Alanya is one of Turkey's most popular Mediterranean resort towns, perched on a dramatic rocky promontory about 150 km east of Antalya. Where many Turkish coastal resorts are interchangeable strips of concrete, Alanya has something most of them lack: a genuine old town crowned by a massive Seljuk fortress, with history going back to the Romans and beyond.
The town wraps around a steep headland that juts into the sea, dividing the coastline into two long sandy beaches. Cleopatra Beach stretches west, with coarse golden sand and clear water. Alanya Beach runs east, backed by the hotels and restaurants that serve the steady stream of European visitors. The Taurus Mountains rise sharply behind, giving the whole setting a scale that photographs never quite capture.
Up on the promontory, the old town is a tangle of narrow lanes, Ottoman houses, and small mosques climbing toward the 13th-century castle at the summit. The views from the top take in the entire coastal plain, the fruit orchards, and the Ak Dagi massif to the north. Below the castle walls, sea caves and grottoes line the cliffs -- some reachable only by boat, others like Damlatas Cave accessible on foot.
The harbour area at the base of the promontory is where Alanya feels most alive. Tea houses, fish restaurants, and bars line the waterfront. The iconic Red Tower (Kizil Kule), an octagonal Seljuk defensive tower from 1226, stands guard over the old harbour. The atmosphere is relaxed and unhurried, even at the height of summer.
Beyond the town, the coastline in both directions rewards exploration. The Dim Cayi valley, 15 km east, offers shade and riverside restaurants. The beaches at Avsallar (Incekum), 25 km west, are among the finest on this stretch of coast. Further east toward Gazipasa, you will find quieter coves and the ruins of ancient Selinus, where the Roman emperor Trajan died in 117 AD.