We start our journey by departing from the guest vehicles’ side areas and passing by the hotels between 08:20 and 09:15. Our guide explains the program of our tour and provides information about Alanya and the surrounding region.
After about an hour, we arrive in Alanya for our first visit—the banana garden. In Türkiye, various types of bananas are grown along the Mediterranean coastline thanks to its favorable climate. Although the Chikiola bananas are smaller than other varieties, you can still take photos underneath the large trees in the sweeter garden.
Following a 10-minute photo break, we visit a dripstone cave that was discovered by chance in 1948. Known for its healing properties, the cave—with its stalactites and stalagmites—has been a source of relief for people, including asthma patients, for thousands of years. Covering 200 square meters and standing 15 meters high, the cave features a beach adjacent to Cleopatra Beach, a site rumored to have been graced by the Egyptian queen herself. Cleopatra Beach stretches for 3 km.
Guests have the option to enter the cave, sunbathe at Cleopatra Beach, swim, or take the cable car located next to the cave to ascend to the peninsula and castle for photos. Please note that time at this site is limited to 30–40 minutes, so you may need to choose your activity.
Next, we travel by bus to the castle. Dating back to the Seljuk period, the castle stretched 6,500 meters between 1226 and 1238 and was restored in the 1950s. With 80 towers and 150 bastions, the castle is divided into three sections: the inner, middle, and outer castle. From the designated platform shown by our guide, we photograph the stunning city of Alanya, the Taurus Mountains, the harbor, and the peninsula—a site recognized by UNESCO for its cultural significance—for about 10 minutes.
After capturing images of Byzantine churches, the Seljuk shipyard, the red tower (a symbol of Alanya), the armory, Ottoman houses, and water cisterns, we embark on a boat tour of the harbor. Lasting approximately 1 hour, the tour offers views of the city of Alanya, the red tower built by architect Kettanizade Ebu Ali (Halep) in 1226 during Sultan Alaattin Keykubat’s reign, the shipyard from 1227, Ottoman houses, and the tower from the sea. The tour also passes by pirate caves—where pirate ships once hid their plunder—Lovers’ Cave, a popular meeting point for couples, and Phosphorus Cave, so named because the water at its entrance shimmers with a phosphorus hue when struck by sunlight.
After our boat tour, we head toward the Dim River—a favored destination for both local and foreign tourists—for lunch. Along the way, we follow a scenic route featuring 20–25 extraordinary sandy beaches and panoramic sea views. At our restaurant, where drinks are included in the price, we enjoy our meal in a tent setting. You also have the option to cool off in the water before or after the meal or simply enjoy the picturesque view. We spend about 1 hour at the restaurant.
After lunch, we board a bus and head uptown, where we have 1.5 hours of free time in the Alanya city center. During your free time, you can shop, visit Keykubat Beach to sunbathe, or capture interesting photos of boats heading toward the harbor.
When our free time concludes, we board the bus and depart Alanya around 16:30–17:00, returning to our hotel. We arrive at the hotel between 18:00 and 18:30, concluding our tour for the day.
