The Alanya waterfalls drop through Sapadere Canyon, which sources place 35 to 45 km inland from the town. A day tour to them lasts 6 to 8.5 hours, and the tours add the Dim River for lunch and a swim and the Dim Cave on the way back.
Sources count between 10 and 20 falls in the canyon, and none gives one clean height. Planning a Greek island after your week in Turkey? The Greece Tours homepage lists every tour by region.
Which are the Alanya waterfalls, and where do they lie?
The Alanya waterfalls are the cascades of Sapadere Canyon, which sources place 35 to 45 km inland from the town. Day tours add the Dim River and the Dim Cave, and both of those lie closer to Alanya.
Alanya sits on a small peninsula on the Mediterranean coast, below the Taurus Mountains. The Wikipedia article on Alanya puts the town between those mountains and the sea. Alanya takes up about 70 km of that coastline. So the Alanya waterfalls lie inland, in the hills behind the resorts, and not on the beach.
The mountains change the weather. The Wikipedia article says snow can be seen on the peaks even on warm days in the city below. One operator says the climate in the mountains differs completely from the climate in the city. A day at the Alanya waterfalls brings that change with it.
How far are the Alanya waterfalls from town? The sources disagree. A tour page puts the village of Sapadere 35 km from Alanya and the canyon about 3 km beyond it.
Two operators give 40 km, and a local guide site gives 45 km from the town centre. The 40 km figure has the widest support, so use it as a planning number.
The Dim River lies much closer than the falls of Sapadere. One operator puts it about 10 km from the city centre. A tourist information site says 15 km. The Wikipedia article on Alanya places the Dim River east of the city.
One operator describes a drive east through Alanya, along the sea and past banana plantations. The road then climbs towards the mountains. A second operator adds a photo stop above the banana plantations. These tours leave the coast for the cooler hills.
Sapadere is the only mountain village on the Alanya waterfalls route that any source names. The Wikipedia article on Sapadere lists it as a neighbourhood of the Alanya district with 722 residents. One operator stops there to see a traditional house with silkworm cocoons and silk tools.
Not every Alanya waterfalls tour goes uphill. A different operator sells a waterfalls tour from Alanya that heads west, to falls near Side and Antalya. The tours into the hills behind Alanya pair Sapadere with the Dim River and the Dim Cave.
For other days on the Antalya coast, see our Turkey tours page. It covers the coast around Antalya as well as Istanbul and Cappadocia.
One three-in-one listing covers the Sapadere waterfalls, the Dim stream and the Dim cave in a single day. Its frame shows a 4.5 rating from 4,345 reviews. The stated duration is 7 to 8.5 hours.
The same listing lets guests choose a jeep or a minibus. It mentions water slides made for children and adults. Its age bands run from adult (11 to 99) to child (4 to 10) and infant (3 and younger). That puts the Alanya waterfalls, a river stop and a cave into one booking.
- Waterfalls: the cascades of Sapadere Canyon, the main draw of the Alanya waterfalls.
- Distance: 35 to 45 km from Alanya to Sapadere, and 10 to 15 km to the Dim River.
- Canyon: a river gorge in the Taurus foothills with a wooden walkway above the stream.
- Caves: the Dim Cave on the river route and the Dwarves Cave near Sapadere.
What do the Alanya waterfalls at Sapadere Canyon look like?
The Alanya waterfalls at Sapadere pour through a narrow river gorge, with a wooden walkway above a cold stream. Sources count between 10 and 20 falls. The main drop ends in a deep natural pool near the end of the path.
The Wikipedia article on Sapadere says the canyon opened to tourism when the wooden walkway was built. The article says the walkway was designed to give access with little harm to a delicate ecosystem. The canyon lies by Sapadere village, in the Alanya district.
Size changes from page to page. Two sources give the canyon as 750 m long, while a third operator says about 360 m. No source gives a clean depth. One operator calls the canyon 400 metres high. A local guide site gives 400 metres as its elevation in the Taurus foothills.
The walkway figure differs too. One operator names a footbridge of almost 800 m. Another says 300 m, and a travel blog says about 600 m. The blog adds that iron railings fix the walkway to the canyon wall. It also says the Alanya municipality added a longer ecotourism route of around 3,358 metres.
Counting the Alanya waterfalls depends on whom you ask. A local guide site says about ten falls feed the stream. One operator writes of 20 distinct falls. Another singles out the fall called Uçan Şelale, the Flying Waterfall. No source gives a height for any fall.
