What associations does it evoke in you? Endless beaches with all-inclusive hotels ancient cities, Turkish sweets? All right. But besides this, Turkey has simply incredibly beautiful and unusual natural attractions, and not seeing them is just a crime! Today I want to tell you and show you a place that turned my ideas about Turkey and antiquities upside down - this is Dim's cave. I already wrote how we were going to see this cave and decided not to resort to the services of travel agencies, but to get there on our own. And then there were some adventures, we got there for a very long and tiring, but we looked at non-tourist Turkey. You can read the details of our hiking trip.
Dim Cave (or as the locals call it Dim Mağarası - Dim Magarasi) is a natural cave. It was formed thanks to the streams of rainwater that fell into the crevices of a huge limestone rock. How old do you think this cave is?
About a million years! This is such an ancient cave that it’s hard to even imagine - then, after all, there weren’t even homo sapiens yet, it’s crazy to go!
Despite the fact that the cave is simply incredible, it was discovered quite recently - in 1986, and the cave was opened for tourists only in 1998.
Dim Cave is the second largest cave in Turkey and one of the largest in Europe.
The length of the corridors of the cave is 360 meters, paths, stairs are laid along the corridor, there are descents and ascents, and subdued lighting is also installed in the cave.
Dim Cave is located in the vicinity of Alanya - 12 km from the city.
Location of the cave on the map:
You can pay for the ticket both in Turkish lira, and in dollars or euros.
Cost of 1 ticket 18 lire(prices 2019, old prices in the photo):
Our tickets:
The cave is open to the public 9.00 to 19.00, but the last visitor is allowed until 18.30:
There are no direct buses from Alanya to Dim Cave. Therefore, getting to it will be a little more difficult than to others.
Well, we got to this stop (the bus went on a different route that day, so it’s better to find out in advance if it goes to the university):
When you go on foot from the stop, it is quite easy to navigate, periodically there are signs:
The road is very calm, this is not a highway for you - cars are very, very rare, but the views around are beautiful, so walking is very cool:
Closer to the cave there are small fruit and souvenir shops:
The road to the cave goes up all the time, keep this in mind when planning your trip:
Driving a car here is quite dangerous, after all, there are serpentines, on the left there is a cliff in general:
And if you go with an excursion, then after the cave, most likely, you will stop by the Dim Chai River:
We almost came - on the mountain itself there is a poster with the name of the cave:
There are no palm trees in this area anymore - mostly coniferous trees.
Welcome to the territory of Dim Cave:
In the parking lot the flags of the most different countries, and on the left - a gorgeous view of the valley:
Leaving the car (or taxi) in the parking lot, you still need to climb the stairs to the very height:
The history of the formation and discovery of the cave and the scheme of the cave:
On the territory near the cave there is a toilet, a shop and a small cafe:
We go up the stairs:
And here is the cafe:
Valley view:
Everything is beautifully decorated, even the toilet:
The toilet, by the way, is free, but you can leave a tip.
And here is the entrance to the cave:
First you need to go down deep into the cave:
Steep stairs:
Take care of your head - in some places you have to duck to climb through:
The cave consists of two branches - on the right is only 50m, and on the left - as much as 310m. So it's best to go to small hall, after visiting a large cave, he will not be impressed at all:
A small hall on the right side of the Dim cave is approximately the size of:
There is nothing much to see there, so we return and go to the largest part of the cave:
And here the size and appearance of the cave are really shocking - a path leading deep into the cave is illuminated with yellow lamps:
Looks incredible! Have you ever seen THAT? As if the stone was melted:
This is the next hall of the cave - it is simply huge! You go, and there is no end in sight:
And at the very end of the cave there is a small blue lake, where exactly the same rainwater, which formed this cave in a million years:
View from the lake to the cave:
It’s as if we are not in a cave, but in the realm of ice:
The lighting in the cave creates incredible colors, and I'm just tiny compared to the size of the hall:
Stalactites and stalagmites form the most bizarre patterns that you can look at endlessly:
And here are the columns - just incredible:
It’s true, it seems that eternal winter is here, and hats of snow hang over me:
When you are in this place, the sensations are simply indescribable, and when you think how old this cave is, a chill runs through your skin. It seems that now you will come to the surface, and there - ancient world, in which dinosaurs live and there are no modern people:
And imagine what it is like to be in such a cave almost alone. The feeling is indescribable, it is impossible to experience this by coming here with a tour. Silence, the sounds of dripping water, occasionally - the squeak of bats, in general, it's scary. It was as if he opened the door to another world on another planet - everything here is too unusual and different from earthly landscapes.
