Erdemli

Erdemli is a city in the Cilician Mountains, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. It had a population of 66,000 in 2022, with another 90,000 or so in the associated towns and villages. For most visitors it's just a break-of-journey along the road between Adana and Antalya.

Understand

Erdemli is where the fertile coastal plain fetches up against the Cilician mountains to the west and north. Such fertile land has been inhabited for millennia, but its antiquities have been covered over by modern fruit farms and other developments. The rugged higher ground doesn't suit extensive agriculture but produces grain, apples, olives and figs. City industries are based on these. A resort strip straggles along the coast - this is domestic tourism and second homes, and western mass tourism goes elsewhere. The climate is hot and sticky in summer, which suits the fruit but visitors will prefer late spring / early autumn.

Get in

By plane: The nearest airport is Çukurova (COV  IATA) 90 km east, with frequent flights from Istanbul (both IST and SAW), Ankara and Izmir. It replaced Adana Airport in 2024.

By road: The coast highway D400 and its bypass E982 cross the plains from Adana via Tarsus and Mersin. D400 continues west to Narlıkuyu, Silifke (for Cyprus ferries) then eventually to Alanya and the resort strip to Antalya.

By bus: Dolmuşes take about two hours from Adana. Four buses a day from Antalya take 8 hr 30 min via Alanya, Anamur and Silifke, continuing to Mersin and Adana. The bus lines are Metro Turizm and Flixbus.

Get around

Dolmuşes ply the main highway through this straggling city.

See

  • 🌍 Erdemli Marina is mostly occupied by small fishing vessels.
  • Yörük Museum exhibited the region's nomad culture. It used to stand on Erdemoğlu Blv by the seafront but became gripped by an urge to wander, no-one knows where.
  • 🌍 Grand Mosque (Ulu Cami) is at the corner of Talat Göktepe Cd and Asena Cd. It's modern but in trad Turkish Baroque style.
  • 🌍 Akkale is a Roman building from 4th century AD. It's 14 km west of Erdemli on Kürşat Sk, the lane between D400 and Kumkuyu marina, and free to look at 24 hours.
  • Other ruins are scattered hither and yon, but they're scrappy and even further from town. If you've seen Kızkalesi and others on the way, it's not worth seeking out these.
  • See Narlıkuyu for Kızkalesi or Maiden Castle at the south edge of Erdemli province.

Do

  • Beaches are mostly sandy with some shingle. They're narrow and lack shelter if the breeze gets up from the south.
  • Lunapark is a kiddy amusement park on Erdemoğlu Blv by the riverside, open daily 09:00-00:00.

Buy

Retail in Erdemli
  • Novacity AVM is the shopping centre on the main highway, open daily 10:00-22:00.
  • A dozen or so convenience stores along the highway. Migros, Bim and A101 are the main chains.

Eat

  • There'a handful of eating places in the shopping centre, with another cluster by Grand Mosque.

Drink

Many eating places serve alcohol.

Sleep

Connect

As of March 2025, Erdemli and the coast highway have 4G from all Turkish carriers, but there's little signal in the hills behind town. 5G has not yet rolled out in Turkey.

Go next

  • Narlıkuyu west for Kızkalesi or Maiden Castle, and Cennet - Cehennem or Heaven-Hell chasms.
  • Silifke further west has Göksu delta wild life reserve and a few antiquities but is mainly a transport hub.
  • Mersin east is a sprawling modern city.
Routes through Erdemli
Antalya ← Narlıkuyu ←  W  E  → Mersin → Adana


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