Surviving the Alanya Heat: A Doctor’s Practical Guide

Short answer: stay out of direct sun between 11:00 and 16:00, drink before you feel thirsty, and treat confusion in the heat as an emergency rather than tiredness.

Why it catches people out

Alanya summers sit above 35 °C with high humidity. Humid heat is more dangerous than dry heat because sweat evaporates less efficiently, so the body sheds heat more slowly than the number on the thermometer suggests. Visitors also arrive unacclimatised, walk further than they would at home, and drink alcohol in the afternoon — a combination the body handles badly.

What actually works

• Shade between 11:00 and 16:00. The UV index and the heat both peak then.
• Drink on a schedule, not on thirst. Thirst appears after dehydration has already begun. Pale urine is the simplest check.
• Salt matters too. Heavy sweating loses salt as well as water; rehydration salts or salty food work better than water alone.
• Alcohol and heavy coffee make it worse. Both increase fluid loss.
• Give yourself two or three days before long walks, hiking or sport.

Who is most at risk

Small children, adults over 65, pregnant women, and anyone with heart, kidney or diabetic illness or taking diuretics or beta blockers. Children heat up faster than adults and cannot always say what is wrong. Never leave a child in a parked car, not even for a minute — the interior can pass 50 °C within ten.

Where the line is

Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, pale clammy skin, weakness, headache, nausea, cramps. The person is unwell but mentally clear. Get them into shade, cool them, give fluids — it settles.

Heat stroke: temperature around 40 °C, skin often hot and dry, and — the key sign — confusion, slurred speech, staggering or collapse. That is an emergency. Call 112 and start cooling immediately; do not wait.

Full detail on both, including first aid minute by minute, is on our heat stroke page. Sunburn is covered here.

Medical disclaimer. This article is general health information, not a diagnosis. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily or has chest pain, call 112 immediately.

Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Oğuzhan Özkan, physician, Alanya. Last reviewed: 11 August 2026.

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