Getting Around İskenderun
İskenderun sits on Turkey's eastern Mediterranean coast, at the foot of the Nur (Amanos) Mountains on the Gulf of İskenderun. It's a compact city, and getting around is mostly a matter of walking plus a few straightforward local options. Note that the city was heavily damaged by the February 2023 earthquakes and subsequent floods and fires, so some facilities and services may still be disrupted or operating in makeshift form when you visit.
On Foot
Walking is the natural way to cover the city centre. İskenderun is built on an alluvial plain along the coast, and the main streets are where you'll find most of what a visitor needs day to day. Do bear in mind that the city's surroundings are hilly and rough — the old name "Alexandria Scabiosa," or "Alexandria the Mountainous," reflects this — so routes heading inland and uphill are more strenuous than the flat coastal streets.
Rail, Metro and Tram
There is no metro or tram network in İskenderun, and the city has no working rail service for visitors. Trains to İskenderun are suspended long-term because of engineering works around Adana, which means İskenderun Garı (the railway station) is a forlorn place rather than a functioning transport hub. Plan your trip without relying on rail.
Buses and Dolmuşes
The main local public transport is the dolmuş — shared minibuses that ply the main streets and run out to outlying villages. There's no single central source of route information, so the practical approach is to ask your accommodation about the local routes that serve where you want to go. For longer-distance travel, İskenderun Otogarı, the bus station on Sanayi Cd, handles intercity services; it was already a tatty, crumbling place before the earthquake and now has only makeshift facilities, so set your expectations accordingly. Long-distance buses from Istanbul run every couple of hours and take around 13 hours via Ankara, Niğde and Adana, heading on to Antakya. Operators include Metro Turizm, Kamil Koç (now part of Flixbus) and Has Turizm. Buses no longer run from Beirut or Aleppo.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The source material for İskenderun does not describe a taxi or ride-hailing scene in any detail, so treat this as a gap rather than a recommendation. Your most reliable move is to ask your accommodation to arrange or call a taxi, and to confirm the fare or meter arrangement before setting off.
Getting There from the Airport
Hatay Airport (HTY) is the airport serving the area. It sits 45 km south of İskenderun, near Antakya. By road this takes roughly 45–60 minutes, because the highway snakes over the Belen Pass through the Amanos Mountains. Flights run several times a day from Istanbul (both IST and SAW) and daily from Ankara.
If you're arriving by road from elsewhere in the region, the motorway network is the main artery: from Adana take motorway O-52 east onto O-53 / E91 and then south; from Gaziantep follow O-52 west past Osmaniye to join O-53. The coast road D817 flanks O-53 — it's toll-free but congested with trucks and far from scenic. South of İskenderun, O-53 joins D817 and then D825 southwards to Antakya, a good divided highway that twists and turns over Belen Pass. Highways from Antakya continue towards Syria.
Arriving by Sea
Don't plan on reaching İskenderun by ferry. The port facilities were wrecked in the 2023 earthquake, and ferries no longer sail from Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus. The nearest ferry route is via Mersin. The old ferry port was at Madenli, 22 km southwest along the road to Arsuz, but it's not known when it might be rebuilt.
Practical Tips
- Base yourself centrally and walk — the coastal plain makes the core of the city manageable on foot.
- Use dolmuşes for the main streets and outlying villages, and ask your accommodation which routes to take.
- Don't count on trains; the line through İskenderun is suspended long-term.
- Allow 45–60 minutes for the airport transfer over Belen Pass, and expect a winding mountain road.
- Expect post-earthquake conditions: the bus station has only makeshift facilities, and some services may be disrupted.