Koçaşlı between valley and forest

Koçaşlı combines its valley setting with a local history that can even be read in the place name. The village lies on the eastern bank of a southern tributary of the Ermenek Stream. The elevation in the valley drops to about 800 metres; winters are described as mild. Koçaş Dağı rises above the village, and Koçaşlı was named after it. The village was formerly called Mulumu. The village’s identity thus brings together an older name, the surrounding mountain landscape and its position by the water.

Valley, mountain and forest

The forests of Koçaş surround Koçaşlı. A botanical find adds a precisely identified natural setting to this picture: the record of Turritis laxa dates from 1983 and places the species on the northern slope of Çamseki Dağı in Koçaşlı village, in unstable rocky terrain at an elevation of 1,500 to 1,800 metres. The valley lies at about 800 metres. This contrast brings the difference in elevation between the valley and the rocky northern slope into focus and adds a natural-history dimension to the local landscape.

Beekeeping and rural character

Local livelihoods also reflect the seasons and the natural setting: Koçaşlı’s residents keep bees, and the long spring season and abundance of flowers are considered favourable for beekeeping. The connection between plentiful blossoms and beekeeping gives the landscape a tangible agricultural dimension. Grain is also grown on arable land, and horticulture has expanded in recent years. This creates a picture of a rural village whose character is shaped not only by mountains and forests, but also by local production.

Further natural and cultural connections

In the wider region, the forests of Sarıveliler District are home to oaks, pines, firs, cedars and junipers; in some places, they also include maquis groups typical of the Mediterranean climate.

The regional cultural context of the Sarıveliler area includes the seasonal way of life of nomadic Yörük communities from the districts of Alanya, Gazipaşa and Anamur. They spend time on the yaylas in the Sarıveliler area in spring and summer, remaining there until late autumn. Staying on the yaylas is part of the regional cultural context of the Sarıveliler area; beekeeping, by contrast, is a local economic activity in Koçaşlı.

Another regional cultural site is Göktepe Köristanı. The site lies about 5 km southwest of Göktepe and includes a settlement from the Classical period as well as rock-cut tombs carved into limestone. The cultural perspective thus extends from Koçaşlı’s local identity, associated with Mulumu and Koçaş Dağı, to archaeological traces across the wider travel area.

Planning your trip

Sarıveliler can be reached from Alanya via the Alanya–Mahmutlar route, along an 80-kilometre asphalt road that is four lanes wide in some sections, in about two hours.

If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Koçaşlı, you can choose your destination based on what matters most to you: the village offers a valley, mountains, forests, local history and beekeeping; the wider area also offers the district’s forests, yayla culture and archaeological sites. This can help you decide whether you are more interested in Koçaşlı’s own rural character or in a broader look at the natural and cultural features of the travel area.

Discover more destinations: Ayrancı, Ermenek, Kazımkarabekir, Akçaşehir Belediyesi, Ambar, Alaçatı, Karaman

Back to the main travel guide: Karaman.