Being located at the same latitude with the Mediterranean African cities such as Algiers or Tangier, sun is very strong in this part of Turkey. Even non-local Turkish people those from more northerly locations, such as Istanbul can have hard time. Donât forget to drink lots of water to stay hydrated, to have more salt in your diet than you are used to for balancing your sodium loss by sweating or better drink at least one cup of salty ayran evey day, and to use sunblock lotion.
contact
The telephone code of the region is 324.
talk
In eastern part of the region i.e. around Erdemli, you would probably be fine with a little bit of English, especially in tourism-oriented businesses. Some German can also be useful as Germans are the largest number of foreigners visiting Turkey. In more remote places, such as those in the western and southern parts of the region, you will need at least a few Turkish words. However, Turkish spoken in parts of the region is a bit far away from standard Turkish i.e, that is spoken in Istanbul, lying in a medium between Konya dialect and Cypriot Turkish closer to the latter. So, it may be best to ask for written answers as the pronounciations in the phrasebooks are not exactly how the people of the province pronounce the words. They all understand standard Turkish, though.
respect
Respect the nature:
Most of the region is covered with pine forests. Hot and dry Mediterranean climate, which reigns in the area, makes them very vulnerable to wildfires. In fact, a forest fire in Summer 2007 destroyed an extremely large tract of forest the width of damaged area is somewhere around 10-15 km and couldnât be taken under control for 4 days. Therefore, in wooded areas, be careful with your fire and your cigarette!, or better, do not use any fire if possible at all.
In some places on the road even on the highway, youâll see turtle signs. They mean the place in question is used by endangered Mediterranean sea turtles Caretta caretta for crossing into their egg-laying area. Donât ask why on Earth the turtles are attempting to cross the road, they just follow their million-year-old habits, and the road was built in a different era, when habits of turtles and the turtles themselves werenât much of an interest. Be extremely careful when driving in an area with such a sign. Also, be aware that many of the sandy beaches in the region especially those in the southern part, i.e. around Anamur are used by turtles as egg-laying areas, whether there is a sign or not. So be careful when using these beaches, avoid thrusting sharp thingsâsuch as beach umbrellasâinto the sand, and do not leave behind even the smallest piece of trash.