A coast tourists have yet to discover
Mersin is a modern port city with one of the longest seafront promenades in Türkiye and a life that revolves around the sea and citrus fruit. What makes it interesting for travellers lies all around it: 150 kilometres of coastline with castles, Roman cities and the birthplace of St Paul, all without the crowds.
What to see
Tarsus
Thirty kilometres away. This is where Saul of Tarsus was born, where Cleopatra sailed in to meet Mark Antony, and where a Roman street survives with its original paving stones. You can visit St Paul's Well, Cleopatra's Gate, the museum and the Ulu Cami (Great Mosque), which was built over a church. At the time of writing (2026), admission to the St Paul Memorial Museum (the former St Paul's Church) is €5 under the official 2027 rates.
Kızkalesi, the Maiden's Castle
A Byzantine castle on an island 200 metres off the beach, with a second one on the shore facing it: the defining image of the Mersin coast. You reach it by swimming or by boat; the beach is sandy and the village is a summer resort.
Soli Pompeiopolis
A 200-metre colonnaded street by the sea, its columns still standing with their capitals, in the Mezitli district. Pompey refounded the city after clearing the Mediterranean of pirates, hence the name. Half an hour is enough, and you will almost always have it to yourself.
Uzuncaburç and the caves of Heaven and Hell
Up in the mountains, Uzuncaburç was the temple city of ancient Olba, with a Temple of Zeus from the 3rd century BC and a five-storey Hellenistic tower. Heading back down towards the coast, the Cennet and Cehennem sinkholes — Heaven and Hell — are two enormous chasms, with a Byzantine chapel at the bottom of the first.
When to go
March to June and September to November. Summer is hot and humid, although the sea breeze helps; winter is one of the mildest in Türkiye, and the orange groves are heavy with fruit.
Getting there
Fly into Çukurova International Airport (COV), which opened in 2024 between Mersin and Adana, replacing Adana's old airport, and has direct flights from Istanbul. The coast is best explored by car, along the coastal road towards Silifke and Anamur.
What to eat
Tantuni, strips of beef stir-fried on a griddle, is Mersin's signature street food; cezerye is the local sweet made with carrot and walnuts. In the bazaar you'll find fish and thin lahmacun, and in Tarsus, hot hummus topped with pastırma.
How to fit it in
Give it one or two days between Adana and the coast road towards Antalya. It is the stretch of the Mediterranean route that almost nobody does, and that is exactly why it is worth doing.