya.
If you are planning to explore the region, you will need a car which you can rent at any of the airports. The D400 highway will take you from Adana to Antalya and beyond. For much of the drive the road hugs the sea coast and provides stunning landscapes. A massive project to improve the D400 on the stretch east of Gazipaşa (involving many mountain tunnels) is currently underway. When the new road is fully operational, it should cut down the drive time. (Currently driving from Antalya to Adana will take you 9 hours on the D400). I’m keeping my fingers crossed that increased accessibility does not lead to over-development.
Antalya to Alanya
The drive between Antalya and Alanya gets my vote for the most over-developed stretch of coast in Turkey. The number of mega-hotels and vacation communities / condos that line this area is mind-blowing. Many of these hotels are all-inclusive resorts so if you just want to stay at a fabulous hotel and park yourself on a lovely beach for a week, this area could be a good choice for you. This region primarily draws German and Russian tourists who come in on package tours. Incekum, closer to Alanya, is renowned for its beautiful beach (the town’s name literally translates to “fine sand”).
Side
The town of Side sits on the coast one hour’s drive east of Antalya. The historic peninsula of Side maintains some old vacation charm and is home to the ancient city of Side (the modern city of Side subscribes to the general mega-resort theme of this area). Many of the ancient ruins here are generally open to the public with the modern city built up around them. Side is best known for its magnificent amphitheater, which is the only part of the historic site you have to pay to visit. The theater is famed for its views of the sea and nearby mountains from the top. It’s a large theater with a second tier of seats (which are roped off for safety reasons) and marble friezes set up on the front stage building. The theater is open from 8:00am-7:00pm in the summer season and closes at 5:00pm in the winter. Admission is 20TL. Just inland from Side you will find Manavgat, home to a very pleasant waterfall.
Alanya
Alanya is about two hours east of Antalya and has become a busy vacation destination. What used to be a small holiday resort has turned into a massive city of 250K that caters to tourists year-round. Many foreigners own property in this area: throughout town you will see apartment buildings with for-sale signs in Turkish, English and Russian. Alanya is a little too over-developed for my taste, but I understand the appeal. There are great beaches all around the city, including the famous sandy Cleopatra beach just west of the town center. The beautiful Taurus mountains frame the north side of the city and are visible from most parts of town. Most impressively, the Alanya castle is perched on a hill right on the sea in the center of town. The castle was built under Selçuk authority in medieval times. It is an incredibly impressive structure with 140 towers and walls that stretch over 6.5 kilometers. The views from the top are ridiculously beautiful. The castle is open from 8:00am-7:30pm in the summer season and closes at 5:00pm in winter. Admission is 15TL.
Anamur
Anamur is two hours east of Alanya and an hour and a half from the new Gazipaşa airport. Anamur is primarily an agricultural city that just happens to be located next to the sea. It is the center of banana production in Turkey, which is the main source of income for the region. The city center lies 2 kms from the sea, and no economic activity seems to be tied to its seaside location at all. There is no port, no harbor, no evidence of fishing boats, and very little tourism infrastructure. This is despite having a large sea coast and two outstanding historic sites. All of this is highly unusual for a Turkish coastal town and was baffling to me! The historic sites here (Mamure Castle and Anemurium) are fabulous, but I would recommend visiting them while staying in Taşucu and making a day trip or while passing through town on your way to points further east or west.
Mamure Castle
This stunning seaside castle is the stuff postcards are made of. Wedged between the main highway and the sea, it sits a few kms east of the city of Anamur. Built in the middle ages by the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, the castle was later used by the Byzantines, Selçuks, and Ottomans. The castle moat is still intact and today is home to several families of sea turtles. The castle has 39 towers connected by ramparts, a mosque, stables, and the ruins of baths. When we visited in fall 2015, the castle was technically closed to visitors for some restoration work. We were fortunate enough to find the gardener and caretaker on site, who very kindly opened the doors for us and gave us a guided tour of the interior. He shared a wealth of information and also directed us to the best spots for taking pictures. When you visit, make sure you walk around to the sea side of the castle to get some stunning photos of the castle jutting out into the sea. Typically the castle is open from 9am-7pm in the summer season and 8am-5pm in winter. Admission is 5TL.
