Lunch over the water
Cushioned wooden platforms built straight over the current; grilled trout is the dish to order.
Островский Александр, Киев — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Prodronemovie — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ömer Faruk Uyar — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kadı — CC BY 4.0
At the height of August, when Alanya's beaches sit well above 30 degrees, there is a river fifteen minutes' drive away so cold that even adults gasp at the first step in. That is Dim Çayı: it drops some 60 kilometres out of the Taurus to reach the Mediterranean at Kestel, just east of the town, and its last wooded stretch, ten to fifteen kilometres from the centre, has become an open-air dining room built on the water. Dozens of restaurants have raised wooden platforms over and beside the current, laid them with cushions and low tables, and seat whole families with the river running, quite literally, underneath them. The formula barely varies from one place to the next: grilled trout or grilled meat, a spread of salads and mezze, bread, and tea drunk slowly afterwards. There is no gate and no ticket; the valley is free to enter, but every restaurant expects a minimum spend for its platform, so ask before you sit. Prices climb at the places with the prettiest views, so it is worth comparing a couple before you settle. The shallows at the edges are perfect for children to paddle under supervision, while ‹swimming› is really a fast plunge followed by a shriek, even in August. Bring rubber sandals; the stones are unkind. Getting there is simple. From Alanya, take the D-400 coast road east to Kestel, then follow the signed turn inland along the river; by car or taxi it takes fifteen to twenty-five minutes. The municipal bus or dolmuş heading for Dimçayı runs from the centre in about half an hour, and the half-day excursions pair the valley with Dim Cave, which looks down on it from the hillside and is worth the climb. Further upstream lies the Dim Dam and its lake, completed in the 2000s to supply the district with drinking water, irrigation and hydroelectricity; it is lovely from the road but not somewhere to get into the water. Two things decide the visit. Avoid summer weekends, when Turkish families fill the valley and you may wait for a platform; a weekday lunch gives you the calm you came for. In winter most restaurants close or run at a trickle, and the place becomes a short walk beside a full river rather than a day out. The platforms are awkward for pushchairs, though the walk from the car park is short. And ignore the ‹national park› label on Google Maps: it is nothing of the sort, just a river valley lined with restaurants, with no protected status and no entry gate.
Cushioned wooden platforms built straight over the current; grilled trout is the dish to order.
A real escape from the coast in July and August; the water is far colder than you expect.
The cave looks down on the valley from the hillside; together they make a full half-day.
Dim Çayı valley, Kestel, Alanya
Yes, it is one of the best things to do with children in Alanya: the edges are shallow and the platforms sit right by the water, so you can watch from your seat. The current is strong in the middle and the water is bitterly cold, so keep play to the shallow margins and bring rubber sandals. Pushchairs do not go onto the platforms; a baby carrier works better.
For a relaxed family day in summer heat, the river without hesitation. The cave is pretty but is a half-hour inside a humid chamber, and its best asset is the view from the top. Ideally do both: the cave in the morning, then lunch on the river.
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