I have not seen anything like this in other caves - as if the stones were once plastic and someone fashioned bizarre shapes out of them:
I don’t know how long the tour is in the cave, but we stayed there for almost 1.5 hours. Having got out to the surface, for a long time we were impressed by what we saw. It seemed that we had visited another reality, as if we had got into a time machine and entered an ancient kingdom. It was like being in a fantasy movie - everything was so unusual.
Is it worth going to Dim Cave? Such a question is not even worth it. Even if you are not relaxing in Alanya, but in another Turkish resort, be sure to go to this cave. So far, there are not many tourists here, and in the late afternoon you can wander alone in the cave. I don't think that any other cave can surprise me now, but this trip was just amazing! Even now I look at the photos and want to be there again, it seems that not everything has been seen, not everything has been explored.
At the end of the article, you can watch the video that we recorded in the cave, but neither the photo nor the video conveys even a small part of the magnificence that we saw. Therefore, if you choose where to go in Turkey, not far from Alanya, to just one place, then this place is Dim Cave.
Farewell, ancient world of dinosaurs!
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Autumn began with a ritual morning sunbathing on the beach. Instead of yellow leaves and other charms, the sun and the sea - a thrill))) I noticed the "Victim" even before Pamukkale, a fool sees a fool from afar))) And considering that yesterday our guide Valeria also poked us with her nose into each other, in general - you understand))) We agreed for 14 hours, after lunch we still get to the Dim cave. And before lunch, I was scheduled to visit another cave - Damlatash.
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In general, closer to 10, I dumped from the beach and again went into the heat. I got to the beginning of the Cleopatra beach in Konakli, where the entrance to the cave is located, only at the beginning of the 12th. The Cleopatra beach itself is very popular, has a blue flag, like a beach the highest level. In general, in Turkey, the cult of the name of Cleopatra is very common. In Alanya - a beach, in Pammukale - a swimming pool, as well as bays, bays, hotels, an island, etc. All this is connected with historical events which seem to have taken place. The enamored Mark Antony gave Cleopatra an entire region in Asia Minor. She used the local forests to build ships, and sand was supposedly brought to Cleopatra's beach from Egypt itself.
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The name Damlatash consists of two words (Turkish damla - drop, tas - stone) and is translated from Turkish as semi gem or stalactite.
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Damlatash is located at a distance of about 100 m from the sea. At the entrance to the cave there is a narrow passage 50 m long, which leads into a cylindrical cavity. Inside the cave, you can see fantastic formations of colorful stalactites and stalagmites, which are 15,000 years old. The main place of their accumulation is a cavity 13-14 meters wide and 15 meters high. The cave has two floors. Its total volume is 2500 m3.
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The cave was discovered in 1948 during the construction of the port. There was a quarry in this place, and after the explosion, the entrance to the cave was opened.
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The cave has a huge humidity of about 90-98%, for 15 minutes spent inside, I went out into the fresh air as if covered with dew. The temperature in the cave is constantly kept at +22...+23C. Air analyzes have shown that it contains 10-12 times more carbon dioxide compared to ordinary air, and also quite a large number of carbon with a low degree of radioactivity.
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Damlatash is one of the few Turkish caves specially equipped for tourists to visit. A visit to the cave is beneficial for asthma patients. The entrance to the cave is paid (4.5 tl - Turkish lira). The length of the cave is about 45 m, the width is about 6 m, and the height of the dome of the cave is 14 m. The thickness of the cave walls is almost everywhere 10 m.
