The 5 Most Beautiful Places of Gazipasa Waiting to be Discovered
Did you know about a place called Gazipasa?
Gazipasa is not known much, except that it is a city named after Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha and bananas are wildly produced. The city, which is the easternmost district of Antalya, is waiting to be discovered by those who love different routes and want to see new places with its interesting natural formations, ancient cities by the sea.
Without knowing how many sights there are in Gazipasa, in order to set off from Alanya and go down the paths to the sea all day, visit ancient cities, enjoy the banana gardens and make the most of our time; waiting to be discovered The 5 most beautiful places in Gazipasa. We made a list & toured there.
Gazipasa South King Bay – Delik Deniz
Gazipasa the untouched cove of magnificent beauty, hidden among the steep rocks, known as Kral Bay and Delik Deniz. The bay, which is 23 km from Gazipasa center and 67 km from Alanya center, is located within the borders of Guney Village, therefore it is referred to as "South King Bay" on the signs on the road.
You have to come by car to the point where the Castle of Antiocheia Ad Cragum Ancient City is located, & then go down a steep path to the cove. In front of the castle, there is a narrow dirt road leading to the banana groves a few meters from the parking lot. After walking 20-30 meters on the dirt road, you will reach the beginning of the descent path, from here you will descend from the path. My advice would be to go down with sandals or sneakers, not slippers, because the path is stony & slippery. But don't be afraid, young and old, went down the path, so you don't have to worry about it, if you don't have a serious health problem, you can handle it.
If you don't want to deal with coming here by land,or have no transportation, there are boat tours departing from Gazipasa also that stop by.
While going down the path, there is a cove on the side where the castle is on the left, it looked very beautiful, but we preferred to go down to the cove where the perforated rock is located on the right.
At the bottom, there are no facilities, no security points, no entrance fees. Since there is no facility, if you are going to stay for a long time, it is better to take food and drink with you. Don't trust the banana orchards around you. Bananas look ripe, but they might not be edible.
You can lay your towel on the rocks and immerse yourself in the waters of the king's bay, which I claim to be one of the most beautiful seas I have ever swam in from Turkey. Separated from the sea by a large rock mass, the bay was much warmer than the sea, even though we went in October. You can also reach the open sea by swimming through the perforated rock, the view looks great from every angle.
On the way to the King's Bay in Gazipasa; It would be better to bring sports shoes for the descent, sea shoes for walking comfortably in the sea, and food and drink if you are going to stay for a long time.
One more note: Since we went early in the morning, we did not come across a crowd, but there is a possibility that it will be crowded during the peak season. However, as the sun hits the bay in the afternoon, the photos will look much better, so you can plan your route accordingly.
Antiocheia Ad Cragum Ancient City – Guney Castle
The city was within the region's borders known as "Mountain Cilicia" in Antiquity. It was inhabited during the Roman and Byzantine Periods and whose history is estimated to date back two thousand years. It was named after the Commagene King IV. He got it from Antiochos.
The ruins of Antiocheia Ad Cragum Ancient City, on the coast of the Mediterranean, at an altitude of 300 meters above sea level, are spread over a wide area today.
The buildings in the city are on three hills descending steeply towards the sea. In the first section, you can see theTriumphal arch, colum-ned street, bath, agora and church ruins. The second part is the Necropolis area, where the tomb structures unique to the Cilicia Region are. The third section consists of medieval castle ruins on steep rocks extending to the sea. To the north of the city are the remains of a temple. In the city center, there is a building called Triconchos, with three walls in the form of an apse, which is thought to have a religious function.
The entrance to the castle is closed for security reasons, but you can visit other parts of the city.
Gazipasa Banana Gardens
As you enter the borders of Alanya, you start to see banana gardens with many tropical fruits. As the hot climate becomes more evident towards the east, the number of banana orchards in Gazipasa district is increasing significantly. Banana garden tours are organized in other countries, but I don't think there is such an event in Alanya, Gazipasa or Anamur. Although some of them are under greenhouses, most of the banana orchards are open and can be visited. I also took advantage of the opportunity and did not neglect to dive into a garden and take pictures. Garden bananas start to ripen in December, other than that, the bananas you eat are greenhouse bananas, for your information.
Gazipasa Koru Beach Natural Pools
Koru Beach, which is approximately 6 kilometers from Antalya's Gazipasa district, stands out with its two features. The first is the natural pools you see in the photo above, formed by interesting cliffs in the sea, and the second is the natural spawning area of caretta turtles.
These rock formations, also known as "Mansion Stone" among the people, have created natural pools. The water cleaned by the filter effect of the rocks looks incredibly clear. The pools, which are also home to many fish, are a frequent destination for those who love to fish. If you go swimming in the pools, take sunglasses with you, it will be very enjoyable to watch the fish from under the sea.
After swimming in the pools (or first, it's up to you, of course), don't forget to go to the top of the hill, where there is a facility called Barco Blanco, which overlooks the pools, and look at the pools from here. The photo above was taken from that hill.
There is also a caravan park on Koru beach, it belongs to Gazipasa Municipality.
Those who will come with a caravan can benefit from there.
Lotape (Aytap) Ancient City and Bay
Another gem of Gazipasa waiting to be discovered is Lotepe or Aytap Ancient City and Cove. Although there are a few ruins left from the ancient city, which is located on the old Alanya Gazipasa coastal road, 10 km from Gazipasa, very beautiful views emerge at the point where it meets the sea.
Although the ancient city got its name from Lotape, the wife of Antiochus IV, King of Commagene, it is popularly known as Aytap or Aydap. There is no security or checkpoint at the entrance to the ancient city, so the entrance is free. In order to descend to the cove where the ancient city is located, you have to descend from a steep path again. So you take proper shoe or saddles. Since the sea is still stony, you can also choose sea shoes.
