Alanya: the city and daily life

Alanya is served by two airports. Several airlines fly to Antalya international airport; the transfer from there takes about an hour and a half to two hours. The alternative is Gazipaşa airport, which lies close to Alanya, so the transfer is around half an hour.

All in all, Alanya is four to five hours of travel away. Arranging the transfer and recommending a reliable driver is part of the service.

The town's infrastructure matches, and in many respects exceeds, the European average. Mobile coverage and internet are available practically everywhere, utilities are fully built out, and the streets are well kept, in many places block-paved.

Palm groves and grassed strips run along the roads, watered regularly through the summer. A wide promenade and cycle path follow the shore for its whole length, with benches, parks, fountains, playgrounds, outdoor gym equipment and table tennis.

The great majority of properties come with a pool, often a slide pool and jacuzzi, a separate children's pool, a gym and a sauna — shared, in the case of apartment buildings.

Within Alanya the local minibus (dolmuş) runs frequently and takes you almost anywhere cheaply. Taxis work well too: the town has an established call system, and the nearest free car arrives at the press of a button.

Cars can be hired without leaving a deposit, which is convenient for sights outside town. Parking is provided in the underground garage in most developments and is largely free on the street.

Alanya has a state hospital and several private clinics, the latter typically with doctors who speak English and often German and Russian too. Private care is available by appointment with short waiting times, and at prices that compare favourably with Europe.

Pharmacies are plentiful and many medicines are available without prescription. Foreigners holding a residence permit may also join the Turkish social security system (SGK).

The town has both state and private schools, several private institutions teaching in English or bilingually. Nursery provision is widely available, and private nursery fees are moderate by European standards.

Alanya also hosts a university faculty, and the provincial capital Antalya is a major university city. Because of the number of foreign families, schools are used to children who are not native Turkish speakers.

Everyday costs — market, restaurant, hairdresser, tradesman, taxi — are noticeably lower than in Western Europe. Imported goods and fuel, by contrast, cost more, which is worth factoring in.

The Turkish bank account opened for the purchase normally handles three currencies: Turkish lira, euro and dollar. Incoming euros or dollars can be converted to lira from a mobile app. Card payment is accepted everywhere, and there are cash machines in every settlement in the area.

Alanya holds a lively scene and quiet relaxation side by side. Two bays, each more than twenty kilometres long, belong to the town, with free public beach the whole way, sunbeds and bars — fine shingle on one side, sand on the other.

There is a water park in town, and the shore offers jet skis, banana rides, parasailing and plenty of other sports. In the mountains behind the town you find canyons with waterfalls, mountain lakes and restaurants built over streams, reachable on organised tours or under your own steam.

In the evening the bazaars, boat trips, a Turkish bath, a walk around the castle (also reachable by cable car) and a wealth of restaurants fill the hours. After eleven, the music venues open.

Alanya has a Muslim majority, but in daily life this is barely noticeable: the town was built around European tourism and hospitality. Any clothing is accepted on the beach, alcohol is available everywhere, and at Christmas a market is held and shops put up trees.

Visiting mosques that can be more than a thousand years old is a rewarding outing in itself, and local people welcome visitors gladly. German, Russian, Scandinavian, Iranian and Hungarian owners all live in the town, so offices and shops are used to foreigners.

Refuse is collected twice a day, free of charge. Every street has recycling and general bins within easy reach, and the promenades are lined with waste bins — so cleanliness and hygiene are assured.

The quality of service is outstanding, with providers geared to solving the guest's problem. And most services cost noticeably less than in Western Europe.