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From here I moved to the entrance to the mountain of the peninsula, so as not to miss the minibus number 4 passing 2 times per hour (in the fall of 2012, 15 minutes before the hour and 15 minutes from its beginning)). The route leads to the very top of the peninsula where Ichkale is located - the inner fortress. Here I will break the chronology of events because, firstly, Ichkale requires separate description, and secondly, here I still want to tell you right away about the second cave. By 14 o’clock, of course, I was late, or rather, by this time I had just managed to get to the hotel. After a quick snack on the remnants of lunch, after half an hour, we moved out in search of a taxi ready to take us to the cave. Occupation was not from the fertile. In half an hour under the scorching sun, we managed to understand that we still live at the very end of Alanya, and there is nothing for tourists to catch in the prince. With grief in half, somewhere inside the area, we still managed to see a yellow Fiat. By the way, Fiats in Alanya, like we have AvtoVAZ products, while in Siberia only “penny” run from Fiats. After 15 minutes and $35 we were at the entrance. $ 35 also included delivery back to the hotel, as well as an hour of waiting for us in the parking lot.
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Dim Magarasi is located 12 km. east of Alanya, on the slope of Mount Cebel Reis, 1691 m high. The cave is 232 meters above sea level. It is the second large cave in Turkey, opened to the public. This cave was discovered relatively recently in 1986 and it has become open to tourists only since 1999. It is assumed that the cave has existed for 1 million years.
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The entrance to the cave cost about 10TL, I don’t remember exactly. The right of the two branches of the cave has a length of 50 m, in the other direction - 360 m. The width of the cave reaches 10-15 meters. Everywhere there is a suspended bridge-path with a railing and a bunch of stairs.
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Stalactites and stalagmites are of any size, from very small to simply huge.
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In the middle of the path in the left corridor behind one of the turns, a man is sitting who, when tourists approach, begins to play the flute. The music of the flute, along with the fantastic vaults of the cave, creates something completely unimaginable))). However, only miners will envy such work, playing the flute for hours in the twilight of a damp cave.
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At the depth of the Dim cave, in the farthest part of the left corridor, there is a small lake with dimensions of approximately 12x17 meters, for some reason illuminated in blue. Behind the lake, apparently, the cave does not end, but there is no passage there.
If you have already visited all the land attractions of Alanya, then we recommend that you go down into the caves in order to find out how interesting and beautiful nature disposed of its underground property.
The following are open to tourists all year round: Damlatash Cave in the city center and Dim Cave outside the city.
On Turkish the word "cave" sounds like this: mağara - "magara".
It is located 12 km from the center of Alanya to the northeast. Its name is associated with the mountain river Dim Chai, which flows nearby.
Damlataş Mağarası Cave - "Damlataş Magarasi" is located next to the famous Cleopatra Beach.
All travel agencies Alanya offers group tours to the named caves, you don't have to worry about anything.
If you love hiking, would you like to amazing pictures and take a tour in free mode, then you will need detailed information about the caves.
"Dim Magarasi" is located in a picturesque rock, at a significant elevation and distance from the roadway, at an altitude of 232 meters above sea level.
Stalactites and stalagmites unusual shape, whimsically hanging from the ceiling and walls, delight the eye, and the backlight focuses on the beauty of the natural phenomenon.
IN great hall caves there is also a small picturesque lake.
Smoking is not allowed in the cave. Video surveillance is carried out around the clock.
Price entrance ticket per person - 18 Turkish lira.
Before climbing to the cave there is a paid parking lot.
You need to get to the final stop "University" by city bus number 202: it follows the Chevre Yolou ring road.
From the stop, you need to go to the other side and, following the sign Dim Mağarası, walk 3 km. asphalt road will lead you uphill, but the climb will be smooth and not difficult at all.
You will see private houses, leafy and fruit trees, green meadows. From a height, a beautiful view of the mountains and the Dim Chai River will open.
Approximately in the middle of the way, you will meet friendly locals selling gifts of nature: nuts, fruits, oriental sweets, as well as a Turkish delicacy - fruits. carob. In Turkey, they are called keçi boynuzu (kechi boynuzu) - "goat horn".
