A short drive inland from Alanya, the Dim valley pairs two of the area's best warm-weather escapes. Dim Cave (Dim Mağarası), set high on a mountainside, is one of the largest show caves in Turkey, with a lit walkway running several hundred metres past forests of stalactites and stalagmites to a small underground pool; the temperature holds at a steady eighteen degrees or so, a blessed relief on a scorching summer day. Below it flows the Dim River (Dim Çayı), an icy, fast, snowmelt-fed stream where a long line of restaurants have built wooden platforms right over and beside the water. Here you sit on cushions with your feet in the cold current, eating grilled trout, gözleme and mezes, a hugely popular local ritual in the summer heat. The two combine perfectly into a half-day trip out of town. Bring a light layer for the cool cave, wear shoes with grip for the damp paths, and settle in for lunch by the river afterwards.
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