The palm-lined harbour below the Red Tower is the launch point for Alanya's classic day out: a boat trip around the castle peninsula to its string of sea caves. Wooden gulets and larger pirate-style boats set off through the morning to circle the headland, dropping anchor for swimming stops in coves of clear water and nosing into a series of grottoes, the Pirates' Cave (Korsanlar Mağarası), said to have hidden buccaneers and their loot, the eerie blue-lit Phosphorus Cave, and the Lovers' and Girls' caves in the cliffs. Full-day trips usually include lunch and several swim breaks, while shorter sunset cruises run in the evening. Back on land, the harbour and marina are a pleasant place to stroll, with cafes, fish restaurants and the Red Tower and Seljuk shipyard right alongside. Choose a smaller boat over the big party vessels for a calmer family trip, bring towels and sun cover, and haggle a little on the quay.
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