There is a cafe in the same place.
Moving along the route, you will not get lost: only one road leads to Dim Magarasy.
In front of the cave there is a small cafe and a souvenir shop.
And here is the staircase leading to the entrance.
Dim Mağarası Cave was one of the first caves in Turkey open to the public for free visits.
Was discovered in 1986. It has been used for centuries as a natural shelter to protect people and animals. In 1990, the Dim Magarasi cave was declared a natural reserve. The Ministry of Culture is making every effort to preserve this miracle of nature.
In 1997, the Forest Department carried out a series of works on lighting the cave, equipping it with stairs, external roads and approaches were laid.
Dim Magarasi Cave is one of the largest not only in Turkey, but also in Europe. It consists of two parts and takes quite a large area, its length is 360 meters, height is 10-15 meters.
Since September 1998 Dim Mağarası Cave has been open for excursion purposes.
Then you can use city buses No. 101 and No. 1 to go along the embankment to the center of Alanya or vice versa, towards Mahmutlar, Kargicak or Gazipasa.
- one of the most popular resorts in the Antalya region. Here you will find sandy beaches, and the gentle turquoise sea, and a developed tourist infrastructure. That is what attracted me from the very beginning.
But sooner or later you get bored even beach holiday, and then you want real adventures, exploration of the city and its environs. A hike or a trip to the caves of Alanya is just what you need on a sultry Mediterranean day. Salt caves are good for health, and they are just very beautiful!
To be honest, I've never been a big fan of caves. In their narrow corridors you feel like a real pioneer, but at the same time you really want to quickly get out from under tons of stones, take a sip fresh air and see the light. But in the caves of Alanya, I did not feel such discomfort, I did not even think that it was time to leave. There are so many incredible stalactites and stalagmites that you can linger at each one for a long time! In general, the two most beautiful caves in Alanya - Dim and Damlatash - are well equipped, have favorable lighting, are full of natural treasures and are quite spacious.
Just in case, let me remind you that a stalactite is a growth on the ceiling of a cave that hangs down. A stalagmite is an outgrowth at the bottom that stretches upward and is also formed by drops of water. But a stalagnate is already a combination of a stalactite and a stalagmite, which resembles a column. You will see all these bizarre forms in the caves of Alanya.
In general, caves equipped for tourists in Turkey are a rarity. So I'm talking about the best in the area, which are very convenient to visit.
To begin with, Damlatash is the central attraction of Alanya. It is located in the "heart" of the city, near the famous sandy beach"Cleopatra". Maybe it is due to this location that the cave is visited by everyone who has ever been to Alanya and on its very beautiful beach. But I am sure that even if Damlatash was somewhere on the outskirts of the city, tourists would still flock to it. Her "treasures" are worth it.
By the way, the cave was discovered only in 1948. And this despite the fact that it is located just 100 meters from the city beach. A pier was built not far from it, and stones were taken from the quarry right above the cave. One of the explosions for the extraction of raw materials opened the entrance to the grotto with millennial stalactites and stalagmites for everyone.
The name sounds very oriental, because it consists of two Turkish words - "damla" and "taş". The first is translated as "drop", and the second - "stone". All the formations of the cave appeared thanks to the drops that undermine the stone for thousands of years. You can translate the word "damlatash" and not in two words, but in one. Then it stands for "raw gem" or simply "stalactite". In general, the name perfectly reflects the essence.
I have already said that the cave is located in the center of Alanya, and even on the beach, so it is easy to find it.
If you are walking somewhere in the area of the fortress of the city (on the map below this is the area to the right of the cave, Damlataş street), then just go in the direction of the Cleopatra beach. When you look at the fortress from the sea, then Damlatash will be on its left side.
If you start from the city bus station (Alanya Otogar), you can walk to Damlatash on foot. The walk will take half an hour. I advise you to immediately go perpendicular to the sea, and then go along Ataturk Boulevard to the cave along the beach.
Can be reached by bus. From the bus station to Damlatash (Güzelyalı street, Damlataş stop) and further, bus number 4 goes to the fortress. It runs quite often, you can check the schedule at the bus stop. The fare is a little less than one dollar. The walk to the cave takes about 10 minutes.
