Alanya - Our Hike to the Castle Hill
- Written by Portal Editor
Alanya - On a July afternoon, somewhat unusual given the temperatures, we set off around 4 pm to explore Alanya's old town and castle on foot.
Equipped with plenty of drinking water and our cameras, we began our excursion at the Red Tower, one of Alanya's landmarks.
Behind the Red Tower and the historic shipyard, two paths lead into the idyllic old town on the harbour side.
Some of the narrow, winding alleys are only accessible on foot, resulting in a very quiet and traffic-free atmosphere.
Among the many beautifully restored and old houses, old ruins and walls also appear, which don't detract from the overall impression but rather contribute to the charm of Alanya's old town and give it a truly quaint feel.
Many residents of the old town also have wonderful gardens where the local flora can be admired. Thus, Alanya's old town offers beautiful spots for photography.
You can also discover a few small cafes that invite you to take a break.
The tourist crowds are minimal, allowing you to relax, enjoy the peace and quiet, and soak up the atmosphere.
At the edge of the old town, you'll find the ancient walls of the castle fortifications.
From these walls, you have a wonderful view of Alanya and the sea. The sea sparkles as the waves crash against the rocks on which the wall stands. Here, the sea appears turquoise blue.
We then crossed this quiet part of the old town on an ascending path and made our way to the main road, which winds its way directly up to the castle ruins.
It's advisable to walk along the side of the road here, as buses, taxis, and cars regularly speed up the street to transport tourists to the castle or to the restaurants located along this route.
The restaurants offer direct views of the sea and Alanya. It took us about an hour and a half to reach the old village in front of the castle.
We should mention that a jogger and a spry elderly couple overtook us. In the village, you pass several stalls where mostly older women sell beautiful handmade scarves, shawls, and other souvenirs at reasonable prices.
We were particularly interested in the hand-embroidered table runners and curtains. There are also small restaurants in the village that look inviting and encourage you to linger and eat.
Reaching the top of the hill, we were rewarded with a fantastic view. The effort was definitely worth it. We didn't visit the castle ruins themselves, partly because there were a lot of tourists and partly because the 10 TL entrance fee seemed a bit steep. However, we discovered a small path to the right of the castle that led to the back and offered a quiet spot for a long break.
Watching the sunset from the castle hill in Alanya was simply wonderful. However, we quickly made our way back afterward, as we didn't want to walk along the road in the dark due to the dangerous driving of some people.
Luckily, the road and the castle walls were illuminated, and it only took us an hour to reach the port of Alanya again.
It was a wonderful day for us, and we highly recommend the walking tour!
Lynn and Jennifer
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