Attractions and vacation advices in Kemer by tourmoni.com

Fabulous Alanya attractions and vacation guides: If you’re looking for a mix of beach time and history, the resort town of Side Belek is one of the best places to visit on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. Side Kemer may be all about soaking up the sun on the sand but for those who fancy a slice of culture with their sunbathing, the wealth of Greco-Roman ruins right in town are major tourist attractions. By 1000 BC Side Belek, had its first settlement but it was in the 7th or 6th centuries BC, when Greek settlers established a colony and built a harbor here, that the town began to prosper. During the Roman era, this town became an important commercial center, and it was only when the harbor began to silt up in the 7th century that the town was eventually abandoned. At the tip of Side Belek’s peninsula are the remains of the ancient town’s two principal temples, dedicated to Athena and Apollo. Although they are in no way complete, they have a dramatic location looking out over the Mediterranean and are especially atmospheric in the evening, when the ruins are lit up. Side Belek harbor is a great place for a sunset promenade, with plenty of cafés dotting the shoreline near the ruins. See even more info at Kemer excursions.

​Camlik village takes 20 minutes drive from Kusadasi. A visit to the Village can be added to the “Ephesus and Kirazli Village” Tour Program. This is an outdoor museum was opened in 1991. It has one of the largest steam engines collection in Europe, most them joining the museum shortly after being retired from service. The museum is perfectly located, a few minutes away from Turkey most famous historical site: Ephesus. It sits on the premises of the former Çamlık station. A visit to Camlik steam engine museum is recommended for travellers wo are interested in steam engines and railways. Tire is 60 kilometers away from Kusadasi. Every Tuesday there is a farmers market held in downtown Tire. This is the largest farmers market in Turkey. You see farmers from several villages nearby selling their products.

You can plan a full day trip to see the ancient city of Side with the temples of Athena and Apollo, and the magnificent theater of Aspendos. The theater is one of the most distinguished representatives of Roman Age theaters today, with its well-preserved condition and architectural features. If you choose to make this trip with an organized tour, it will be either combined with the famous Manavgat bazaar where you can find many things such as souveneirs, clothes, spices, fresh fruits, and vegetables, or the marvelous Manavgat Waterfall. The itinerary depends on which excursion you book. Some have Side, Aspendos, and the waterfall, some have Side, Aspendos, and the bazaar. The weekly market days of the Manavgat Bazaar also make a difference.

The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard stands south of the Red Tower. You can easily reach it on foot by following the 300 meter path. The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard was built by the Seljuks in 13th century. If you are into maritime history and medieval buildings, make time to visit the only remaining shipyard in Turkey from the Seljuk Period. The Alanya Seljuk Shipyard (Tersane) has been used for trade and protection purposes throughout history. Today, it stands upright back to back with Red Tower. The Alanya shipyard is the only shipyard that remains from the Seljuk reign, built in the first half of 13th century.

Located right next to the Celsus Library, the square is the city’s most important trade and cultural center, Agora, which is the marketplace. Agora has a total of 3 doors, and was built in BC. It was founded in the 3rd century during the reign of Emperor Augustus. Agora was damaged due to a big earthquake in the 4th AC. century and became unusable. In the 6th century AC, a new agora was established in the northern part using the remains here. The section where the newly established agora is located today serves as the Gendarmerie barracks center and entrance to that area is prohibited.

Harbor-side, both the Red Tower (Kızılkule) and Seljuk Shipyard (Tersane) are extensions of Alanya castle fortifications, built in the 13th century. The octagonal, 30-meter-high Red Tower served as the harbor’s defense tower in the Seljuk era. Inside, there are exhibits on the Red Tower’s and Alanya’s history, but you’re really here to climb up to the roof for great views across the harbor front. From the tower, a pretty walkway runs along the harbor’s original fortification walls to Turkey’s only remaining example of a Seljuk-era shipyard. The arched halls here, built into the shorefront, are open to the sea, so that waves constantly pummel the stone. The walkway continues from here for a short length along the coastline to a small Seljuk-era watchtower building. Read even more details on https://www.tourmoni.com/.

It’s impossible not to be awed by Taurus Mountains, and if you want to break out and experience this stirring landscape your best bet is the Sapadere Canyon, about 40 kilometres northeast of Alanya. The temperature is a few degrees lower in the mountains, and something that will strike you right away is the lack of humidity. In 1948 when Alanya’s peninsula was being quarried for stone for the harbour, workers stumbled upon a cave brimming with stalagmites and stalactites. At the foot of a stairway, the Damlataş Cave is 50 metres long and up to 15 metres high, and those bizarre concretions are carefully illuminated. Now, something to note about the chamber is its high humidity (96%), elevated carbon dioxide and constant temperature of 22°C. This might put off some visitors, but since it was first discovered the Damlataş Cave has been hailed for its therapeutic effects for people with respiratory complaints.

Cleopatra Beach: For many visitors, a vacation in Alanya will always be about the beach. The sandy shores, rimmed by resorts, trail the stretch of coastline between Side and Alanya. In Alanya itself, the main strip of sand is Cleopatra Beach, which sits on the western side of town, separated from downtown Alanya by the rocky, forested slope of the castle promontory. This stretch of white sand offers easygoing days of swimming and sunbathing with excellent facilities on hand for a full day at the beach. In the July and August peak season, the beach can get packed. Come in late spring or early fall, though, when the weather here is still sunny and warm, and you’ll find this strip of sand surprisingly uncrowded.

On your visit to the Dim River make time for the largest cave system in the Alanya area, carved out by water over millions of years but only discovered in 1999. The Dim Cave is 360 metres long, and worthwhile for its many concretions. Something to remember is that there are lots of steps and narrow walkways, so the Dim Cave isn’t accessible to all. As with the Damlataş Cave there’s high humidity at 75%, although the cave does offer respite from the summer heat, with a temperature never rising above 19°C. One of the things to love about this park is its location, right by the cable car station, tourist office, Damlataş Cave and archaeological museum, at the east end of Kleopatra Beach. Within a few steps north along Güzelyalı Cd. there are dozens of places to eat. As for the park, it’s somewhere to escape the heat for a few minutes, under a palm tree or one of the enormous ficuses. There’s a mini-golf course, a fishpond, flowerbeds and pieces of public art like a ceremonious statue of Cleopatra. This is also somewhere to witness Alanya’s affinity for its stray cats, which roam the lawns freely and have special wooden shelters and feeding stations.