Taxis can also be taken directly at the Alanya bus station. Look for yellow fiats. Usually cars are parked in special areas for taxis. The machines are equipped with a counter. To the cave will take about 5-7 dollars.
A sign will meet you at the entrance. Behind it is a wide path to Dalmatas, and on your right there will be the same Cleopatra beach. In Turkish, the attraction is called Damlataş Mağarası.
For those who better perceive quantitative indicators, I will tell you a few facts:
You can fully appreciate the beauty of Damlatash only with a personal visit. But here's what else you need to know about it: its climatic conditions are considered curative.
stable temperature, high humidity, a large amount of carbon dioxide in the air (10 times higher than normal) and low radioactivity create the best conditions for the treatment of respiratory diseases. So, for example, there was an experiment in which people with asthma participated. According to its results, half of the participants were completely cured, and the rest received significant relief of the symptoms of the disease.
Now the cave is open from 10:00 am, and from 6 am until that time, asthma patients are treated in Damlatash. The course of treatment lasts about three weeks, while every day you need to spend 4 hours in the cave. To get a therapeutic effect, you need to sit inside for at least 20 minutes. If you need a full-fledged course, then you first need to get a certificate from a doctor in Alanya, who will confirm that you have no contraindications to such treatment.
Four hours every day is, of course, a lot, but the main hall is equipped with comfortable benches on which, if desired, you can take a nap.
The cave is open for tourists from 10:00 to 19:00. The cost of visiting is 6 Turkish liras (about two dollars). Please note that you cannot pay with a VISA card, only cash. If you took a special museum card, then it is not valid here.
At the entrance there is a sign warning that visiting the cave is not recommended for people with heart problems. It is clear that you cannot touch stalactites and stalagmites, smoke, litter and talk loudly.
Once you have bought your ticket, head towards the entrance (giriş). You will pass through a narrow 50-meter corridor and go down a pretty staircase to the main hall. This is where the benches for rest are located. The dome of the hall is covered with incredibly beautiful stalactites. It even reminded me of the vaults of some Gothic cathedral.
From the main hall there is a low passage to another part of the cave. You need to sit down and crawl forward a little. There you can see the roots of trees that grow outside the cave.
I think you will spend healing 20 minutes in Dalmatas, examining and photographing bizarre formations. Probably, tourists do not stay in the cave for more than half an hour, because it is compact and small. And the last thing: in Dalmatas during the season there can be a lot of vacationers, so for a more secluded atmosphere, go to the cave further away - Dim.
Dim Cave and its surroundings is a wonderful place where you can take a break from the city and enjoy the coolness in the mountain river valley. On the way to the cave, you will pass a large number of restaurants on the Dim Chai River. It is here that the locals go in the summer heat to have a leisurely lunch and swim in the refreshing water.
Tourists have also chosen this corner, because the road to the most famous cave in Alanya passes here.
Dim is in a beautiful and cozy place- above the river gorge surrounded by a pine forest. A good paved highway leads to the sights. Upstairs there is a cafe and parking for cars, everything is well equipped and convenient for tourists.
So, how to get to this wonderful cave? The map shows that Alanya is less than 15 km away, but, unfortunately, public transport do not go to the place, and it is difficult or expensive to organize a trip on your own.
The easiest way to get to Dima is by private transport or a rented car (in Alanya, this service costs only $25 per day).
It’s also simple, but not quite budgetary anymore - to order a taxi from Alanya and back. Such a trip will cost somewhere in the 50-60 dollars.
You can take a bus tour that includes a visit to Dim Cave. But I don’t like this option at all, because a little time is allotted for each attraction, and you won’t be able to enjoy the beauties in the crowd.
The most budgetary, but also the most difficult route is partly by city bus and partly on foot. You get to Akdeniz University by bus number 101 (fare around $ 1), and then stomp uphill 4 km. The navigator will not hurt, but it is unlikely that you will get lost - there are signs everywhere and you can ask the locals. The road is very picturesque - mountains, cliffs, green forests. But in the heat it will be hard to go up.