The water is cold. One operator says the temperature stays below 10°C even in summer. Two other sources give 12°C as the top figure. A travel blog names one deep pool below the main fall, called dev kazanı locally. An operator says the deepest pools reach 7 m.
The path runs past streams, small falls and rock formations, says a third operator. The main fall sits near the end of the path. It pours into a natural pool where visitors can swim. That operator calls it a popular photo spot at the Alanya waterfalls.
Greenery shades the whole gorge. The local guide site mentions Mediterranean plants and bird species. It also says a village mill and silk looms still work at the entrance. One operator says Sapadere has made silk for more than 500 years, with mulberry trees feeding the silkworms.
A walkway leads to the Dwarves Cave, a small limestone cave, says a third operator. The walkway is 250 m of wood on a steel platform. Inside, the cave runs about 200 m, with two galleries of stalactites and stalagmites.
One operator gives a schedule for the Alanya waterfalls visit. The group reaches the village at about 10. It walks the platform at about 11 and eats lunch by the river at about 12. A cave visit follows at about 1.30.
The rock is part of the story. The Wikipedia article on the Taurus Mountains says the range formed when the African and Eurasian plates collided. It says limestone is the main rock under it.
The Wikipedia article on Alanya names the Alanya Massif, an area of metamorphic rock east of Antalya. It also says bauxite is common north of the town. No page ties these rocks to a single fall.
What do the Dim River and Dim Cave add to the Alanya waterfalls?
They add a cold river for swimming and lunch, plus a lit limestone cave with a steady temperature. Tours put both next to the Alanya waterfalls, so one day holds a stream, a cave and a canyon.
Listings for the Alanya waterfalls name the Dim River as a stop. Both the English and Turkish Wikipedia articles give about 60 km. They differ on the source. The English article names the highlands of Konya Province. The Turkish article names Alacami village, inside Alanya district, and ends the river at Tosmur beach .
Restaurants and tea gardens line the road beside the river, says the Turkish article. A shared trait is tables set in the stream itself. One operator describes wooden gazebos over the water and water slides on its own site. One jeep listing on the Alanya waterfalls route names a natural pool and a chlorinated pool.
The Dim Dam stands on the same river. The English Wikipedia article says it gives Alanya fresh water and electricity. The Turkish article names irrigation, drinking water and energy as its purposes. One operator makes the dam a photo stop on its Alanya waterfalls jeep safari.
Dim Cave is the underground stop on an Alanya waterfalls day. It lies 11 km from Alanya, 232 m above sea level. The cave’s own site puts it on the western slope of the 1,691 m Cebel Reis Mountain. Rain and snow water rich in carbonic acid dissolved the limestone along a fracture zone.
The cave’s own site gives a length of 360 m, with halls 10 to 15 m wide and high. Turkish Wikipedia gives 410 m in all, with 360 m open to visitors, in four main halls. One operator counts six galleries and about 350 m.
The sources also split on distance. The cave’s site and Turkish Wikipedia say 11 km from Alanya, while an operator page says 15 km. They split on air too. Turkish Wikipedia gives a steady 18 degrees Celsius. One operator page agrees, but a second page of that operator says 20 degrees.
Dripstone covers the cave that the Alanya waterfalls tours visit. Turkish Wikipedia lists stalactites, stalagmites and columns. Electric light shows them, and a generator covers a power cut. A lake with 200 square metres of surface fills the last section. Turkish Wikipedia gives its depth as 2 m, and the cave’s site says it lies 17 m below the entrance.
Plan the cave around its hours when you book an Alanya waterfalls tour. The cave’s own site says the doors open at 9 am all year. It closes at 5 pm from November to February and at 7 pm from June to August. Entry ends 25 to 30 minutes before closing.
The cave complex has a viewing terrace with binoculars, and a restaurant for 150 people, says Turkish Wikipedia. The cave’s own site says asphalt roads link Alanya to the cave through Kestel, the Dim valley and Tosmur.
- River water: the Turkish article says it stays cold in summer and in winter.
- River rafting: the Turkish article says the upper stretches serve for rafting.
- Cave history: local people used parts of it as a shelter, the cave’s own site says.
- Cave status: it was the first cave in Turkey opened to tourism by a private firm.
How does an Alanya waterfalls tour run from pickup to drop-off?
