Rent a car and make an Excursion


Where to rent a car or motor bike. Where to go - all the information is here.

Sapadere Canyon

If you have already visit Dim and Oba rivers where you can go in Alanya when the unbearable July and August hot weather comes?
We recommend you to visit Sapadere mountain village at the 48 km northeast of Alanya and 20 km away from Demirtaş. Between 2007 and 2008 municipality built walking lanes in wonderful Sapadere canyon. Their purpose is to present the natural beauties better for the visitors and extend the tourism in a wider area. As a result of these work a restaurant and couple of small shops are serving in the area now; simpler ones compared with Alanya.
At least it is possible to visit breathtaking Sapadere canyon without climbing equipments. You just need to pass Demirtaş through curved and cliffed mountain roads. Serde river in this area dries by July and it is only enough for to water upper village fields. The water flows during the whole year in Sapadere and they head it to the villages in dry season. You can reach the water with ladders in the canyon and enjoy the refreshing water. We are talking about real refreshment here because the water reaches highest 12°C in the warmest term of the year (0°C sensed). At the end of the 600m long walking lane you will find the most attractive point: the waterfall and it is still possible to swim here. You will be amazed by the various little waterfalls, rare plants, little animals and birds during your visit.
You can reach Sapadere easily through Demirtaş village with a car or a motorbike. The entrance fee is 2 YTL per person. (August 2008)


Martin Bernhart

WRC Rally Turkey

Taurus mountains growing out from many mountain ranges approximately 1000 km. long rises upon Alanya and in 170 km west of Alanya Kemer town lies with wonderful villages, fields, forests and goat gangs.
Every once in a year the area comes out of the silence. After 2003 the best rally drivers of the world raced again here for the 5th time between 12 – 15 June in 2008.
The race in 5 special laps and 19 classifying lasted in 4 days and took place on special mountain and dirt roads. Also sprint races which were easier to access presented in Antalya stadium for lots of audience. Racers got ready at starting point in the middle of Kemer town with Renault race cars. A lot of Scandinavian audience came to Kemer to watch successful Scandinavian pilots. Finnish fans were very pleased with 2008’s double winners Mikko Hırvonen and Jarri Matti Latvala! Henning and Peter Solberg took the places 5th and 6th. Swedish pilots Per – Gunnar Andersson had to leave the race because of the technical problems. Cars had hard times on the cover stoned course and pilots showed their best efforts. Quite few cars lost their mudguards from the first courses. Also tire trouble danger added to this in the faster laps.
For further information you can check http://www.wrcturkey.com/v08/ website where you can find details in Turkish and English. It is possible to find a Turkey map beside the detailed program. You can reach many visitors point in the racing area with a car. Only keep in mind that it is possible to find food in busier visitor points.
Also you can find pleasing opportunities in Yanıklar and Sillion visitor points and swim in the refreshing mountain river. This is really fun but will not be enough to cover you from the “rally” dust rest of the day.
If you are not afraid to get dusty we advice you to catch the next organization. Share this experience where the best driver of the world will show up with amazing view of the Taurus mountains in the background.
Rally Turkey 2008 Results
1 Mikko HIRVONEN (FIN) Ford Focus 4h42'07"1
2 Jari-Matti LATVALA (FIN) Ford Focus 7"9
3 Sébastien LOEB (FRA) Citroën C4 25"7
4 Daniel SORDO (ESP) Citroën C4 2'25"6
5 Henning SOLBERG (NOR) Ford Focus (Munchi's) 2'33"7
6 Petter SOLBERG (NOR) Subaru Impreza 2'48"2
7 Matthew WILSON (GBR) Ford Focus (Stobart) 4'24"2
8 Conrad RAUTENBACH (ZIM) Citroën C4 7'46"7
9 Federico VILLAGRA (ARG) Ford Focus (Munchi's) 9'34"1 1
10 Barry CLARK (GBR) Ford Focus 14'48"8