Dim or in Turkish Dim Mağarası is a horizontal cave on the slope of Mount Jeba Reis. It is located 12 kilometers from Alanya. Getting to it is not so easy, but Dim is still one of the main attractions of the city. Its halls and the transitions between them are beautiful.
The cave was opened quite recently, in 1986, and only since 1998 everyone can visit it. And this despite the fact that some scientists claim that Dima's stalactites and stalagmites are a million years old! It is hard to believe, but only until you go down under the arches of a fairy-tale cave.
The total length is 360 meters, and this size of the cave is the second largest in Turkey. Visitors go down several tens of meters and can first turn to the small Dima hall (50 meters), and then enjoy a walk along a long 310-meter section. The air temperature here is constant - about +18 degrees with a humidity of 90%. I have heard stories more than once that people come out of this cave rested and full of energy. And the locals say that Dima has his own energy, which gives harmony. So it’s definitely worth checking out the miraculous atmosphere for yourself.
Choose the most convenient way travel and forward, for vivid impressions. By the way, they will not keep you waiting. The car park overlooks the river valley below.
And from the restaurant and the observation deck at the top, the panorama is even more breathtaking.
After the stairs leading up, you will pass by the toilets, souvenir rows and find yourself in front of the ticket office and the entrance to the cave. The cost of visiting is 5 dollars or 15 Turkish lira or. The cave is open to tourists from 9:00 to 19:00. last group or a person is launched no later than 18:30.
Present your tickets at the entrance and forward to the wonderful "treasures", just bow your head. The first descent will be along a narrow short passage.
After ten meters you will see a fork. I strongly advise you to immediately turn right and go into a hall 50 meters long, because after visiting the left side of the cave, nothing can surprise you.
From this hall you will return to the fork and walk all 360 meters of Dim Cave. For the convenience of tourists, electricity is provided everywhere and natural compositions of stalactites are favorably illuminated. I really like the bridges on which you walk among all this beauty.
This part of the cave is divided into different halls, but the route goes in a continuous line. In some places there are signs with clues about what you can see in the next bizarre formation. For example, two owls.
Or a woman in a small blue lake, which ends this beautiful path under the arches of the cave.
It doesn't matter what you see or don't see in Dima, just enjoy the incredible frozen plasticity of the stone. I have never seen this anywhere!
I advise you not to rush to return to the hot coast after finishing the walk through the cave.
Walk around the observation deck again.
Sip a cup of strong Turkish tea or aromatic coffee on the restaurant's terrace overlooking Dim Chai.
I told you about the two most popular, well-equipped and beautiful caves in the region, but there are a few more worthy of attention. They are located along the peninsula on which the Alanya fortress stands. This is clearly visible on the map. The caves are only accessible from the water, so to visit them you need to hire a boat or at least a small boat.
Sightseeing boat trips are often offered on the waterfront of Alanya. Check prices there and don't forget to bargain.
The first cave on your way is Piratskaya, located in the southeast of the Chilarda-Burnu peninsula. Small boats can enter the cave itself, but you can also swim from a boat. Inside you will see a grotto 8 meters high. You can climb out of the water onto the rocks.
Where does the name of the cave come from? They say that a long time ago this place was chosen by pirates. The spacious hall served as a temporary landing for their boats. Here they hid their stolen treasures and kidnapped girls (hence the second name). There is another version - the Pirate's Cave communicated with the fortress on the top of the peninsula, and the pirates transported their wealth to the city through the tunnel. Allegedly later, the tunnel collapsed and now it cannot be found.
In Turkish, she is called Asiklar, which translates as "lovers." There are legends that lovers who wanted to hide from everyone used to hide here. Parents were looking for their young people who had run away from the family here ... I don’t think that lovers massively hid in a cave into which it is very difficult to carry at least some supplies of water or food, but such stories sound beautiful.