Three operator pages for Dim River tours list hotel pickup at 9 am. The Alanya waterfalls tour then climbs into the Taurus Mountains. It stops at the river for lunch and a swim, then visits the cave. Listings give 6 to 8.5 hours in all.
The frames of two Alanya waterfalls listings show a pickup badge. Neither frame states a meeting point or a pickup time. Operator pages name hotels and apartments in Alanya as the pickup points. One page adds the surrounding areas, and another adds Side.
The road out of town runs along the sea and through banana plantations, says the operator behind a Sapadere page. A jeep safari page adds orange and lemon plantations and photo breaks above Alanya. A jeep listing names banana gardens and mountain roads.
Two pages from one operator add a stop at a small waterfall near the Oba River. A village house and a village mosque follow. All these stops come before the river. So an Alanya waterfalls day shows a fall and a village before the swim.
A jeep safari on the Alanya waterfalls route gives two hours at the river, says one operator page. That time covers lunch, rest and a swim.
The lunch on that Alanya waterfalls safari is grilled fish or chicken with salad and rice. The page also lists a vegetarian menu. The web address of a jeep listing names a barbecue lunch on the water. Its frame text does not list the menu.
On two pages from one operator, the cave follows the river lunch. On the Sapadere version of that operator, the cave comes first and the river last. All three pages list the cave ticket as an optional extra. The jeep page also marks the cave visit as optional.
The route sets the drop-off time on an Alanya waterfalls tour. The river and cave day ends first, at 3.30 pm. The jeep safari ends at 4 pm. The day with Sapadere Canyon added ends at 5 pm.
A Sapadere-only page from a second operator gives a clock for the mountain day.
- Pickup from hotels in Side and Alanya, then the drive along the coast.
- About 10.00 am: arrival at the canyon and a visit to the village.
- About 11.00 am: the walk along the platform in the canyon.
- About 12.00: lunch at a restaurant by the river.
- About 1.30 pm: the cave, which is the Sapadere cave and not Dim Cave.
- Between 3.30 and 4.00 pm: the return to the hotels.
The listings fix the length. The jeep listing states 6 – 7 hours, and the 3-in-1 listing states 7 – 8.5 hours. Both show free cancellation. The jeep frame asks for a booking at least 7 hours ahead, and the 3-in-1 frame asks for 8 hours.
The title of the jeep listing names a Sapadere waterfall option. Its frame does not say how that option changes the day. Neither frame gives a stop-by-stop plan, so an Alanya waterfalls day by the clock comes from operator pages.
How do the Alanya waterfalls tours differ by transport and group?
Alanya waterfalls tours come as a bus ride, a jeep safari, a boat trip or a jeep-and-boat mix. Among the boat trips, only the Manavgat river listings name a waterfall. Day length, language and pickup area differ too.
One Sapadere operator runs its Alanya waterfalls day by bus. It states that the same program goes by jeep when a bus is not available. A separate jeep listing for the Green Canyon states an off-road ride to the Oymapınar Dam. It adds an optional cruise on Green Lake and a swim break.
A Green Canyon listing is a lake cruise, not an Alanya waterfalls tour. Its frame states lunch by Green Lake, unlimited soft drinks and a swim at the restaurant’s swimming area. It names no waterfall.
A second Green Canyon listing states a cruise of about 2.5 hours and a lakeside buffet lunch. The two listings state different day lengths. The first states 2.5 to 8 hours and the second 8 to 8.5 hours.
One operator’s own site sells an Alanya waterfalls option. It pairs the Green Canyon boat tour with a zoo and Manavgat Waterfall. The boat tour lasts 2 hours 15 minutes, with 7 km out, 7 km back and one swimming break. The waterfall stop gets 30 minutes.
Pickup areas differ by Alanya waterfalls tour. That operator’s list names Mahmutlar, Kestel, Oba, Alanya Center, Konakli, Payallar, Turkler, Avsallar, Incekum and Okurcalar. A Manavgat river listing states transfers from Alanya, Side or Antalya. The second Green Canyon listing adds Kemer.
The Manavgat river listings are the boat tours that add a falls stop to an Alanya waterfalls day. One states a swimming stop, a waterfall visit, free time at the Grand Bazaar and lunch on the boat. It runs 7 to 9 hours.
A jeep-and-boat listing from Alanya states a village visit and a natural pool. It adds a boat tour with lunch and a foam party, in 7.5 hours.
