Aşıklar Cave

A cave on the south-west slope of the peninsula, its mouth about thirty-four metres above the sea. The entrance is only wide enough for one person, yet further in the cave reaches right through to the other side of the peninsula. It is easiest to see from the water: as boat trips pass the rocks, the mouth shows high up in the cliff.

Alanya Municipality's description is short and clear: there are about thirty-four metres between the mouth and the sea, and the entrance is only wide enough for one person. Those who carry on inside pass beneath the peninsula and come out on the other side, so behind a mouth that looks like a small crack from outside lies a void that cuts right through the headland.

The seaward side of the peninsula also holds the Pirates' and Phosphorus caves, and all three line up along the same boat route. What sets Lovers' Cave apart is that its mouth opens high on the cliff rather than at water level; from the boat you have to look up.

There is no single story behind the name. Guides tell different tales, and none of them rests on an official record, so here we leave you the measurements instead of a legend.

Our pirate boat trip leaves the harbour, passes Kızılkule and the shipyard, then cruises past the Pirates', Lovers' and Phosphorus caves before stopping to swim at Cleopatra Beach and Ulaş Bay. It is the easiest way to see Lovers' Cave face on.

• Mouth ~34 m up
• Reaches the far side
• One-person entrance