The most remote (in the south) region of the Antalya Mediterranean is Alanya - one of the most popular Turkish resorts. Our compatriots visit it with pleasure, because here you can find a vacation for every taste and budget.
Almost in the center of this picturesque city is an unusually beautiful place created by nature without human intervention. This is Damlatas cave. Its name is translated as "stone in drops" or "cave of wet stones". Interestingly, it was discovered in the middle of the last century (1948) quite by accident and has since become one of the most visited attractions in the city.
According to tourists, here you can touch the ancient history of the Earth and feel the power and strength of nature, which could create such splendor. Damlatas cave is one of the few in Turkey that is suitable for visiting by unprepared tourists. This is due to the fact that at present the object is taken under state protection.
Where is the cave?
Damlatash Cave is considered the most easily accessible of the many underground caves in the city. It is located at the foot of the fortress for almostbeach. It is interesting that Aladdin Street passes next to it, just like in a famous fairy tale. The huge pointer to the cave is impossible to miss. The entrance to it is to the right of the pointer.
Description of the cave
Vacationers and tourists are always attracted by the mysterious and unusually beautiful caves of Turkey. Damlatas Cave is included in the list of must-see attractions in Alanya. It is safe and free for everyone to visit. There is a Damlatash cave, a photo of which you can see in this article, a hundred meters from the Mediterranean coast. She has a natural entrance.
Despite the fact that this amazing place was discovered by one of the locals relatively recently, experts say that its age is at least fifteen thousand years. Once visitors get inside the cave, the reason the cave got its name becomes apparent to them. Passing a very narrow corridor, about fifty meters long, tourists enter a two-story cave. Already in this place you can see magnificent iridescent formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Their age is at least fourteen thousand years.
Gorgeous, expertly crafted artificial lighting in orange, red and yellow highlights this pristine beauty. Immediately there is a feeling that you are in a dungeon with countless treasures that sparkle and shimmer. In these amazing natural formations, eternity seemed to freeze. Most of this fabulous beauty is concentrated in the recess,which is fifteen meters high and fourteen meters wide. Its volume reaches two and a half thousand cubic meters.
Today, Damlatas Cave in Alanya is fully equipped for receiving and staying tourists: comfortable stairs and benches are provided here. In addition, all visitors can not be afraid for their safety at all. The walls of this cave are about ten meters thick, which completely eliminates the possibility of collapses of the arch.
Scientists study the cave
More recently, only local residents visited the Damlatash cave. But later, the rumor about this amazing dungeon spread throughout the country and even beyond its borders. Scientists are also interested in the unique natural object. Research began, during which air samples were taken in the cave. To the surprise of the researchers, it turned out that its composition increased ionization and the amount of carbon dioxide.
Damlatas cave maintains a constant temperature from + 21 to +24 °C. Throughout the year, humidity is increased inside: it approaches one hundred percent. Scientists came to the conclusion that nature has created a unique healing microclimate inside the dungeon. As a result of research, it was confirmed that the air in this cave contains twelve times more carbon dioxide than in an ordinary place.
Healing air of the cave
Scientists continued to explore the cave, and it soon became clear that the unique composition of this air has a healing effect on people,who suffer from bronchial asthma, even in a very severe form. This discovery turned the cave from a magnificent attraction into a kind of Turkish he alth resort. Every year a huge number of people began to come here seeking to be healed of a serious illness from all over the country. Over time, the fame of the Damlatash healing cave spread far beyond the borders of the country and people from other countries began to come here with a variety of respiratory diseases.
How is the treatment going?
Many people travel to Alanya from all over the world to undergo full treatment in the cave. Initially, patients are advised to climb to the “top floor” of the cave so that the body gets used to and adapts to the special atmosphere. After twenty or thirty minutes, you can go down to the lower floor. People who have a mild form of the disease will experience a significant improvement in their he alth after several visits to the underground he alth resort. In some patients, asthma attacks disappear completely.
Those who suffer from chronic forms of this disease should undergo a full wellness course within twenty-one days. After such procedures, patients breathe without difficulty.
Contraindications
A visit to the Damlatas cave is not good for everyone. Tourists with various diseases of the heart and blood vessels may experience discomfort, malaise and heaviness in the head. Even for people who do not have serious he alth problems, it is difficult to stay in a cave for a long time becausefor its special microclimate.
Visit Rules
For tourists, the cave is open daily from ten in the morning to seven in the evening. The ticket costs six Turkish liras (about two dollars). Payment is accepted only in cash, cards are not accepted for payment. And if you purchased a museum card, then it is not valid in the cave.
At the entrance, tourists must read the sign, which states that visiting the cave is not recommended for people who have heart problems. It is forbidden to touch stalagmites and stalactites with your hands, it is forbidden to litter, talk loudly and smoke.
Damlatash Cave in Alanya: how to get there?
It's easy to do. It is impossible to pass by the huge sign "Damlatash Cave", located a hundred meters from the embankment. You can use public transport: bus number 4 regularly departs from the pier every ten minutes. It will take travelers to the walls of the fortress, which rises above the famous well-known cave. A bus ride will cost you 0.75 lire. If you wish, you can take a walk along the promenade of Cleopatra Beach.
If you decide to get into the cave, passing by the Alanya fortress, then you should get off the bus at the Central Market stop, go along it and turn left. There are many signs along the way, so you won't get lost. But if this happens, contact the locals, they will be happy to explain to you how to get to the cave.
When is the best time to visit the cave?
CaveDamlatash is very popular, there are always a lot of visitors here. They all want to see the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites formed as a result of exposure to limestone rocks of sea water. If you want to view them calmly and without fuss, then come to the cave in the afternoon. Interestingly, some visitors who promote he alth tourism bring small pillows with them on the tour for a he althy nap underground.
Visitor reviews
Most tourists who have visited the famous cave find this tour impressive. Stalactites and stalagmites make a great impression: they are very beautifully illuminated. True, cave lovers and experts say that the Damlatas cave is too small and the tour goes very quickly. However, many people suffering from asthma believe that visiting this place has a beneficial effect on their he alth and recommend that anyone who has problems with the respiratory system take a full wellness treatment with healing air in this cave.
But before you start treatment, you need to visit a local doctor who will give an opinion that you have no contraindications to treatment. If you are on vacation in Alanya, be sure to visit here. You already know how to get to the Damlatash cave, so you will find it without difficulty and you can compare the photo that we posted in this article with reality.
