Best rated Alanya destinations and vacation tricks and tips

Hot Kemer travel attractions and holiday guides: If you’re looking for a mix of beach time and history, the resort town of Side Kemer 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 Kemer harbor is a great place for a sunset promenade, with plenty of cafés dotting the shoreline near the ruins. Find even more information on Side excursions.

Pergamon in the third century BC was one of the most prosperous cities of the ancient world. Known today as Bergama. Located 100 km. north of Izmir. Attalid Dynasty assigned the city as a capital for their kingdom named as Pergamon Kingdom. Pergamon has also a biblical importance. Mentioned in the book of revelation in the new testament among the seven churches of asia minor. The city was known as the city where the throne of satan is located. Once it was the Lydian Kingdoms capital. A very rich city where Lydians invented the coins in a river called pactolus. Today a 3rd century AD imperial gymnasium and the largest ancient synagogue stands in the site. The gymansium is reerected today. The mosaics in the synagogue are amazing. Sardes is mentioned in the Book of Revelation among the 7 churches of Asia Minor.

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.

Alanya is a very popular resort town on the Turkish Riviera. The town is 120 km from the center of Antalya and has its own airport. Well known for its beautiful beaches, resorts, nightlife, and nature, Alanya welcomes millions of visitors from all over the world every year. To help you get maximum enjoyment from the city, we have prepared this guide to the best things to do in Alanya. The iconic Red Tower, where you can see traces of Seljuk Architecture, has been the symbol of Alanya for centuries. It’s located in the historical city center, right near the Seljuk Shipyard (Tersane). The octagonal building was built in the 13th century by Seljuk Sultan, Alaeddin Keykubad. When you look around from the top floor of the tower, the view encompasses the walls, towers and the harbor that surround the peninsula.

The parts of the aqueducts starting from the east of the Saint John Pursuit Gate within the district, especially around the station, have managed to remain intact. Byzantine aqueducts passing through the district continue northward through the Şirince Strait. These arches supply the drinking water supplied from the water sources in the east of Pranga locality between Belevi and Selçuk, the Byzantine Period settlement in Selçuk Ayasuluk Hill and St. It was used to deliver it to the St. Jean Church. You can see reused marble blocks brought from Ephesus and Artemision at the feet of these arches, which reach a height of 15 meters around the station. Among these, Ionic capitals from the Archaic period are standing out.

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. See extra information at https://www.tourmoni.com/.

Starting at the western foot of that promontory is Alanya’s main beach, a long gentle arc of coarse sand bathed by low-to-moderate surf. Kleopatra Beach is wide, tapering only a little the further north you go, and gives you unbroken views of the castle and the brooding mass of the Taurus Mountains. There are beach clubs with sun loungers at intervals along the beach, and between the sand and Atatürk Boulevard is a wide promenade, blessed with those same panoramas, under swaying palms and buffered from the street by a strip of greenery with playgrounds and flowerbeds. On the east side of the beach is the lower station for a cable car that opened in summer 2017, whisking you up to the castle promontory. The Alanya Teleferik climbs 250 metres on a 900-metre line, and one of its 14 gondolas will depart every 19 seconds. On board you’ll be treated to astonishing 360° views, out over the Gulf of Antalya, across the resort and beyond to the Taurus Mountains.

Temple of Apollo ruins at Side: The ancient ruins scattered around the small town of Side are only 64 kilometers to the northwest of Alanya so can be easily visited as a day trip. Side is a small but busy waterfront resort with a very touristy bazaar area winding through the old town district that leads down to a harbor front area. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants strung out along the shore here, so if you’re planning on ticking off Aspendos as well on your day trip, this is the best place to stop for lunch. The main area of ancient ruins is just opposite the inland entrance to Side’s old town district. This is where you’ll find Side’s imposing 2nd-century Roman Theater, which holds seating for up to 20,000 spectators. This is one of Turkey’s most remarkably well-preserved Roman theaters and the town’s most dramatic tourist attraction. Don’t miss visiting Side Museum, which is set in a Roman bathhouse across the road from the theater entrance. Afterwards, make sure to explore the rambling area of ruins incorporating the Agora and the Temple of Tyche that sits just to the east of the theater. Once you’ve wandered through this archaeological site, head into the old town itself and stroll up to the harbor.

To those in the know, the best panorama in Alanya can be had from this belvedere in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains. By car or cab you can get up to the Seyir Terasi in under 15 minutes, and once you’re there you may not want to leave. From this leafy vantage point you’ve got the best view of the castle’s peninsula, the tessellated white blocks of modern Alanya, as well as the harbour and the aqua-blue expanse of the Mediterranean. There’s a telescope on the terrace and a cafe-restaurant above, and in the evening families will come to the park to light barbecues. Of the many views to cherish in Alanya, some of the very best are from the water. On a cruise departing the old harbour, you’ll see the castle, shipyard, Kızılkule and the Taurus Mountains through the eyes of a Medieval sailor. The coastline in the Antalya Province is also fabulous, and there are three sets of caves within a short sail Alanya. Occasionally on this six-hour voyage the boat will drop anchor and you can lie back on deck or plunge into the cool turquoise sea. Cold drinks are provided and there’s also a barbecued lunch on board.