Stand on Kale Cd where it zigzags up the headland and the whole shape of Alanya is laid out below you: the harbour on one side, the beaches on the other, and the Red Tower marking the seam between them. That climb, or the cable car that saves your legs, is the quickest way to understand why this peninsula has been fortified for so long.
Alanya suits travellers who want a beach holiday with real history attached, and who are happy to spend a morning walking through a walled citadel and an afternoon in the sea. Boat trips, caves, canyons and a river gorge fill the days between.
This guide covers the sights in and around the city, with practical notes on timing and what to combine with what.
Top things to do in Alanya
1. The Citadel (Kale)
The Citadel occupies the headland between the port and the beaches, and most of the area is free to stroll; you only pay to enter İç Kale, the inner castle. This defensive position has been occupied since prehistory and fortified in Roman and Byzantine times, but what you see now is a Seljuk bastion built from 1220 AD. Houses, shops and other buildings have sprung up within the citadel walls.
Kale Cd, the road up from town, is a 3 km zigzag, and the taxis waiting near the foot are betting you cannot walk it. Near the top of the street you will find the Ottoman bedestan or covered market, Süleymaniye Mosque, and the Ehmedek gatehouse.
2. Inner Castle (İç Kale)
The inner castle commands great views and contains a Byzantine church, cisterns and storerooms. It is open daily from 08:00 to 22:00, and the adult ticket is 12 Euro.
Because it stays open into the evening, this is the part of the citadel to save for late in the day if you want the light and the views without the midday heat.
3. Red Tower (Kızıl Kule)
The Red Tower on Iskele Cd is a redbrick hexagonal tower 33 m high, completed in 1226 by Ebu Ali Reha of Aleppo. There is a small museum display within, and you can climb the 78 steep stairs for harbour views. It is open daily from 08:30 to 17:30, and the adult ticket is 100 TL.
Pair it with the Old Shipyard just south, since the two sit close together below the beach.
4. Old Shipyard (Tersane)
South of the beach below the Red Tower, the Old Shipyard on Tersane Sk consists of five vaulted drydocks built in 1221. It is open daily from 08:00 to 23:00, and the adult ticket is 15 TL.
The long opening hours make this an easy add-on at either end of a day spent around the harbour.
5. Boat trips
Boat trips sail round the headland and the sea caves, and there are half a dozen operators along the harbour. On the water you see Dil Varna Burnu, the precipitous promontory south of the castle, which has monastery ruins but no access on foot.
The sport on these trips is to dive in, swim to the caves, and scramble through to the other side of the promontory where you leap in to rejoin your boat. Keep a close watch on the boatman's boy, as he is the one who knows how to shin up into the correct cave to get through.
6. Damlataş Cave
Damlataş Cave on Damlataş Cd, by the foot of the cable car, is a richly decorated dripstone cave discovered in 1948 during works on the harbour. The air within is very humid and laden with CO₂, which is implausibly touted as a remedy for asthma. It is open daily from 09:00 to 19:30, and the adult ticket is 150 TL.
Its position at the foot of the cable car makes it a natural stop before or after riding up to the citadel.
7. Alanya Archaeological Museum
The Alanya Archaeological Museum on İsmet Hilmi Balcı Cd is a small museum of local prehistory, history and crafts. It is open daily from 08:30 to 20:00, and the adult ticket is 100 TL.
It works well as a compact indoor stop, and its long daily hours leave plenty of room to fit it around beach time.
8. Dim Cave
Dim Cave is an extensive show-cave, and a better experience than Damlataş as it is less crowded and less humid. It is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00, and the adult ticket is 60 TL.
Combine it with Dim Çayı, the river gorge now flooded behind a dam, where there are lots of picnic spots and the water is very cold.
9. Dim Çayı
Dim Çayı is a river gorge, now flooded behind a dam, with lots of picnic spots and very cold water. It pairs naturally with Dim Cave, which sits in the same area.
Bring what you need for a picnic, since that is what the spot is set up for.
10. Sapadere Canyon
Sapadere Canyon is a scenic walk to a waterfall. You pay 30 TL for access.
Go for the walk rather than as a quick stop, and treat the waterfall as the turning point of the outing.
11. Alara Castle
Alara Castle, 37 km west of town, was Byzantine but rebuilt by the Seljuks in 1232. It teeters atop a crag, and the path is clear and safe enough but unsuitable for children or those with impaired mobility.
If you are travelling with young children or with anyone who has difficulty walking, plan a different outing.
12. Kızılcaşehir Castle
Kızılcaşehir Castle is a hill-top citadel or acropolis similar to Alanya's, but unmaintained, so it is a ramshackle overgrown site. You mostly come for the views, which include the football stadium below.
Set your expectations on the views rather than on the ruins themselves.
13. Hüseyin Azakoğlu House
The Hüseyin Azakoğlu House on Gazi Abdurrahman Doğuş Sk, 100 m east of Atatürk House, is a traditional Ottoman mansion open as a museum. It is open Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 17:00.
Note the midday closure when planning your visit, and be aware that the nearby Atatürk House Museum, where Atatürk spent the night of 18 Feb 1935, remains closed.
14. Beaches
The beaches are sandy and stretch several km either side of the headland, which makes them easy to reach from the centre of town.
Use them as the flexible part of your day, since they need no ticket and no timing.
15. Scuba diving and paragliding
Scuba diving is memorable for the caves; outside them it is typically Mediterranean, just rocks, eel-grass and few fish. The scuba shacks are Dolphin, Magic Dive and Alanya Diving Centre. Some caves are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers, not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad. Half a dozen outfits also offer paragliding.
If you want the caves, book with a dive outfit rather than trying to reach them from the surface.
If you only have one day
Morning: Walk or ride up Kale Cd to the Citadel (Kale) and pay in to the Inner Castle (İç Kale) for the Byzantine church, cisterns, storerooms and the views. On the way down, look in at the Ottoman bedestan, Süleymaniye Mosque and the Ehmedek gatehouse near the top of the street.
Afternoon: Come down to the harbour for the Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) and climb the 78 steep stairs for the harbour views, then walk south to the Old Shipyard (Tersane). If time allows, add the Alanya Archaeological Museum or Damlataş Cave, which sits by the foot of the cable car.
Evening: Take a boat trip round the headland and the sea caves, passing Dil Varna Burnu, or simply finish on the beaches either side of the headland. The Old Shipyard stays open until 23:00, so it can also be saved for the end of the day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay to walk around the Citadel?
No. Most of the Citadel area is free to stroll, and you only pay for İç Kale, the inner castle.
Which cave should I choose, Damlataş or Dim Cave?
Dim Cave is described as a better experience than Damlataş as it is less crowded and less humid. Damlataş is the one by the foot of the cable car, discovered in 1948 during harbour works.
Can snorkelers enter the submerged caves?
No. Some caves are submerged and can be entered by scuba-divers, not snorkelers, as the air within them is bad.
Is Alara Castle suitable for children or visitors with impaired mobility?
The path is clear and safe enough, but it is unsuitable for children or those with impaired mobility.
Start with the walk up Kale Cd, decide which caves and canyons you want beyond the city, and build the rest of your days around the water.