- Jeep safari: 7 hours, an off-road ride, English and German listed.
- Green Canyon boat trip: 2.5 to 8 hours, lunch, soft drinks, a swim, no waterfall.
- Manavgat river cruise: 7 to 9 hours, a swim, a waterfall visit, bazaar time, lunch on the boat.
- Jeep and boat: 7.5 hours, a village, a natural pool, a boat tour, lunch, English listed.
The frames for these Alanya waterfalls tours state no seat count and no vehicle size. They give group size in one way only. An Antalya city listing carries a small-group label. A bus listing and the Green Canyon jeep listing carry a private option. The other listings state nothing more about group size.
Which waterfalls near Side and Antalya fit with the Alanya waterfalls?
The Manavgat Waterfall near Side, the Kurşunlu and Düden Waterfalls near Antalya, and Köprülü Canyon pair with the Alanya waterfalls. An Alanya operator links four of these falls in one day, from a 09:00 pickup to an 18:00 drop-off.
That operator sells the four-fall day as a waterfalls tour from Alanya. Its route runs Manavgat, Kurşunlu, lunch, the upper Düden fall and the lower Düden fall. On this Alanya waterfalls route, the falls lie 62 to 135 km from the town.
Manavgat is the nearest fall on that route, at 62 km from Alanya. Wikipedia places it on the Manavgat River, 3 km north of Manavgat town, near Side. The water falls from a low height over a wide area. The operator puts the drop at 4 m.
Tea gardens stand beside the Manavgat fall, and Wikipedia says high water in floods can hide the falls. The Oymapınar Dam stands 12 km north of them. It is an arch dam, 185 m high, on the same river.
Kurşunlu is the second stop of that Alanya waterfalls route. It lies 19 km from Antalya, in a pine forest, and Wikipedia says summer reduces it to a trickle.
The operator gives Kurşunlu 126 km from Alanya, a height of about 20 m and 7 small ponds. Wikipedia measures from Antalya and the operator from Alanya, so the two distances do not compare.
The Düden Waterfalls close that route. They are an upper and a lower fall on one river. At the upper fall, Wikipedia says, the river reappears from a karst source. It vanishes 18 km away at a sinkhole. The operator gives 20 m for the upper fall and 130 km from Alanya.
The lower fall drops 40 m into the Mediterranean, and the operator gives the same height. It is the farthest fall on the Alanya waterfalls route, 135 km from Alanya. Wikipedia counts the Düden Park around it as open to the public around the clock.
Köprülü Canyon is a national park in the Manavgat district, and Wikipedia dates the park to nineteen seventy-three. It names the Oluk Bridge inside the park.
A Side listing states a walk on the Oluk Bridge and a view of the turquoise Köprüçay River. It adds a riverside lunch, in 7 to 9 hours. It is a mountain day to pair with the Alanya waterfalls.
The Side and Antalya listings state other mixes that pair with the Alanya waterfalls.
- A Manavgat listing states a bazaar, a swim, lunch and a waterfall, with hotel transfers from Side, Okurcalar and Konaklı, over 6 to 8 hours.
- A Side listing states a boat ride on Green Lake, the Oymapınar Dam and lunch over 7 to 8 hours. Its title adds a waterfall and an ancient city.
- A bus listing states a bilingual guide, Aspendos, Perge and Kurşunlu Waterfall over 7 hours to a full day.
- An 8-hour listing states a guide, Kurşunlu Waterfall and Hadrian’s Gate, the old entrance to the Kaleiçi. Its frame carries a wheelchair-accessible label.
- A full-day Antalya listing states a flexible city tour with the Düden Waterfalls, an optional boat trip or free time in Kaleiçi.
- A 10-hour listing states the Lower Düden Waterfalls, the Old Town and a boat trip along the Mediterranean coast.
Each of these titles names Side as the start. The frames carry no meeting point. Ask where the pickup for Alanya hotels sits before you book any pairing with the Alanya waterfalls.
If you also stay near Antalya, our Antalya Aquarium tickets page covers another outing there.
Can you reach the Alanya waterfalls on your own, and when do they flow strongest?
Yes, with a hire car. Two guides say no bus or dolmus serves Sapadere Canyon, so a car or a private shuttle replaces the tour. An outdoor travel site says the Alanya waterfalls run fullest in spring.
