In the north, Erdemli is bordered by Karaman Province and in the south by the Mediterranean Sea.

Erdemli is a quiet rural district where the people are conservative, and is traditionally a strong base for Turkish nationalism.

High meadows in the mountains are planted with grain pulses and fruits such as apples, peaches, and cherries.

The Middle East Technical University in Ankara has an Institute of Marine Sciences graduate school here, which has a biology group that monitors the seals.

Erdemli has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csa),[4] with hot, muggy, virtually rainless summers, and mild, rainy winters.