MOUNTAINS OF ALANYA
It is very true when we say that Alanya is a place where mountains & sea compete with each other in beauty. The meaning of "Kolonoros", one of the old names of Alanya, is Beautiful Mountain.
Mahmutlar, located 12 km east of Alanya, is built on the foot of a very beautiful mountain. This mountain, like the others, is an extension of the Central Taurus mountain range. We still remember this beautiful peak of the Taurus Mountains with its old historical name. The name of this summit is "Cebel-i Reis". The meaning of this name, which is of Arabic origin, is the back of a camel. In this beautiful geography of the Taurus Mountains, where beautiful natural wonders are found, you can search & find many beautiful places such as Dimcayi, Göksu river, Sapadere brook & canyon, Bird's nest summit from the map & organize trips.
There are living spaces that allow all these beauties to meet people. We call these beautiful plateaus that adorn the peaks of the Taurus Mountains as “Yayla”. In the middle of summer, these plateaus, where we breathe cool air, ice-cold water & clean oxygen into our lungs, become impossible to reach in winter due to snow. For this reason, these regions are connected to each other by beautiful migration routes, where nomads graze their animals for centuries, settle in summer to produce their milk & cheese.
Below I will tell you about some of these plateaus:
The unique beauty of the Alanya Highlands
Gedevet plateau
If you buy an apartment in Alanya, you will be close to the unique beauty of the Alanya highlands. Associated to Gedevet plateau is the village Gedevet, a village located 21 km from the city and at an altitude of 1,100 m above sea level. Along the paved paths you can comfortably drive up to the village that is built with apartments, villas and farmhouses and since 2006 there are picnic areas with restaurants where you can get a snack or Turkeys special pancake “Gözleme”. Highland tourism has been given a prominent place in Alanya, it has become popular among both locals and tourists to go up to Gedevet plateau to escape the worst heat during the summer months. Because of the altitude, the temperature is several degree lower than the sometimes overwhelming heat down in Alanya.
Among camellias surrounded by dense pine forests are picnic areas with tables and benches, where you can enjoy your own packed meal, and there are also public toilets in several places. Tall sycamore tree in the middle of the plateau is worth a visit. After a day in Gedevet, with pine-scented lush forests and lovely greenery you will feel rested and refreshed.
Dere koy
A little north of Gedevet one finds the village of Dere koy, about 30 km from Alanya along paved roads.
On the southern slopes of the valley, down towards the river Kargi, are gardens with fruit and vegetable crops mixed with pine trees. Domestic and foreign tourists visiting gladly teahouses in Sirinköy, there are also markets, medical center, restaurants serving meat dishes and fish.
A great place for day trips and picnics, forests are suitable for a relaxing walk.
Gokbel plateau
Gokbel plateau is the place where people in Kestel spend the summer, among Alanya’s high plateaus are this the most popular for its natural beauty. Kestel is located on the Mediterranean coast, but leans to the west back towards the Taurus Mountains. Gokbel plateau is located in the center of the Taurus Mountains, and this is the place where locals in Kestel emigrated during the summer for hundreds of years. Still, it is popular to live a nomadic life in the summer, and as many as 80% of the people living in Kestel has its own summer home up in Gokbel.
