Damlataş Cave

Damlataş was found in 1948 when workers blasting stone for the harbour broke into a chamber, and it opened to visitors soon after. It is small - a single chamber about fifteen metres deep - but densely hung with stalactites, stalagmites and columns, lit and fitted with a walkway, and it takes twenty minutes to see. Its reputation rests on the air: temperature and humidity stay almost constant, the carbon dioxide level is high and the air is heavy with moisture and ionisation, and since the 1950s people with asthma have come to sit in it for extended sessions, with a separate early-morning slot traditionally set aside for that purpose. Whether it helps is a matter for medical evidence rather than tradition, and anyone considering it for a respiratory condition should read the clinical literature and speak to a doctor rather than take the local claim at face value. It sits directly beside Cleopatra Beach and the Alanya museum.

What you actually see

• The single chamber - stalactites, columns and flowstone.
• The walkway - the short lit route in and out.
• The heavy air - the constant humidity and temperature.
• The beach setting - Cleopatra Beach immediately outside.

When to go

Year-round; the cave is constant inside. Early morning slots are traditionally reserved for the asthma sessions, so general visiting is later in the day.

Honest expectations

It is very small - half an hour at most - and can feel crowded with a few groups. The air is heavy and close, which some people find unpleasant. Therapeutic claims are traditional; treat medical questions as medical, not touristic.

Nearby

Cleopatra Beach is at the door; Alanya Castle and the Red Tower are on the headland above.