In Mersin, a Turkish tourism and agricultural hot spot like Antalya, the best of summer and winter can be experienced at the same time. Citizens and tourists continue to enjoy the sea with the increase in temperatures in the coastal areas of Mersin, while winter continues to dominate in the plateaus with snow thickness exceeding 1 meter (39.37 inches).
Starting from the highlands 30 kilometers (18.64 miles) from the coast, where higher altitudes boast almost 2 meters of snow, people can experience a summer day at city's seaside.
Citizens from Mersin and the surrounding provinces come to Kızkalesi in Erdemli district on the weekends. In particular, some of the citizens from outside the province went to the sea and enjoyed the water on a winter day. While children played on the beach, families went for a stroll and took in the sea air. Dogs enjoyed both the beach and the sea.
Stating that they came from Şanlıurfa to spend the weekend because where they live is too cold this winter, Yaşar Çıtlak said: "There is snow in Urfa and Gaziantep. We're swimming in the sea here, it's amazing."
Murat Kozan, who lives in Mersin in the winter and Nevşehir during summer, said: "The sea is beautiful, I always go swimming when there isn't a storm. I come and stay here in winter, I normally live in Nevşehir."
Kozan enthusiastically continued: "Nevşehir is currently under snow and ice, and as it can be seen, this is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The sea and the beach are clean. Kizkalesi is perfect. Here we experience summer in winter, that's why I come here. I lived in Antalya for 15 years, but this place is more beautiful than there in terms of beach, sea and calmness."
Rasim Nergiz, who stated that he wanted to enjoy the beach when the temperature increased, said that the temperature has risen to 16 degrees Celsius (60.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and the sea is beautiful.
Engin Konak explained that they went to the Aslanlıköy region, 30 kilometers away from the Erdemli district, which saw snow the day before, and said: "The weather is nice on the coast compared to the areas with a high altitude. Today we came to the beautiful Kızkalesi of Mersin. The coastal parts of Mersin are very beautiful, as if it were summer weather, but when we go up, there is snow because of winter."
