Ormana Village & Altınbeşik Cave Tour from Alanya

The Taurus Mountains drive and photo stops

The day begins with an early drive from Alanya up into the Taurus Mountains, where the road climbs through pine forests and past steep limestone cliffs, with views that stretch back toward the coast far below. The drive to this part of the mountains takes several hours in total, so the day is long, and we schedule photo stops so the group can step out into the cooler mountain air.

If you are looking for a Taurus Mountains tour from Alanya that goes beyond the beach resorts, this route shows a very different side of the region, with small villages, orchards and open highland. The road is winding, so people who are prone to motion sickness should sit near the front and may wish to take a remedy beforehand. Bring a light jacket for the cooler air.

Altınbeşik Cave National Park and the underground lake

Altınbeşik Cave lies inside a national park in the Taurus and is one of the largest cave systems in Turkey. Water has dissolved the limestone over countless centuries, leaving a large cavern and an underground lake fed by hidden springs, where stalactites hang above still, glassy water in near darkness. Many travellers who search for Altınbeşik Cave tours from Alanya come for this rare sight.

We board small inflatable boats for a ride of 20 to 30 minutes across the lake. Torchlight and the lights of the cave show the mineral formations, and the air is cool and very quiet. The ride is gentle and suits most fitness levels, as you sit in the boat throughout. The ground near the entrance can be wet and slippery, so wear closed, comfortable shoes and bring a light jacket.

Ormana village and its button houses

Ormana is a mountain village far from the crowds of Alanya, known for its traditional houses called dugmeli ev, or button houses. They are built of timber and stone with wooden pegs and joints instead of nails, an old method passed down through generations of local builders, and the pegs showing on the walls give the houses their name. The carved details and strong timber frames have lasted in the mountain climate for a very long time.

We walk through the quiet lanes together, and our guide explains how families still keep these houses today. If you are asking whether Ormana village is worth visiting, it is a real working village rather than a museum, which makes the walk more interesting. Please be respectful, ask before photographing people or going into private yards and keep to the lanes.

The village mosque and the traditional village lunch

A short walk from the button houses stands the historic village mosque, a modest, well-kept building at the centre of village life. Its simple stone walls and woodwork reflect the plain style of mountain settlements, unlike the grand mosques of the coast. We spend a few minutes here with our guide. Please cover your shoulders and knees, take off your shoes at the entrance and keep your voice low.

Lunch is served in a traditional village house, at long tables shared by the whole group. Local families prepare the meal, usually with fresh vegetables, flatbreads and slow-cooked dishes typical of the mountains. It is included in the tour, and eating in an old house with the sounds of the village outside is a real cultural moment. Please tell us about any food allergies when you book, so we can pass them on.

Sarıhacılar old village

After lunch the group walks through Sarıhacılar, an old village of weathered stone houses and narrow lanes. Many of the buildings are abandoned or only partly restored, with vines and wildflowers growing over the walls, so the village feels like an open-air museum of a former way of mountain life.

Our guide explains how the village once worked and why the people moved on. The ground is uneven and the lanes can be steep, so comfortable shoes are important. It is a quiet, atmospheric stop that gives the day some historical depth, and it makes a good contrast to the dark cave and the lively lunch.

The Green Canyon panoramic viewpoint

The last stop is a panoramic viewpoint over Green Canyon, one of the best-known views in the region. From the high point you look out across turquoise water between cliffs and forested slopes, with the Taurus ridges beyond. It is a quick but rewarding stop, and the light in the late afternoon is usually soft for photographs.

We gather here with cameras ready, take in the view and then begin the long drive back to Alanya. Bring sunglasses and a hat, and keep a firm hold of your phone near the railings. After the descent, we drop each guest at the hotel where the day began, so you can rest after a full and varied day.