To enter the Cave of Lovers, you need to sail on a boat, and then climb a few meters up. There you will see a 50-meter tunnel, which you need to go through to the exit of the cave. In theory, a rented boat or boat will be waiting for you at the exit. And then a surprise - you have to jump from a 6-meter ledge into the sea. Lovers must jump holding hands. According to legend, if the hands are not disengaged before landing in the water, then you will be together for many years. Like this.
In the west of the Alanya Peninsula, Phosphorus Cave awaits you. When you swim inside the cave on a boat, you will see an unusual a natural phenomenon- the radiance of light on its walls. This is because light travels through water.
Some argue that the rocks contain a lot of phosphorus. Whatever it is, it looks very nice.
As you understand, visiting the caves - an integral part of rest and walks in Alanya. I highly recommend to go to Dim, take a walk to Damlatash and swim into one of the caves of the peninsula by boat. Even if you, like me, have not been excited about walking through underground corridors before, you will like these. Checked!
Sapa Dere and Dim Cave are two in one.
Resting in mid-May in one of the hotels near Alanya, I planned an excursion to the Sapa Dere canyon , where the river of the same name flows. And, according to the reviews of one inveterate traveler, working and living in Alanya, I really wanted to visit the DimChay cave. However, the representative of the host company Tez Tour did not have either one or the other in the package of his excursions. To my happiness, Allah heard my desires and in the street travel agency closest to the hotel I found a one-day excursion to both places at once.
In the morning on the appointed day, an employee of the travel agency kindly called the driver who was collecting tourists from hotels to clarify the time of arrival at our hotel for me. Almost half an hour after the appointed time, which is quite acceptable for Turkey in the case of buying very inexpensive excursions compared to hotel guides, a minibus literally flew in for me. The driver quickly ran to the phone at the hotel reception. I hardly caught up with him, showed the ticket and sat down on the last free place and we went towards Alanya.
Our driver, who introduced himself as Hasan, was very loose with the rules of the road - in order to make up for lost time, he did not disdain driving in the oncoming lane and driving through a red traffic light. Along the way, we picked up two more tourists, who were hardly placed on side seats. One of them was next to me. She asked where I was going and, having heard the answer about Sapa Dere, she was surprised to say that she was going on a safari, showing her receipt for the excursion as confirmation. Hasan asked us not to worry, saying that everything will be OK. I calmed the worried neighbor by assuming that we would be seated at the checkpoint general collection sightseers in Alanya.
And so it turned out, and after a few minutes we said goodbye and almost all the passengers of the minibus moved into jeeps. And our transport was filled with tourists going to Sapa Dere. After a short castling, three jeeps went on a safari, and we, accompanied by one jeep, flew east from Alanya. At the village of Demirtas, our cortege turned into the mountains along the river flowing out of the canyon - the first place of our excursion.
In one of the villages, a picturesque column of festively dressed schoolchildren with scarlet national flags came across. They were heading to the Youth Festival, which is celebrated annually on May 19th throughout Turkey.
At a mountain pass, our cavalcade made a short stop over a river flowing deep into the gorge, which has the same name as the canyon. The road climbed steeper and steeper into the mountains, turning from a wide asphalt highway into a single-lane serpentine. A pine forest appeared around and in places there were signs indicating that we were on the right track.
Hasan continued to demonstrate the wonders of fast driving, but now, before especially sharp turns, he signaled a possible oncoming car. However, on the way we came across only one hard worker van, carrying down to Alanya the fruits of the hard work of the rural residents of this beautiful area.
Finally, after separate scattered houses, a steeply climbing street of the village of Sapa Dere appeared. After a short sanitary stop near a very clean and civilized rural public toilet, we were taken to the museum of weaving. IN small house machines and devices for the semi-handicraft production of silk fabrics were assembled. Manufacturing process, unlike the usual tours in Turkey to carpet centers, had an electric drive.
Exhibits probably really participated in the production in the last century. Our international group - Germans, Poles, Russian-speaking residents of different European countries, including the Czech Republic and two colorful young Belgians - were told about this by two guides in English, German, Polish and Russian. affected good preparation street travel agency to maximize the attraction of multilingual tourists.
