Best beaches in Alanya

Close to Alanya city centre is the 2 km long stretch of sand known as Kleopatra Beach. Legend tells that the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra fell in love with the area after swimming in the warm clear waters and sunbathing on the luxurious golden sands. The beach is split into a number of areas and has plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas for hire. It does get crowded on this popular destination but if you walk away from the town towards the longer end of the beach, you will easily find space to lay your towel. The beach has plenty of bars, restaurants and facilities making it a great place to spend the day.

Damlatas beach is the only wheelchair-friendly beach in the Alanya area. It has sunloungers, showers and easy access to the sea for disabled people. There are also volleyball, basketball and tennis courts available as well as an open-air gym and massive children’s playground. Swimming and snorkelling are popular pastimes as is paragliding over the dramatic coastline. Close by are also the spectacular Damlatas Caves where you can see amazing stalactite and stalagmites rock formations.

Close to many major Alanya resorts and hotels is the fabulous Tosmur Beach. The beach sits at the point where the Dimcay River flows into the Mediterranean Sea mixing warm seawater with cool fresh water and generating some of the clearest and cleanest swimming conditions in Turkey, attracting locals and tourists from a wide area. There are plenty of sun loungers available for rent and also plenty of water-based activities to enjoy, including jet skiing, parasailing and banana boats. Free showers and changing facilities are also on site alongside bars and restaurants.

Alanya Belediyesi Halk Plaji, or the Alanya Municipality Public Beach, is a locals' favourite but not as well-known among tourists. It's this perfectly shaped little sandy haven and one of the rare ones without any rocks, so you can easily kick off your sandals and stroll along the shoreline barefoot. Being a publicly funded spot, you've got free sunbeds, but they go like hotcakes in the summer, so it's a good call to get there early and snag your spot. The views of the nearby mountains and the city skyline are simply spectacular. If you're up for it, consider hitting the beach early in the evening – the sunset views from one of the beachfront restaurants are some of the best in the region.

A short ten-minute drive from Alanya, you'll stumble upon the charming Portakal Beach. It's a little beauty, stretching just one kilometre, but what's great is that it's not as crowded as the nearby beaches. You'll always find a sunlounger ready for you. The waters here are crystal clear with a pebbly bottom, surrounded by the stunning Taurus Mountains. The beach offers a range of water activities like jet skiing and windsurfing, and the sea remains pleasantly warm, even in the quieter months of October and November. Keep in mind that the entrance to the water can be a bit pebbly, so wearing some suitable footwear is a good idea to keep your feet protected.