MARELLA CRUISES

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Alanya Cruises, Turkey

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Legendary hangout of Queen Cleopatra, Alanya’s two-faced for all the right reasons. On the one hand an ancient Seljuk city, on the other a slick beach resort, it’s a place where old meets new and the pair get along famously. Walk around and you’ll notice a lot of places with Cleopatra in their names, even one of the beaches. It’s no coincidence. In 44BC, Mark Antony presented the town to his girlfriend as a present. And as gifts go, it takes some beating…

  • Make your way to the Manavgat Waterfalls, where the river water crashes over low rocks. With their mountain backdrop, these falls are certainly worth some space in your holiday album.
  • You can’t miss it – and you wouldn’t want to for that matter. In the centre of the port is a huge headland topped with a 13th-century Seljuk fortress. About 150 towers punctuate the walls of this splendid citadel. Delve inside and you’ll come across old gateways, Byzantine chapels and mosques.
  • Take a trip to the Damlatas Cave, or Cave of Dripping Stone. This eerie spot has been decorated by Mother Nature herself with some really surreal rock formations.
  • For an even bigger history fix, head for ancient Perge and Aspendos, and pick a path through the ruined temples, theatres and aqueducts.

Map of Alanya

SHORE EXCURSIONS View all excursions

Manavgat Waterfall & Side

Journey by coach to the Manavgat River to see Alanya’s famous waterfall. It’s one of the most photographed spots in Turkey, thanks to its white foaming water that plunges over low rocks. The rocks are so low, in fact, the waterfall completely disappears during flooding. You’ll also to explore the ancient city of Side on this tour. Once a Roman port, it’s now a modern town that’s dotted with ruins. See the marketplace where slaves were once traded, and wander around what’s left of the public baths and the ancient amphitheatre. Don’t miss the Temple of Apollo, either – it dates back to the 2nd century AD and, legend has it, it was a gift from Anthony to Cleopatra as a token of his love for her. Once you’ve had time to explore the ruins, there’ll be some free time in the city. Pull up a chair and buy a sizzling kebab at one of the eateries, or haggle for bargains in the stalls of the backstreets.

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Castle, Cave & City

This tour kicks off with a visit to the Medieval castle in Alanya. Most of it was built in the 13th century by the Sultan of Seljuk, on top of earlier Byzantine and Roman fortifications. It’s setting is pretty special to say the least. It sits 250 metres high on a rocky peninsular, with the Mediterranean Sea protecting it from three sides. The area was pacified under the Ottoman Empire, so the castle stopped being purely defensive. During the 19th century, lots of villas were built within its walls. Today, it’s an impressive open-air museum, reflecting Seljuk art at its best. After some time here, you’ll stop at Dalmatas Magarasi – a small cave with beautiful calcite formations. It was discovered in 1948 by engineers building Alanya harbour, and in the 1960s Turks started coming to the cave for its alleged healing properties. The humid air is supposed to be good for asthmatic problems, and doctors prescribe treatment here regularly. Leaving the cave behind, you’ll have some free time in Alanya city centre before returning to the ship.

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Aspendos & Perge

Also known as the heart of ancient Pamphylia, Perge is where St Paul preached his first sermon when he began his missionary journeys. On this trip you’ll see examples of Pergian architecture and ruins that’ll give you a real insight into the importance of the city. Afterwards, make your way to Aspendos and admire what is probably the best-preserved theatre of antiquity. Big enough to hold thousands of spectators, it’s still used today for performances and festivals. The galleries, stage decorations and acoustics all testify to the architect's success. The second highlight of Aspendos is its aqueducts, left behind by the Romans. Once you’ve seen those, we head back to Alanya. Cameras at the ready…

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