Anemurium
The ancient Greek city of Anemurium (from which the modern town of Anamur gets its name) is located on the west side of Anamur and occupies the southernmost point of Mediterranean Turkey. The city is pretty extensive with many impressive buildings still intact. The walking path takes you from the parking lot, through most of the ruins and culminates in a lovely secluded beach. An extensive necropolis filled with house tombs covers the hill above the parking lot. The most impressive buildings at Anemurium are an odeon and public baths. The odeon is in excellent condition with an entryway, seats, and a stage all in good shape. In the public baths you can actually climb up stone stairs to the second floor of the building and visit the main bathing hall. The site is open from 8am-7pm in the summer season and 8am-5pm in winter. Admission is 5TL.
Taşucu
I was surprisingly charmed by Taşucu. This small coastal city two hours east of Anamur is primarily known for being the port of Silifke and the place where you can catch a ferry to Cyprus or Lebanon (who knew you could take a ferry from Turkey to Lebanon??). That description would not generally make me excited about the vacation possibilities of such a town, but I was pleasantly surprised by how lovely Taşucu is. We stayed at an adorable pansiyon just east of downtown (the Meltem Pansiyon) that was literally right on the water. A well-paved walking path ran behind the beach and connected this part of town to the city center. The city center had a small harbor filled with fishing boats and tourist boats and the slightly larger ferry terminal. There were plenty of restaurants right on the water’s edge, including the Baba Restaurant where we had a nice dinner. We only stayed here one night, but I would happily come back and spend more time in this relaxing seaside town.
Silifke
Silifke is an inland city of more than 100K people that is built along the Göksu river. It isn’t much of a tourist destination in and of itself but it does have an impressive castle perched on a tall hill overlooking the town. When I was in Silifke the castle was closed for restoration but we were able to take in a beautiful view of the city and the river delta from just outside the castle entrance. The Göksu river delta just outside of the city is a popular destination for bird-watching. Silifke is also famous throughout Turkey for its yogurt. I tried some while we were in town, but it wasn’t my favorite. It was too sour for me and hard to eat just straight. The shop we bought it from was a real gem though! It sold foodstuffs produced in local villages: jams, pickles, cheeses, etc. If you are passing through town be sure to check out Cennet Yildiz Turşu Diyarı on the Silifke / Mersin road.
Uzuncaburç
These ancient Roman ruins nestled in the mountains an hour’s drive north of Silifke were a delightful surprise. They are in the middle of nowhere which means you will probably have the entire place to yourself when you visit. The drive to get to the ruins was a fun experience in and of itself. It involved a two-lane road that climbed up into the mountains and passed through several villages along the way. A few times we had to slow down for herds of goats crossing the road! Uzuncaburç sits at over 1000 meters in elevation which gives it a refreshing temperature much cooler than at sea level.
The modern village of Uzuncaburç (which translates to “tall tower”) is built amidst the ruins of the ancient Roman city of Diocaesarea-Olba. From a preservation perspective this probably isn’t the best thing, but it was pretty interesting to see the juxtaposition of the mosque built adjacent to the ancient temple to Zeus. The site has a few very impressive structures. My favorite was the temple to Zeus Olbios that had many erect columns, including a couple with intact Corinthian capitals. There was also a beautiful temple to the goddess Tyche and a substantial city gate. The city’s amphitheater was pretty overgrown but was still fun to explore.
We were the only tourists there the day we visited. When we arrived, there was only an elderly village woman selling some wares at the site. She told us the caretaker had the day off, but he later drove in on his motorcycle to collect our entrance fee when a villager called and told him tourists had arrived! He also set up his own tables selling spices and other items produced in the village. We had fun buying some random items from the village lady and the caretaker, including scarves, nuts, spices, and dried beans. The site is open daily from 8:30-7:30am in the summer and 8:00am-5:00pm in the winter. Admission fee is 5TL.
