Alanya

Introducing Alanya

Much like Side, its smaller cousin to the west, Alanya has, in the past couple of decades, been discovered – and subsequently conquered – by European package tourism, especially from Germany and Scandinavia. There’s good reason for this, of course: Alanya’s silky sand beach stretches for more than 20km to the east, where a parade of all-inclusive five-star resorts now sit practically side-by-side.

Understandably, most of those staying within the city limits seem to have arrived with relatively simple to-do lists: sunbathe during the day, dine in the evening and party well into the night. Should you happen to be interested in exploring the ancient culture of this newly modern town, pay a visit to the fascinating fortress district, which sits high above the harbour. There you’ll find a number of hillside cafés and a wonderful mess of ruins, all well worth investigating.

If you want to stay for more than a day or so, check the package-holiday brochures first, since tours inclusive of flights and transfers may well be cheaper than booking privately.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009