SILIFKE | Your Next Vacation Getaway   

Silifke City is strategically located in the Mersin Province of Southern Turkey. The city has a lot of tourist spots and destinations waiting to be explored and Silifke promises that you will be experiencing one memorable vacation you would not forget for the rest of your life.

Getting to Silifke City by plane would be via Adana Airport, about 140 km away from the City. From the airport, you could travel the main highway aboard a bus or a minibus and admire the picturesque view.

How to Get There
Getting to Silifke City by plane would be via Adana Airport, about 140 km away from the City. From the airport, you could travel the main highway aboard a bus or a minibus and admire the picturesque view.

Attractions
The city is rich in archaeological attractions. One of the most visited spots is the Ruins of the Roman Temple. It can be found right in the heart of the city. No fee is required to visit and explore the ruins. The temple was said to be dedicated to the Roman God Jupiter.

More so, to satisfy your archaeological craving, you could visit the Silifke Museum. It is an archaeological museum which is located along the highway not very far from the city proper.

There is an old bridge which crosses the Göksu River which is also one of the interesting sites of the Silifke City. The turquoise Göksu River has its name which means “celestial” in Turkish. The river itself has its own historic contributions. This is the river where Frederick Barbarossa drowned and met his death in the year 1190.

Further down the road, you will find the tomb and the church of the first female martyr St. Thecla.

There are several caves which tourists should check out while in Silifke City. These caves are as follows: Adamkayalar (a cave as a burial site) and the Corycian Caves.

One of the best sought tourist attraction of the Silifke City is the Narlikuyu. It is a small town in the coastal suburbs of the city which name means pomengranate fountain. In the town, you will see remains of the ancient baths. Likewise, a small museum can be visited. The museum houses a fourth century mosaic which is said to represent the “Three Graces” who are the goddesses: Thalia – Goddess of Charm; Euphrosyne – Goddess of Merriment; and Aglaia – Goddess of Grace. There is an inscription in the mosaic which means that anybody who drinks from the fountain will live long and will become wise.

What to do

While you are in Silifke City, you can have a walk or a swim on the beaches and the resorts.

There are two beaches/resorts which could be found in the suburbs of Silifke. One of which is the Kizkalesi Beach. Kizkalesi in Turkish means “the maiden’s castle”. The beach was named as such because of the castle which is afloat about 150 meters offshore. There is another castle found on the shore, the Korykos. It has been said that the two castles used to be joined by a sea wall but as years have passed, it became separated when the wall little by little submerged.

Another resort is the Aphrodite Beach which could be found in Tasucu, a small town outside the city proper.

If you are not a “beach person”, you might just want to go bird watching in Göksu Delta. This is where the river joins with the Mediterranean Sea. You could possibly see 106 different kinds of birds where some of them are considered endangered species.

Where to stay

There are a number of hotels and pension houses which could provide room for you to spend your nights. You will find cheaper accommodations in the resort areas. They are far cheaper than those in the city. Not just that they are cheaper but they are even more relaxing.

So, the next time you and your family or friends wanted to have a totally different kind of vacation getaway, try considering spending it in Silifke, Turkey. It will surely be one of your most memorable vacations.