Kizkalesi means "Maiden's Castle," the romantic name for the crusader castle floating in the blue water 150 meters offshore from this eastern Mediterranean resort town.
On the shore is another castle, Korykos, making Kizkalesi (KUHZ kah-leh-see) a two-castle town.
Why stop here? To take photos of the castles and, if you're intrepid and a strong swimmer, to swim out to the castle on the island. If you're not intrepid, boatmen will row you out there for a few dollars.
More than a dozen hotels and pensions provide beds, making this a charming place to spend the night if you're traveling a long distance along the coast. It's generally cheaper and far more relaxing than the cities (Mersin, Tarsus, Adana), though with fewer services.
Kizkalesi also makes a good base for visits to the Roman ruins of Elaiussa-Sebaste and the Roman-Byzantine necropolis at Kanytelis, inland from the coastal village of Kumkuyu.
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