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Mersin coast: Kızkalesi & Silifke

12 places · 2 routes · Mediterranean Coast

The quiet eastern end of the Turkish Mediterranean: a castle in the sea, chasms in the limestone hills and the old city of St Paul.

Today in Mersin coast: Kızkalesi & Silifke: sunrise 06:56 · sunset 17:55 (calculated)

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Castles and chasms1 day · 2 stops Old Tarsus½ day · 1 stops

Open / closed: Istanbul time, Fri 06:15. Ticket = foreign-visitor price. Visit times are our estimates.

  1. Culture · 300 m ~4 min walk

    Kızkalesi (Maiden's Castle)

    Closed now €3 ~1.5–2.5 h

  2. Culture · 3.6 km ~11 min by road

    Narlıkuyu Mosaic Museum

    Closed now Not verified ~15–30 min

  3. Nature · 3.8 km ~11 min by road

    Heaven and Hell sinkholes

    Closed now €12 ~1.3–2 h

  4. Culture · 7.6 km ~17 min by road

    Kanlıdivane

    Closed now Not verified ~45 min–1.3 h

  5. Culture · 22 km ~40 min by road

    Ayatekla (Hagia Thekla)

    Closed now Free ~30–45 min

  6. Culture · 24 km ~42 min by road

    Uzuncaburç (Diocaesarea)

    Closed now Not verified ~1–1.5 h

  7. Culture · 54 km ~1.5 h by road

    Mersin Museum

    Closed now Not verified ~1–1.5 h

  8. Culture · 70 km ~1.9 h by road

    Gözne Castle

    Closed now Not verified ~30–45 min

  9. Culture · 80 km ~2.2 h by road

    Alahan Monastery

    Closed now Free ~45 min–1.3 h

  10. Culture · 84 km ~2.3 h by road

    Tarsus and St Paul's Well

    Closed now €3 ~1.5–3 h

  11. Culture · 120 km ~3.2 h by road

    Mamure Castle

    Closed now €3 ~45 min–1.3 h

  12. Culture · 130 km ~3.5 h by road

    Anemurium

    Closed now Not verified ~1–2 h

Also in this area

Caves, waterfalls, gorges, hidden gems and viewpoints within 50 km (straight line) of the places above.

On this map and in our themes: Heaven and Hell sinkholes (cave) · Kızkalesi (Maiden's Castle) (viewpoint)

Local food with a registered name: Mersin Tantunisi · Mersin Cezeryesi

Caves & waterfallsHidden gemsViewpointsAdventureRegional food

Climate: when to go

Sea today: 24.1 °C at Yenişehir (MGM station, 22 Oct 09:00)

Monthly averages for Mersin province: warmest in August (average high 32.8 °C), coldest in January (average low 7.6 °C). Averages hide heat waves and cold snaps — check the forecast before you travel.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high15°16°19°22°26°29°32°33°31°28°22°17°
Average low8°8°11°14°19°23°26°26°23°19°13°9°
Sunshine, hours a day4.85.66.87.78.59.810.19.89.17.65.94.6
Rainy days111099842126711

Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), 1991–2020 climate normals for Mersin province (this month is highlighted). Values are averages for the whole province as MGM publishes them, not for one beach or hill.

Boat trips from here

Kızkalesi & Boğsak

Stops are the usual ones — operators vary; rules on the water come from the authorities' own texts. No operators or prices. All boat trips →

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About Mersin coast

East of Alanya the Mediterranean coast becomes quieter and less international. Around Kızkalesi, ruins are everywhere: a castle on an island and another on the shore, rock tombs in the hillside, and inland the collapsed chasms of Heaven and Hell with a chapel at the bottom.

Further east, Tarsus is the city where St Paul was born, visited by pilgrims for his well and the church museum. Mersin city itself is a large modern port with a long seafront promenade.

Is Mersin worth visiting?

The Mersin coast is worth it for travellers who want the Mediterranean without the big resorts: Kızkalesi's sea castle is one of the most photogenic sights on the whole coast, and the sinkholes are unusual. It is mainly a domestic holiday area, so English is less widely spoken.

Two or three days is enough for Kızkalesi, the sinkholes, Silifke and Tarsus. It suits independent travellers, Christian pilgrims and anyone crossing from Cappadocia or Adana to the coast.

Best for
Independent travellers, pilgrims, beach lovers avoiding the big resorts.
How long
2–3 days.
Getting there
Fly to Adana (Çukurova airport); trains and buses run from Adana to Tarsus and Mersin, and buses follow the coast road west to Kızkalesi and Silifke. General directions, not checked against timetables.

Best time to go Apr–Jun · Sep–Oct

Spring and autumn are best; summers are hot and humid. The sea is warm from June to October.

Part of Mediterranean Coast — all destinations, when to go and more places in the region.