Then we were invited to a typical dwelling of a rural family, in one of the rooms of which something like a souvenir shop was organized with drinks for every taste. On the walls of the house there were various souvenirs, including those made from improvised materials.
Our cheerful young English-speaking guide, who combines these duties with the work of a “photoman”, offered to take a look at the “Turkish salad”. In a large dish among the mulberry leaves, dozens of fat mulberry caterpillars swarm, demonstrating the process of natural production of silk thread online. There were also several cocoons, from which silk thread is then wound.
We rested for half an hour on low benches and marveled at the tame representatives of the animal world, reminiscent of small lizards living in cages for the amusement of tourists.
After that, we were informed that we were heading to the main goal of the first part of the excursion - to the Sapa Dere canyon. On the way, our young "photo man" demonstrated the wonders of balancing act while taking pictures from a jeep briskly running along a country road.
My knowledge in Turkic languages small and the persistent impression that "dere" is a gorge taken out of travel books was shaken by both guides and ordinary Turks, with wide variations from "a small river" to "a place where there is water." However, these differences in the interpretation of the name Sapa Dere did not in the least diminish the impression of the beauty and power of nature, not very spoiled by the presence of man.
According to the scant information found on the net, three years ago local authorities arranged a hiking trail along the mountain river for tourists. Its length is about 800 meters, and this section of the river is located in a canyon with a depth of more than a hundred meters, judging by the visible part of the walls leaving almost vertically, and sometimes with a negative slope. The roar of the river falling over small waterfalls intensified the impression, especially when the path hung over the water at a height of a couple of meters.
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Approximately in the middle of the way, under the arches of the cave, there is a small cafe.
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Competently made viewing platforms, cafes and a clean civilian toilet added to the natural beauty the comfort so familiar to the inhabitants of Europe. At the end of the hiking trail, water rushed down in a powerful waterfall to the last observation deck.
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Describing this beauty is a thankless task, it is better to see it with your own eyes. Photos, as is often the case, convey only a general idea.
The whole walk up and back took about an hour, and after it we were waiting for the lunch ordered back in the "souvenir" house. Moreover, the fish ordered for lunch was shown to us in the pools at the restaurant on the way to the canyon. The guide said so - "here is your lunch floating." The restaurant under the crowns of giant trees is located near the entrance to the canyon.
Unlike the fussy assembly line meals on most excursions and day trips, our lunch was served in a peacefully leisurely setting. This was greatly facilitated by the fact that the “walls” of the restaurant were the surrounding mountains, and the “ceiling” was the crowns of trees and a blue sky with slowly floating clouds. There would be enough space at the tables for several such groups.
Around the restaurant open area there were original benches.
I tried to rest on one of them - it turned out to be quite comfortable, despite the exoticism of this structure.
After lunch, we headed to the second goal of the tour - Dim Cave, located not far from Alanya on a mountain slope above the Dim Chay River. On the way, we made a short stop for an "orange afternoon snack" at one of the many mini-bazaars. Fresh fruits, which were sold at very low prices, turned out to be very useful.
The road was winding more and more steeply along the serpentine, and after the next turn a giant poster appeared, indicating that we had arrived at the Dim cave.
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From the observation platform in front of the entrance to the cave, a magnificent view of the river valley opened up, however, we were attracted by the underground beauty of the cave, more than 300 meters long. On the descent there was a fork into two routes - a short one about 50 meters long and the second - about 300 meters. I chose a long section and began to descend the steep stairs into the illuminated cave.
The air in this part of the cave was more, let's say, breathable than in the Damlatas cave in Alanya, where the guides recommended staying no more than 10 minutes. Perhaps there was ventilation in the Dim cave, or maybe a much larger volume than in Damlatash had an effect. Be that as it may, of the unpleasant factors, only high humidity and not very strong illumination of the track remained. But this affected only the numerous stairs during the descent.
Separate groups of stalactites and stalagmites were very well lit, making it possible to take photographs and, of course, admire fantastic landscapes. Before that, I had never been in caves equipped for viewing, there was nothing to compare with. But what I saw was so impressive that it seemed like an unreal dream or a giant scenery for a science fiction film.
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