[4][5] A small 4th century building, once part of a bath and baptism complex financed by Poimenios of Corycus, survives to the present in the area (see Narlıkuyu Museum).

The earliest modern record of the settlement has been made by the Turkish Statistical Institute in 1980 as Narlıdere.

Previously the settlement consisted of a deserted bay and a few houses, but in 1994 the municipal organization was established under the name of Narlıkuyu.

[6] Narlıkuyu is situated on the Mediterranean coast, located 65 kilometres (40 mi) south west of Mersin.

The town has many popular fishing restaurants,[7] located around a small bay famous for its unusually cool and fresh water, fed by underground freshwater streams.