Alanya → Sapadere Canyon Transfer

Alanya to Sapadere Canyon private transfer

Alanya's summer is a coastal one: the beach under the castle rock, the harbour, the long beaches east towards Mahmutlar, all of it at sea level and all of it hot by late morning. Sapadere Canyon is the half day that climbs out of that. It lies in the Taurus foothills east of the town, near the village it is named after, where a stream has cut a narrow gorge into the limestone. A walkway of timber and steel is fixed along the rock, above clear pools and small falls, and the air in the gorge stays noticeably cooler than on the shore. The road up is reason enough for a driver: past the coast it narrows, bends and keeps climbing, and after an icy pool those bends are better taken from the passenger seat.

The leg is 45 km and about 45 minutes, with most of the time spent on the second half. From Alanya the car runs east on the D400 through Kestel, Mahmutlar and Kargıcak, the road towards Gazipaşa, with the sea on the right and the plastic roofs of banana greenhouses filling the narrow strip between highway and hills. At Demirtaş it turns inland and begins to climb. The valley road passes through small villages, past farmhouses and terraced slopes, the greenhouses thinning out as the ground steepens, until Sapadere village and then the canyon entrance come into view. It is a one-way transfer at a fixed price for the vehicle; if you would rather the same car waits or comes back for you, say so when booking.

• The walkway planks stay damp from the spray, so wear shoes with a proper grip rather than flip-flops.
• If you plan to get into the pools, pack swimwear, a towel and a warm layer, because the water comes off the mountain cold and the gorge itself is cool.
• Food and drinks are sold at the canyon entrance, so there is no need to stock up in Alanya before the car turns inland.
• Getting back down is the part to plan, so arrange the waiting time or a return pickup when you book instead of looking for a ride at the canyon.