Alanya Altınbesik Cave Tour

Alanya Altınbesik Cave tour is for you if you think that there is nothing left to surprise you anymore. Akseki-Saryhacilar-Altinbesik tour consists of two parts. The first one will introduce you the unique architecture and the way of life of peoples inhabiting the Taurus Mountains, where the famous Silk Road used to run. You will see the Düğmeli Evler (‘button-houses’) technique of mortarless stone architecture not used anywhere else. In it, a house is literally made of different shaped stones in between wooden logs with no cement involved.

After having lunch there in the mountains, the second part of the trip starts. We head even higher to Altinbesik cave (“golden cradle”). It is for sure one of the biggest and weirdest caves you have seen before and the way of getting there is quite unusual – we take a boat trip through the cave along the underground river inside. The walls there are illuminated and the water is so clear that you can see the bottom of the caves. Altinbesik consists not of one cave, it is a cave complex with its system of lakes, waterfalls and rivers which is 2.5 km long (and this is only its explored part, for the security reasons the boat covers just 200 m way).

The scenery is unreal and incredibly picturesque. Every stop on this tour is a good place for taking pictures, be it the panorama of the Taurus Mountains, the architecture of the mountain villages or the underground rivers and caves with stalactites. Book and go soon!

You could not choose a more diverse way to spend a day of your Turkish holiday than the Altinbesik cave tour.  Most definitely a tour with a difference as you see so much more than the magical cave itself.  From the plantation of Laurel and Lemur trees, where the amazing aromas of herbs and flowers fill your senses, to the viewing platform 1,200 metres above the Green Canyon, overlooking the spectacular green waters of the canyon below, passing the ancient houses and ruined buildings of this land of antiquity. You will be taken to a village where you can see Turkish life and interact with the friendly villagers, before being taken down to the Altinbesik National Park and the caves themselves.

Not only are the caves magical and spectacular, but you will travel by small boat along the hidden waters of the cave.  Prepare for the most visual of delights when you see the mystical green waters and the colourful rock formations formed over thousands, if not millions, of years.  The lights that play on the rocks transform the lake, one of the largest in Turkey, so that it seems unreal, if not surreal, to be floating along the water.

If there is anything more amazing to add to your tour it is the ancient village of Sarihajlar, which you will visit toward the end of the day.  Here you will be treated to the renowned Turkish hospitality, where the local villagers will be happy to show you around their authentic Turkish homes and tell you about their lives.  The ancient Silk Road came through Sarihajlar and you can still see the ancient market building where travellers would stock up before the next leg of their journey East, or West.  Many aspects of the buildings in Sarihajlar  have been unchanged for centuries.  Houses that are over 200 years old, still inhabited by families and extended families, will open their doors in friendship to you. 

First stop of the day will be the Plantation of Laurels, the amazing scent of laurels and surrounding herbs will be a feast to your senses as you climb the 1,200 metres to the observation deck overlooking the Green Canyon. An ideal photo opportunity.

From here you will visit a mountain village and see how village life continues in Turkey, away from tourism.

The next stage will take you down to the Altinbesik National Park and the cave itself.  Nothing can prepare you for the underground beauty of the caves, made even moreso as you board the small boat and travel through the silent green waters of the cave system.  This is the second largest underwater lake in Turkey and you will only travel about a quarter of the way through as the rest is as yet untested.  The colours of the rock formations are amazing to behold and again, one of the most unique photo opportunities you can have.

When you have completed the cave tour we will take you to one more awesome place, the ancient town of Sarihajlar.  The unique style houses are the first thing you will note of this place.  An authentic village, it is like stepping back in time when you see the grass growing through the ancient street cobbles.  You will be able to see the ancient market building which served the silk road travellers in ancient times, and even the silk road itself. 

The hospitality of the local people will stay with you long after you have left this unforgettable town. 

When this part of your tour is complete, then you will return to your hotel in Alanya.