Silifke sits inland from Turkey's Mediterranean coast on the Goksu River, close enough to the sea for beach traffic but old enough to feel like more than a resort service town. Ancient Seleucia stood here, and the modern city still has a castle on the hill, early Christian ruins, and a river plain that opens into one of the eastern Mediterranean's important wetlands.
The town itself is worth a few hours for Silifke Castle, the Aya Tekla Church, and the Silifke Museum. The better day spreads wider, taking in the Goksu Delta or the inland ruins of Uzuncaburc.
Silifke is not as immediately charming as some Turkish coastal towns, but it rewards people who like archaeology, wetlands, and places where the Mediterranean tourist strip gives way to older Cilicia.