Maiden's Castle stands on a small islet off Kızkalesi, a few kilometres east of Narlıkuyu. The fortress was strengthened in the medieval Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia and later held through changing Byzantine, Crusader, and Ottoman fortunes along the coast.
The castle is best seen from the beach, though boats run out when conditions allow. It is a little theatrical, and that is part of the pleasure: a ruined sea castle, a folk tale about a doomed princess, and the Mediterranean sitting bright around it.