Alanya

Introduction

Alanya

© larapix

Alanya is renowned for being the second home for many Russians, who are attracted by the cheap prices and the fact that it's not far from Russia. The beach in Alanya is good, but also very popular.

Alanya is situated on the Mediterranean coast and enjoys a moderate climate throughout the year. Historically, it was a strategic city for the Ptolemaic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires.

Sights and Activities

• Alanya Water Park - By Damlatas in Alanya's centre is a large water park with a variety of slides to suit all age groups. There are large, fast-paced roller coasters that are best suited for the older visitors, but there are also quieter and smaller coasters that are well suited to smaller children. Try a free fall that goes really fast, or borrow a rubber boat and take two together through a flooded runway.
• Aspendos - is one of the world's best preserved Roman theaters, and every summer are here organized a world famous opera and ballet festival in addition to several other events. The theater, which is approximately 2,000 years old, has a superb acoustics, and despite the many earthquakes, it has done well and is only partially restored. There is also a partially preserved aqueduct. Aspendos is 95 kilometres from Alanya.
• Gazipasa - East of Alanya you will find small pristine beaches along the cliffs. Enjoy fresh fish in one of the local seafood restaurants or lunch at the harbor in the small town Gazipasa.
• Hamam - Turkish Bath - Bathing in a hamam, a Turkish bath is a living tradition in Turkey and an experience for both body and soul. In most cities in Turkey there are beautiful bathhouses, called the hamam. The tradition of walking in the hamam dates back to medieval times, and besides that you get clean, it's also a way to meet and socialize on. Bathing ritual begins when you are placed in a hot room to sweat and soften the skin. Then you get scrubbed from head to toe with a rough wash glove. During scrubbing deposited dirt and dead skin cells and skin become fantastically soft and smooth. A really deep cleaning in other words. The visit ends with a refreshing massage that causes your body to really relax.
• Monastery ruins in Alarahan - Take a trip to Alarahan, located between Side and Alanya. Here lies the old monastery ruins, which you reach by climbing up the stairs that are carved into the mountain. Remember to bring your flashlight.
• Oymapiniar dam - Drive to Manavgat. There you turn up at Oymapiniar dam. The road winds through beautiful countryside and villages, until you reach the dam. Just below, under water, are the remains of a city that was flooded when the dam was built.

Weather

Alanya has a typical Mediterranean climate with hot and dry summers and mild but wetter winters. Temperatures during the day range from 16 °C in January and February to 32 °C in August, though occasionally the mercury hits 45 °C! Lows are between 8 °C in February and 24 °C in August. Alanya has a relatively high annual amount of precipitation of 1,100mm, but nearly all of that falls between November and March. Weatherwise, the best time for a visit would be May/June or September/October.

Getting There

By Plane

Antalya International Airport (AYT) is the main airport for the Antalya region, including Alanya, Side and Kemer. It is one of the three major airports along the coastal area of Turkey. It is located around 10 kilometres from the city centre of Antalya. This airport handles both domestic and international flights. Antalya is well connected with other parts of Turkey by domestic flights and it is also directly connected with many cities in Europe and the Middle East.

By Bus

Buses and smaller minibuses (dolmus) travel between Alanya and dozens of cities throughout the country, including Istanbul and Ankara.

By Boat

There is a harbour which welcomes cruisehips. In season, there are boats to Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus.

Sleep

Upscale

You can use the form below to search for availability (Travellerspoint receives a commission for bookings made through the form)

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes can be found everywhere except small rural villages. The cost of an hour use of internet ranges from 1 YTL to 1.5 YTL. Wireless internet is becoming popular in some cafes in big cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, and at airpots. But in many other places it's still not available, or sometimes at a very high cost.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

Turkey's international country code is 90. Dial 112 for an ambulance anywhere, from any telephone, without a charge. In case of a fire, dial 110; for police, call 155. However, in rural areas there is not a police coverage, so dial 156 for gendarme, a military unit for rural security. All these numbers are free of charge and can be called from a telephone booth without inserting a calling card, or any phone including cell phones.

There are telephone booths owned by Turk Telekom in major parts of cities. public phones now operate with chip telekom cards which are available in 30, 60 or 120 units and can be obtained at post offices, newspaper and tobacco kiosks.
It is estimated that approximately 98% of the population of Turkey lives within the coverage areas of Turkey’s three cell phone line providers. Line providers from most countries have roaming agreements with one or more of these companies. Pre-paid mobile phone SIM cards can be purchased for approximately TRY20-50. These can be purchased at the airport on arrival or from the many outlets in Istanbul and other large cities. Providers include Vodaphone.

Post

PTT is the national post service in Turkey. Services are generally moderately fast but quite reliable. There is an extended price list on the PTT website, where you can see the costs of sending items within Turkey, countries in Europe and further afield. For sending packages one might also use international companies such as DHL and UPS and local companies such as Yurtici Kargo. Post offices bear the distinctive yellow PTT sign and are generally open between 9:00am to 12:00 noon and 1:30pm to 5:00pm from Monday to Friday. Some might keep longer hours or be open during the weekend as well, but this mainly applies to the larger ones or those in central places and tourist areas.

External Links

• Official Website
• Tourist Infor