Caves of Heaven and Hell
Between Silifke and Kızkalesi, near the town of Narlikuyu, there is a turn-off for the caves of Heaven and Hell (Cennet-Cehennem). This famous tourist stop involves two large adjacent sinkholes, one named heaven and one named hell. Perhaps symbolically, you can enter heaven and access the bottom of the cave; hell is deeper with a more narrow opening so you cannot go exploring inside of it. You have to walk down hundreds of steps to reach the bottom of the cave of heaven where you will find some ruins of an old monastery. I have not visited these caves, but they are one of the more popular sites in this area. They are open from 8:00am-7:00pm in the summer season and close at 5:00pm in the winter; admission is 15TL.
Kızkalesi
This small beach town, 30 minutes east of Silifke, is famous for its two castles: one land-side castle and one set on an island just offshore. The castle on the island (also called Kızkalesi) looks like something out of a fairy tale and comes complete with its own legend. Local folklore says that a king kept his daughter on the castle to protect her from a prophesy that said she would die of a snakebite. Sadly for the king and his daughter, a snake found its way into a basket of food delivered to the island, and the poor girl died of a snakebite. The castle gets its name from this legend (Kızkalesi means maiden’s castle). (Note that a very similar story is also told about kız kulesi (maiden’s tower) in Istanbul).
Both castles were built by the Byzantines around the time of the Crusades. There are boats that can take you the short distance from the beach to the offshore castle. Sadly though, they only run in season, and when we visited, we missed the season by just one day! As a result, I only got to see the castle from afar. We were able to explore the land-side Corycus castle, however, and take in some great views of Kızkalesi. Corycus was not in great shape, particularly compared to Mamure castle in Anamur, but it was still fun to amble around and explore. The town of Kızkalesi caters to the tourist crowd and has a nice beach and a number of small beach hotels and pansiyons. Both castles are open from 8:00am-7:00pm in season; admission is 5TL.
Mersin
The stretch between Kızkalesi and Mersin is pretty developed. This area doesn’t draw many foreign tourists but is a common place for Turks to own property. For some reason the developers in this area decided that high-rise buildings were the best way to fill in the seaside. I can’t say I agree with that decision, but people seem to be buying them! Mersin is a large coastal city, 1 hour east of Kızkalesi, with a population of just under 1 million that is home to Turkey’s largest sea port. Although it is on the coast, Mersin is not really a touristy town. It is geared instead to be a center of economic activity. That said, the city has done a great job of developing its waterfront with a public park and paved walking paths lining much of the coast. I had always heard that Mersin was industrial and not at all a vacation destination so I was pleasantly surprised by how attractive its downtown and seafront was.
Adana
The one-hour drive between Mersin and Adana is pretty industrial – I was particularly intrigued by all the facilities producing foodstuffs like lentils and pasta. The road also passes through Tarsus (home of St. Paul) that is a large city of its own right, home to more than 300,000 people.
Adana is the fourth largest city in Turkey. It does not get my vote for loveliest-city-in-Turkey, but I will acknowledge that I only spent one night here and there may be nicer areas that I missed out on. The region around Adana is a major agricultural area so much of the industry and commerce in the city is in support of agriculture. Built along the banks of the Seyhan River, Adana sits about 50kms inland from the Mediterranean sea. There are a few key tourist sites in town, but most travelers come here for business. The town has several large international hotels that give evidence to this, including the Hilton, the Sheraton and the Divan. We did find a lovely historic boutique hotel to stay in while we were there: the Hotel Bosnali. It is centrally located, close to the river, and has been beautifully restored. Do not leave Adana without eating Adana kebab. This kebab of ground meat and peppers grilled over an open flame is now ubiquitous throughout Turkey but is at its best in its hometown. The locals like to pair their Adana kebap with şalgam suyu: a salty beverage made from turnips and carrots.
The main things to see here include:
- Sabancı Merkez Camii – this giant mosque was commissioned in the 1990s by Sakıp Sabancı, one of the richest men in Turkey and a native of Adana. The mosque has six minarets, a large dome, and is intricately decorated inside. It sits along the Seyhan River and is a major landmark in the city.
- Old Stone Bridge – this historic bridge spanning the Seyhan river was originally built by the Romans and has been maintained over time. The bridge is still used today.
- Ulu Camii – this 16th century mosque is very different from the traditional style of mosque you see throughout Turkey. It has a unique black and white minaret, an open courtyard which can be used for prayer, and a beautiful interior space decorated with Iznik tiles and a crystal chandelier.
