Gilindir Cave, also known as Aynalıgöl Cave and colloquially as Aynalıgol ("Mirror Lake"), is a karst cave on the coast of Mersin, Turkey.
The visiting conditions are convenient:
- Entrance fee: 60 lira.
- Convenient access from the Antalya-Mersin highway. Free parking is available.
- Open from 8 am to 5 pm.
- All year round.
- The route is suitable for walking with children (without strollers) - it is safe and not tiring.
Location of Gilindire Cave:
It is located approximately 7.5 km southeast of Cape Sancak and the Kourtini Stream; the cave's entrance opens directly onto the Mediterranean Sea, and the passage itself is located at an altitude of 46 m above sea level.
The cave formed after the last glacial period, when the Mediterranean Sea level rose by approximately 70 meters and flooded the cave's floor. This change in hydrological conditions helped preserve the rich karst formations—stalagmites, stalactites, columns, draperies, seepage stones, and "cave needles" that divide the interior into multiple chambers.
The cave's total length is 555 meters, with a clearance of approximately 22 meters. Within its depths lies a lake 140 meters long, 18–30 meters wide, and ranging in depth from 5 to 47 meters. The water in the lake is still, hence the cave's nickname "Mirror Lake." The upper layer of water, down to a depth of approximately 12 meters, is brackish (somewhere between fresh and seawater), while below 12 meters, the water is completely salty. Bats sometimes fly along the main gallery, and Mediterranean monk seals can be found in the nearby bays.
The cave was discovered by accident in 1999: a shepherd chasing his goats on the steep cliffs of Aydıncık spotted a hedgehog that wandered through the bushes and disappeared among the rocks. Following it, the shepherd found the mouth and found himself inside. In 2013, the Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs declared Gilindir a nature reserve, after which the cave was opened to visitors and became a tourist attraction.
