Alanya is a small but great resort town in Turkey on the Mediterranean coast. Alanya offers a unique mix of crazy adventures, beach relaxation, and historical walk through town. This resort is well known as a perfect vacation week with all-inclusive and hotel view to the sea, but that’s not everything! Alanya has something more! I have traveled to Alanya 2 times and both were full of unforgettable adventures and super calm relax. And it seems like two totally different things, but Alanya is about having it all at once!
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT ALANYA?
Alanya is one of the sunniest and perfect places for a vacation. Each year Alanya has about 310 sunny days and hot and long summer. Alanyas summer you can visit between May and November. Winters is not cold (also for me winter with +15C is super warm), but also not so warm for a perfect vacation. Anyway, I am not traveling in spring and also not in summer months. Why? In spring (April, May) air temperature can be good enough, but the sea temperature will still be cooler than you will expect. And even if you are having a hotel with a swimming pool, ohh, believe me – it’s not the same as the sea! But summer (June, July, August) is totally too hot for me because the temperature can go till +35C (and sometimes even more). Sun in Turkey is stronger than in the middle or north Europe and it’s very easy to catch sunburn and sunstroke.
SMART TIP: Vacation with less than 5 full days is not a vacation! Choose enough days to relax well.
I believe that the best time to visit Alanya is September and October! Sun is not soo strong anymore but summer is still in full speed! Water in the sea is unbelievable warm but water in the swimming pool – seems cold, haha!
DO I NEED TO TAKE ALL-INCLUSIVE IN HOTEL?
To this question, I have only one simple answer – YES! Both of the times I took all-inclusive and I really believe that there aren’t other options, at least when traveling to Alanya.
The first thing that gives all-inclusive is comfort! You don’t need to search in town every single day restaurants and cafes for breakfast, dinner, lunch or place where to take some drink. And you never know how much money and time you will spend on searching that all. I better pay a little bit more for the hotel but I am sure that I will have food and drinks all day long! But about apartments – do you really want to cook in your vacation? I don’t!
The second thing is the wide food and alcohol choice. In the hotel, I could try traditional Turkish food but if I didn’t like it a lot, there was also more European food. In a restaurant – what you ordered, that you need to eat. But in all-inclusive hotels, you can try, mix and change everything that you like and don’t like!
But the third best thing with all-inclusive is feeling free! You don’t need to worry what and when you and your family and children will eat. You know that everything is under control! And you know, vacation is that time, when I really don’t want to worry about something and count my money. I better pay one time more but after I enjoy my vacation and relax without stress!
WHAT TO SEE IN ALANYA?
All the most important sightseeing you will find in, on and around Alanya hill, what you can see from every point on the beach. But the view to it at sunset is very romantical, especially, with a glass of wine in your hand!
However, one of the places worth visiting is Damlatas Cave. This cave was found in 1948 and it is famous for its beautiful stalactite formations. In the cave is special weather, that never changes and helps people with asthma illness. Damlatas Cave is a beautiful, healing and very interesting place what you can’t so simple find in every country, in every town.
One very interesting place that I unexpectedly found in my second travel was Alanya Archeological Museum. It’s a very interesting and well-prepared museum in Alanya center showing you a lot of archeological and ethnographic artifacts. The museum is full of many different sections and costs only 5TL (a little bit under 1 EUR). I believe that it’s also a very good and educational place for the loved ones and families with children. And even more – when I was there I met some peacocks! Yeah, they are free walking around and living a calm life!
The third but not less important attraction is Alanyas hill with its Alanya Castle and the Red Tower. It’s a very, very beautiful walk through historical places and with a view of the town! It’s a speechless 360-degree panorama view! But the self Alanya Castle still has left so many historical walls, buildings, and feelings. Alanya Castle had 6,5km long castle wall and 140 towers and you still can touch some of them! But walking down to hill you can see the Red Tower and harbor with so many bouts and yachts! This amazing history was built in the 13th century but it still stands and allows to touch it.
IS THERE SOMETHING FOR EXTREME-LOVERS?
As I told already, Alanya has everything that you want from relaxing sunbathing till extreme flying over the town. In Alanya, you can take a quad tour, fly with paragliding, drive on Jeep Safari tour, try jet skiing and flyboard and more and more and more! Some tours are offering hotels, some – special kiosks between hotels or in the center. Find what you want and go!
I tried paragliding. And it was the most spontaneous decision in my life! I have never wanted to do that but Turkey has some special atmosphere where fears are disappearing. So, I tried paragliding for 50 EUR and I am proud of myself! It was my best experience! I will never forget that!
IS THERE SOME GOOD BOAT TRIPS?
Definitely is! I haven’t tried all of them, but I know that in Alanya you have a big choice of bout trips! You can find your boat trip with some animation programs for families and children or you can find a big party boat. You need to understand what exactly you want and then you can jump into offers! In any case, boat trips give you a totally new view of Alanya Castle and Red Tower. You can also see some caves and experience new swimming places. A perfect day on a boat enjoying a vacation without stress, sounds good, right?!
WHY CLEOPATRA BEACH IS SO FAMOUS?
Alanya has a few beaches but Cleopatra beach definitely is the most popular. It is about 2km long and located in the center of the city. Restaurants, bars, shops, museums, parks… everything is around you! For a small price, you can also get yourself a comfortable sun bed or even drink some cocktails in the beach bar! It’s the most popular beach in Alanya because of its location, golden sand and big offer of everything! Enjoy sunbathing like Cleopatra!
History tells that ancient Egypt queen Cleopatra have sunbathed on the golden sands and swum in the sea. Cleopatra fell in love with this beach! And even more – she was relaxing there with her love, Marc Antonius. It was a romantic time in their life but why can’t you have it too nowadays?!
In some days you can not only have relaxing sunbathing there but also enjoy big waves! And that’s one of my favorite parts of vacation by the sea! The biggest waves I have seen were 2 – 2,5 meters high and believe me, that’s totally enough. Those waves were so powerful and beautiful! Try to hold on your feet and have fun!
WHERE I CAN SEE THE LOCAL SIDE IN ALANYA?
Whenever I travel I love also to explore the local side and that usually means – visiting local markets. Right in Alanyas centre, you can find mega large Turkish market with food and textiles! Even if you don’t need something, you need to see this culture from the real side! They are talking and laughing, offering and bargaining with everyone and they are doing it sometimes so loud! It feels like getting into a loud anthill.
SMART TIP: Best currency in Alanya is EUR and USA dollars. As you want! Everywhere you will see prices in those two currencies!
In the food section, you can see many traditional Turkish foods like different Turkish sauces, olives with tastes, cheese…. but in the textile section, you can buy quality clothes for good prices! Always after one week in Antalya, it’s impossible to close my suitcase! Seriously! But, if you really want to get some clothes and accessories cheaper – you will need very fast to learn how to bargain with them!
SMART TIP: Don’t accept the first price! Bargaining is a totally normal thing in markets and you need to accept that! It’s a Turkish culture and they like to do it! Don’t be shy!
SUMMARY
I hope that I answered the most important questions about a vacation in Alanya and it will help you to make your vacation better! As you see, this town in Turkey is really offering you all that you want! In Alanya, you can feel what means vacation without stress and also feel real adrenaline! Book your best all-inclusive hotel, take your swimsuit with and forget about problems in work and home! Relax like Cleopatra on Alanyas golden sand!
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