Gelidonya Lighthouse

The most famous and oldest lighthouse on the Mediterranean coast.
It takes its name from the cape on which it is located – the cape is called Gelidonya, derived from the Lycian “kaledonia” – “swallow”, which can be found here due to seasonal migration. Other variants of the name can be seen in Turkish, such as Kırlangıç Burnu (Swallow Cape) or Taşlı Burun (Stone Cape).

The lighthouse is 227 kilometres above sea level and is the highest standing lighthouse in Turkey. The path to it is not easy, so up until the 2000s it was lit manually, and only then it was equipped with solar panels, which allowed it to be automated.
The view from the cape is certainly mesmerising! It has a very favourable location, between Adrasan and Karaoz, so it “overlooks” the Beşadalar archipelago, located near Suluada Island, which consists of 5 uninhabited islands – a paradise for divers.

You can combine this beauty by taking a boat trip for a few days: swim in the blue waters of Suluada Island – see the Beşadalar archipelago – see the Gelidonya Lighthouse in the setting sun – enjoy the starry sky!