High quality Side Turkey travel attractions and vacation tips and tricks: Side Museum may be small but it offers a well curated collection, and it is worth popping in simply to have a look at the building itself. The museum is based in the town’s 2nd-century Roman bathhouse building, which was heavily restored during the 5th century. It sits just across the road from the main entrance into Side’s Roman theater site. Come here to view the exhibits of finely detailed statuary, sculpture, sarcophagi, and engraved stele, all of which was found locally at excavation sites within and around Side. The museum makes for a good rest stop after scrambling through the agora ruins and puffing your way up to the top tier of seating at the theater next door.
Our tour that we have organized bringing the Jeep safari and the rafting tour together takes you to the climax of adrenaline and enjoyment. While watching village life in the Taurus mountains in Jeeps on one side, see the wild nature along the Köprülü canyon river on the other side. Have a meal in a restaurant in the forest with a spectacular view on this tour lasting 8 hours. Don’t miss out on this adrenaline-filled activity organized for those who want to go on the Side Jeep safari and the rafting tour on the same day. The one-of-a-kind naturality of the Taurus mountains which is visited by thousands of people every year and the Köprülü canyon national park is waiting for you on this tour. We will pick you up in the morning from your hotel in the Side and Belek regions in 4×4 Jeeps. You will be able to see wildlife in its unique beauty as we begin our journey into the Taurus mountains.
Lonely Travel is a professional licensed travel agency in Alanya & Side. We organize travel services since 1997. We let our customers to save their time and money also providing them a high quality service. In our Travel Agency employees highly trained specialists that are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism of Turkey. We work 7 days a week to provide the best service to our guests. We organize more than 50 tours around Alanya and Side, each and every single excursion of ours is fully insured and maintained by our professional tour guides. Read more details on Side excursions Turkey.
Alanya Castle was built in 1221 by the Seljuk Sultan, Alaaddin Keykubat, who captured the city and had it rebuilt. You can take the cable car to go up to the castle. The cable car station is near Atatürk Park. You will need to walk uphill another 1 km to reach the entrance of the castle after exiting the cable car. İçkale (Inner castle) is the top sight up there. It’s an open air museum at the summit of the peninsula. Byzantine, Seljuk, and Ottoman artifacts can be found in the inner castle. When you go to Alanya Castle by cable car, you will come across the Süleymaniye Mosque, a Seljuk work renovated during the Ottoman period. There is also a covered bazaar (bedesten) behind the mosque.
In 1228 the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan Kayqubad I ordered the construction of this remarkable shipyard, facing east across the bay, just south of Kızılkule. In Medieval times Alanya was the Seljuk Empire’s prime shipyard on the Mediterranean, and what remains is in great condition and open to the public for free along a wooden boardwalk. There’s a row of five pointed arches, more than 55 metres long in total, and these vaulted bays go back 44 metres inland. The shipyard was oriented east to get as much sunlight as possible, and is flanked by a mosque and guardroom. Slightly back and posted on the rocks on the south side is a defensive tower once armed with cannons.
The city’s steep peninsula, protected on three sides by the Mediterranean, is topped by a 13th-century castle with 6.5 kilometres of fortified walls. This rocky mass is a natural defence, and today’s castle was built on earlier Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine enclosures. In all there are 83 towers and 140 towers in the walls, and many of the 1,200 original cisterns continue to fulfil their original role. Alanya Castle is one massive archaeological site that warrants hours of exploration. The starting point has to be the citadel or Kale on the southwest side, where you’ll come to the Byzantine Church of St George, later adapted as a mosque. The north side of the promontory is the scene of the Seljuk Ehmedek Fortress, built on Hellenistic vestiges and holding a military garrison, arsenal and Sultan’s treasury for hundreds of years. Here you’ll discover countless ruins, together with historic 19th-century houses that went up after the castle had lost its defensive purpose.
Located 6 miles away from Selcuk town, popular village. First inhabitance dates back first century. The early christians from Ephesus escaping from the persecutors founded the village. This was a Greek Orthodox village till 1924. Was named as “Cirkince” meaning the ugly for while. The word Kirazli is derived from the word “kiraz” which means “cherry” in Turkish. Kirazli refers to the place that has cherries. A traditional and non-touristy Turkish Village, 10 km away from Kusadasi. Surrounded with Cherry Trees, Fig Trees, Olive Groves, Tobacco Fields… We offer private tours of Ephesus with a traditional Turkish breakfast at Kirazli Village from Kusadasi.
Dim Cave is 145 km from Antalya and 11 km from Alanya, in the town of Kestel. Dim Cave stands out as a karst formation and creates a mysterious atmosphere. It’s one of the countless natural beauties around Alanya. This place attracts a lot of attention from tourists who want to discover beauties around Alanya. The cave is located in the perfect place for nature walks, in the upper part of Dim valley. You can hike the valley, absorbing the fresh smell of pine trees and marvelous scenery on your way to Dim Cave. Dim Cave is one of the most beautiful caves in Turkey. Its total length is 410 meters and a 360 meter section is open to visitors. The lightning system inside makes the stalactites and stalagmites very delightful all along the way. The colorful lighting creates a fabulous atmosphere inside the cave.
Temple of Artemis, is also known as the Temple of Diana. The temple is dedicated to the goddess Artemis was completed in Ephesus around 550 BC. The temple was built entirely from marble. Even if the temple has been used for more than 800, it was never really completed. The architect of the temple, known as Artemisium in Latin, is known as Chersiphron from Greece. When the temple was first built, it was visited by many people from kings to artists, traders, and travelers, and was used as a religious building where they offered their blessings and beliefs to the goddess. There is no entrance fee for the Temple of Artemis. Visiting hours of the temple have been announced from 9 A.M to 7 P.M but as there are any guards in the neighborhood, the hours might be flexible too. Discover more info at https://www.sideexcursion.com/.
The six-kilometer stretch of ancient walls of Alanya Castle trail along the high promontory that shadows the modern sprawl of Alanya below. Inside the walls is Alanya’s old town district, the most interesting area of the city to explore. Alanya Castle’s history dates back to the Classical era, when this craggy, cave-riddled peninsula was a favorite haunt for pirates. The Greek-built fortifications were extended under Roman rule but it was during the Byzantine era that Alanya’s role as a Mediterranean seaport began to take off.
Cleopatra Beach very rightly gets all the glory, but if you want a change of beach scene, Alanya does have another strip of sand. Running southeast from Alanya harbor is the long shingle and sand shoreline of Portakal Beach, which trails along the city edge for around four kilometers, becoming known as Tosmur Beach at the very southeast end of Alanya, where the Dim River exits out into the sea. Portakal and Tosmur are backed by plenty of hotels and restaurants, and some beach clubs have also staked a patch along the beach length, offering sun loungers with shades, and waiter service for refreshments and food on the beach. Other facilities here include changing cabins and freshwater showers, and lifeguards patrol the sand during the summer season. Because of the beach’s length, even in the height of summer there’s always plenty of space for everyone, but if you’re seeking peace and quiet on this strip, head to the southeast end, which always has fewer beachgoers.