The canyon, its valley, and the sights of the Alanya coast that fill the rest of the day.
Sapadere Canyon takes an hour or two. The reason a visit fills a day is everything around it: a mountain village known for silk and trout, a river you can lunch on, one of Turkey’s great show caves and, back on the coast, a Seljuk castle above one of the country’s best-known beaches.
The places below are grouped by area, from the Sapadere valley outwards.
Sapadere valley A 750 m boardwalk through a Taurus gorge to a waterfall
A narrow limestone gorge about 45 km from Alanya, fitted with a 750 m walkway above an ice-cold mountain stream. The path ends at a waterfall and a natural pool where the brave go swimming.
Sapadere valley Silk, an old mill and gözleme under the plane trees
The mountain village that gives the canyon its name: stone houses, a tradition of silk weaving, an old water mill and family restaurants serving village breakfast, gözleme and river trout.
Sapadere valley A small stalactite cave on the Sapadere road
A compact show cave in the Sapadere valley, visited on many canyon tours. Low ceilings and narrow passages explain the name; the visit takes ten to fifteen minutes.
Dim valley Lunch on a floating platform in a cool green valley
A mountain river reaching the sea just east of Alanya. Its valley is lined with restaurants whose tables stand on platforms over the water — the classic lunch stop of every Sapadere tour.
Dim valley 
Alanya town Seljuk walls on a peninsula 250 m above the sea
The 13th-century Seljuk fortress that crowns Alanya’s rocky peninsula, with some 6.5 km of walls, the octagonal Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) at the harbour and the medieval shipyard beside it.
Alanya town Alanya’s famous sand, a cave and the cable car
Around two kilometres of Blue Flag sand west of the castle rock, with the small, warm and humid Damlataş Cave and the lower station of the Alanya cable car at its eastern end.
Further afield Banana terraces, quiet coves and the nearest airport
The farming district east of Alanya: terraces and greenhouses of bananas, sea-carved natural pools, little-visited ancient cities and Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP).
Further afield A reservoir cruise in the mountains behind Manavgat
The emerald lake behind the Oymapınar Dam on the Manavgat River, explored on relaxed boat trips with swim stops and lunch. Often confused with Sapadere — the two could hardly be more different.
The canyon, village and Dwarf’s Cave share one road; the Dim River and Dim Cave share another, closer to Alanya. Organised tours link the two valleys in a day — see the best tours — and with a car you can do the same at your own pace using our getting-there guide.
Sapadere is about an hour inland from Alanya, and a guided day trip takes care of the mountain road, the entrance and lunch. Compare jeep safaris and coach tours and book in a couple of taps.