Martin Bernhart

Antiocheia and Cragnum

Approximately 70 km east of Alanya is a coastal road leading to a coastal village of Günay and the historical City Antiocheia and Cragum.
It is beleived that The Komagene King Antiochus IV created this town in the first century after Christ. At this time it was in the province of Kilikia!
Historical writing shows that Antiocheia and Cragum was inhabited until at least the Byzantine Period!
On the half of the island it is seperated into 3 diffrent parts it is a little like the historical castle walls of Alanya and has a similar location – as the name is describing – on steep rocks of a half island.
Outside the Fortress are ruined colums of the old Agora and the old city gate can still be visable .
The view over the ruins and the expanse of banana fields on the hills surrounding the historical city is really impressive! There is unfortunately limited swimming possibilties even on the coastline. To reach the possibilities it involves a hard climb, which people tend to pass on.
It is highly reccommended that the beaches between Dermitas and Gazipasa 25 – 35km east of Alanya are more catered for sunbathing and swimming.

Silifke

260 km east of Alanya following the Coastal road is the City of Silifke. The Area surrounding Silifke was highly populated and there are plenty of ruined buildings left from different time epochs.
It is recommended that a whole day should be spent in Silifke as the distance to reach the city along the small coastal roads makes high speed impossible. But most of the time during the journey a beautiful view can be enjoyed and other chances to make stops at the historical Places of ANAMUR or ANTİOCHEA AND CRAGUM can be made .
Unfortunately these places are not very well sign posted so it is recommended that you visit these in the hours of sunlight.
Silifke town has easy access into the mountains north of the town. Within the mountains there is an approximately 100 km roundtrip which can be made and sights can be seen. 6km on the road towards Mara ruins of the old roman city ‘Imbriogon’ (todays Demircili) can be seen. Founded around 200 years BC. İt is known because of their hudge Mausolees.
After 10km more in a northern direction is the Antique roman city of Dioacesaria (todays Uzuncaburc), created 72 years after Christ. However before the city was founded there was already a Temple of Zeus so the Olbanic kingdom the Roman city was built around it creating an important city in the Byzantine period.
Beside the City gate and the Temple the Theatre is still in a good condition.Many stone tombs are in the area which have been used in the Roman and in the Byzantine periods. The Archeology department of the University of freiburg/Germany is looking for the restoration of the antique city.
Approximately 3 km in a southeast direction are the ruins of a huge Aquaduct in the antique city of Ura which impresses the passing visitor. The Valley where most probably many people had been living are now just old ruined buildings. On our Tour, about 7 km in the south we reach Cambazli where a church from the 5th century stands.
Leaving the church behind the road leads directly to the coast and the city of Kizkalesi . Where the famous water castle and Antique city of Korykos can be sighted, most probably founded by Prince Koykos of Cyprus.
On the coast road back to Silifke is a turn to ‘Cennet ve Cehennem’ (heaven and hell), 2 huge pits. In the larger pit, of heaven, 426 steps to the bottom of the cave shows the ruins of a 5th century Church which had been built. The ‘hell’ is just to be seen from the upper border. There is a Zeus temple and a beautiful drop stone cave very close to ‘Heaven and Hell’ definitely worth a visit.
Arriving back in Silifke the underground Church of the holy Thekla is interesting to see. The Castle on the mountain overlooking the town is however less interesting but the view from there over the city and the delta of the Göksu river, is superb. The Goksu River is an international well known Bird protecting area.
Not only is Silifke interesting for historians and archeologists but it is very popular with birdwatchers from all over europe to sit and watch birds which can only be seen in this area.
If one day is not enough to explore Silifke and the area there is the possibility to stay over night in Tasucu , a little harbour town 10 km before Silifke. The Harbour Promenade has many fish restaurants where the fish are in big window tanks at the front of the restaurant for all to see.
Not all sights and destinations are listed in this article, but too name a few the church ruins of Tritar , the antik city of Kanlidivane or some other of the historical places in this Area. But for sure Silifke can be counted as a destination to be recommended to a Visitor!