“Harvest village” Population: less than 500
This tiny village, beyond Ormana and inland from Alanya, is the base for visiting the wonderful Altın Beşik Mağarası (Golden Cradle Cave) and the ruins of Erymna. It’s also full of fine Düğmeli Evleri (Button Houses), wood and stone houses whose wooden posts protrude from the walls so that they look from a distance as if they’re studded.
The cave itself, while not large, is a wonder containing a blue-green lake into which you can be rowed. Unless the water is high you can’t go very far but it’s a glorious experience if you can manage to be there when it’s quiet and the sun shimmering on the water is reflected on the rocks above the cave entrance.
The surrounding scenery is simply stunning, huge mountains soaring up above a thin strip of blue river far below with pine trees everywhere. Apparently Alexander the Great passed this way but was unable to continue, so imposing were the natural defences.
***In 2021 wild fires ravaged this part of Turkey. I haven’t heard how Ürünlü fared.***
Sleeping
At the moment there is no accommodation in the village but in 2012 a local was considering turning one of the Düğmeli Evleri into a pension and creating a campsite in a glorious, unspoilt setting nearby.
Transport info
Half a dozen daily dolmuşes from Akseki come here via İbradı and Ormana. The driver may be persuaded, for a taxi fare, to continue on to the cave. The road passes the scant ruins of Erymna but you need time to walk the few km there and back.
