Side Turkey Travel Guide: Old Town, Beaches and Day Trips

Side sits on a small peninsula on the coast east of Antalya. The tip of the peninsula is the ancient city: ruins and modern life side by side, with restaurants, shops and small guesthouses squeezed between Roman walls and columns. Around it, the resort area stretches along the coast in both directions, with most of the large hotels on the long sandy beaches east and west of the town.

Getting there is simple: Side is ≈ 65 km from Antalya Airport (AYT), ≈ 75 minutes by car. In high season, traffic on the coastal road can add time, especially on summer weekends. A private transfer takes you straight to your hotel without stops for other passengers; see the Antalya Airport to Side route page for the live price of each vehicle.

The old town is compact and best explored on foot. The main sights are close together, so a relaxed half day is usually enough, and many people come back for an evening stroll.

• Temple of Apollo – the columns stand right at the water's edge at the tip of the peninsula. This is the most photographed spot in Side, and sunset is the classic time to be there.
• Roman theatre – a large ancient theatre at the entrance to the old town, one of the best-known sights of the region.
• City walls and the monumental gate – sections of the ancient walls and the gate mark the way into the old town.
• The ancient harbour – today a small harbour with boats and waterfront restaurants, still on the line of the ancient one.
• Colonnaded street and agora remains – columns and ruins appear between the shops as you walk towards the sea.

Comfortable shoes help: some paths are uneven stone. In summer, mornings and evenings are far more pleasant than midday.

The old town is largely pedestrian. Cars cannot drive through its lanes, so your driver will stop at the nearest accessible point and you walk the last stretch. If you are staying in a small hotel inside the old town, tell us the exact name when booking; we plan the drop-off point and you know in advance that the last few minutes are on foot.

For an evening visit from a resort hotel, a private car is the easy option: you agree the pick-up time back at the hotel before you leave, and the driver collects you at the same point. No waiting at stops, no searching for a taxi late at night.

The coast around Side is known for long, sandy beaches with a gentle entry into the sea, which is why it is so popular with families. The area is usually described in two directions:

• East: Sorgun, with pine woods behind the beach, and Titreyengöl, named after a small lake. Both are hotel areas a short drive from the old town (from the airport: Sorgun ≈ 74 km / ≈ 84 min, Titreyengöl ≈ 71 km / ≈ 82 min).
• West: Kumköy, Çolaklı and Evrenseki, a long chain of hotels along the beach on the Antalya side of Side (from the airport ≈ 60–62 km / ≈ 70–72 min).

Close to the old town itself there are public beaches on both sides of the peninsula. If you stay in a hotel further out, a short drive into town for dinner and a walk is a typical evening plan.

Manavgat is the market town just east of Side, on the Manavgat River. People go there for the town centre, the riverside, boat trips on the river and the Manavgat Waterfall, a wide, low waterfall in a green setting. It makes an easy half-day outing from any hotel in the Side area. Our Manavgat Waterfall and Green Canyon guide covers the area in more detail, including the reservoir lake further inland.

Two classic day trips start well from Side:

• Aspendos – one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world, between Side and Antalya, with the remains of an aqueduct nearby. Read more in our Aspendos theatre guide.
• Köprülü Canyon – a river canyon in the mountains inland, known for rafting, a historic stone bridge and cool water even in summer. See the Köprülü Canyon rafting guide.

With a private car and driver you set your own pace: leave when you like, stop for photos, and agree the return time with the driver. If you want to combine several stops in one day, for example Aspendos and the canyon, tell us when booking and we will tell you what is possible.

Side suits travellers who want a beach holiday with something to see in the evening: the old town gives the area a real centre, which many purely resort-based areas lack. Families like the sandy beaches; couples like the sunset at the temple and the harbour restaurants. If you are still deciding between the two big resort areas east of Antalya, our comparison Side or Alanya looks at beaches, distances and atmosphere.

Practical tip: book the return transfer at the same time as the arrival. The price is fixed per vehicle and agreed before the trip, there is no prepayment, and you pay in the vehicle.