Two airports serve the area. The Wikipedia article on Gazipasa-Alanya Airport puts it 30 minutes by road from Alanya. The same article places Antalya Airport 120 kilometres away, two hours by road.
The Wikipedia article on Antalya Airport lists two city buses, numbers 600 and 800. It adds a tram link to the city. The article names no service to Alanya, so the last stretch to the Alanya waterfalls is a road trip.
A tour seller blog lists three ways to reach the canyon from Antalya Airport. They are a hire car, a private shuttle and a tour with hotel transport. No source we read gives a shuttle timetable, so ask the shuttle company for its times.
The Wikipedia article on Alanya lists two bus depots, with bus and dolmus services. It adds that buses keep to the major roads. A local guide names two options: a guided day trip, or a hire car and your own pace.
Leave the Alanya-Gazipasa highway at the Demirtas junction, says a local guide, and follow a paved road of 15 kilometres. A travel blog says the asphalt runs the whole way, with narrow bends that need slow driving. Parking waits at the entrance.
Sources give three sets of hours. A local guide lists 08:00 to 19:00 every day. A city directory lists 08:30 to 19:30, and a cave directory lists 8:30 to 18:30 in an older entry. Check the posted hours at the gate. The same local guide says one paid entry covers parking and the canyon.
Tickets are sold on site, says the local guide. A travel blog says the booth takes cash or card. Museum Pass Turkey and MuseumKart+ do not work here, because a subsidiary of the Alanya municipality runs the canyon. The outdoor travel site also names a small viewpoint above the visitor parking.
Spring gives the Alanya waterfalls their fullest flow, says an outdoor travel site. It adds sudden showers, higher water and muddy access roads. It calls winter quiet and cold, with a small number of services closed. No source gives a snowmelt month for the stream.
The coast tells a different story. The Wikipedia table for Alanya town lists 251.2 millimetres of rain in December and 2.7 in August. By October, rain returns at 100.6 millimetres.
Average highs on the coast run from 21.8 degrees Celsius in April to 33.4 in August. A travel blog calls the canyon of the Alanya waterfalls cool. It says the mountain air is a break from the coastal heat.
A tour seller blog suggests spring or early autumn, away from the summer heat. A travel blog says tour groups reach the canyon between 11:00 and 15:00. It names 09:00 to 10:30 as the quieter window. Another blog warns of flash floods in heavy rain.
Wet boards and cold pools shape the packing list for the Alanya waterfalls:
- Grippy sandals, water shoes or sneakers, because a travel blog says the boardwalk turns slick when wet.
- Swimwear under your clothes, because the changing cabins fill up when the jeeps arrive.
- A dry towel and a change of clothes in a day pack.
- A hat and sunscreen, says a tour seller blog.
- A scarf or shawl for the village mosque, named in one operator packing list.
What do travellers ask about the Alanya waterfalls?
Travellers ask about swimming, children, walking time, dry summers, picnics and packing. One rule comes first. A tour seller blog states that pets are not allowed in the canyon of the Alanya waterfalls.
Can you swim at the Alanya waterfalls?
Yes, in the natural pools. A local guide says ladders help you climb down into them. A tour seller blog says calm areas are safe. It warns of strong currents and slippery rocks elsewhere, and advises a guide.
Is Sapadere Canyon suitable for children?
A travel blog rates the walk very easy, with a wooden walkway all the way. It says a stroller struggles on narrow spots and stairs, and suggests a baby carrier. A second blog warns of uneven ground for people with limited mobility.
How much walking do the Alanya waterfalls need?
A cave and gorge directory lists a self-guided visit of about one hour. A travel blog says to allow 1.5 to 2 hours for the walk, photos and a short swim. The sources differ on the time.
Do the Alanya waterfalls dry up in summer?
No source we read reports the falls dry in summer. An outdoor travel site lists summer for cooling off in the pools. It adds larger crowds and midday heat in the parking and picnic areas.
Can you take a picnic to the Alanya waterfalls?
Not onto the platform. A travel blog says outside food stops at the ticket check, and picnics belong outside the entrance. It lists a restaurant by the gate and a small cafe midway along the trail. A cave directory adds rest rooms in the gorge.
What do you need to carry to the Alanya waterfalls?
An outdoor travel site names 0.75 to 1 litre of water for the walk to the Alanya waterfalls. One operator not-included list names a camera and money. A travel blog warns that phone signal drops between the rock walls, so load maps first.