Manavgat River originates on the eastern slopes of Western Taurus Mountains in Turkey. In ancient times it was called Melas (Ancient Greek: Μέλας). At an elevation of 1,350 m, the outflow of several small springs joins together to become the headwaters of the Manavgat. The largest of these springs is called Dumanli. In addition to the springs from the Taurus Mountains, the Manavgat is also fed underground from large lakes to the north of the mountains, on the Anatolian Plateau. Pliny the Elder considered that the river was the boundary between ancient Pamphylia and Cilicia.
From there, the river flows south over conglomerated strata for about 90 km, descending through a series of canyons. Finally, it washes over the Manavgat Waterfall and through the coastal plain and into the Mediterranean Sea. There are many caves in the river watershed area, the most interesting being the Altınbeşik cave.
