Europe · Beach and resort guide
Large resorts with the option of history and a town beyond the hotel.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Families and couples who want resort plus somewhere to explore.
We would think twice for
Travellers who want their hotel inside the old town itself, because the resorts line the beaches either side, and the ancient harbour village is somewhere you stroll to rather than sleep in.
What we would want you to know
Side, Evrenseki and nearby areas are sold under one label but feel different.
Our research-led view
Side comes out of the same Lara, Belek and Side hotel comparisons we put together for families, and it is the one we lean towards when a client wants more than the hotel. That view rests on research rather than a holiday there ourselves: the old town is a stroll from many hotels, but not from all of those that use its name.
We have not been here ourselves yet and will never pretend otherwise. This advice comes from the operator, mapping, hotel and transfer research we do for real enquiries.
Map and areas
A village built among the ruins on a small peninsula, with the Temple of Apollo at its tip, a harbour of restaurants and lanes of shops. The modern village was founded by families from Crete in the late 19th century. A few small hotels sit inside; most visitors stay outside and walk in.
The resort strip just west of the old town along a wide sandy beach, with big and mid-sized hotels, bars and shops. Many hotels are within walking distance of the ruins, or a short hop on the dolmuş.
East of the old town, hotels sit among pine forest along a sandy shore, with a small lake at Titreyengöl. Greener and calmer than Kumköy, but you will need a taxi or a dolmuş into Side at night.
Large all-inclusive hotels further west along a long, open sandy beach, often sold as Side but some distance from the old town. Good value and quiet, as long as you are happy for the hotel to be your evenings.
The working town a short drive inland on the river, with the big weekly market, boats down to the sea and a waterfall on its northern edge. Worth half a day, though not a place to stay.
Weather and seasons
Side is at its best in the shoulder months. In May the sea has reached about 21°C and the old town is pleasant to walk at midday; by October days are still around 28°C, the sea is near 25°C and the evening light on the Temple of Apollo is at its warmest. High summer is very hot and humid, with July averaging 36°C, so ruins are for early mornings and the old town for evenings. Winter is quiet, with some hotels closed and the old town mostly given back to locals.
Worth timing a trip around
The big weekly market in Manavgat: clothes, household goods and souvenirs on Mondays, and fresh produce, spices and olives on Thursdays. Go mid-morning and take cash in lira.
Loggerhead turtles nest along the long beach at Kızılot, east of Manavgat, one of Turkey's main nesting sites. Keep off marked nests and leave the beach dark at night.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C | 6°C | 18°C | 253 mm |
| February | 17°C | 7°C | 17°C | 141 mm |
| March | 19°C | 8°C | 17°C | 99 mm |
| April | 23°C | 12°C | 18°C | 44 mm |
| May | 27°C | 16°C | 21°C | 39 mm |
| June | 31°C | 21°C | 25°C | 21 mm |
| July | 36°C | 25°C | 28°C | 1 mm |
| August | 34°C | 25°C | 29°C | 7 mm |
| September | 32°C | 21°C | 28°C | 27 mm |
| October | 28°C | 17°C | 25°C | 103 mm |
| November | 22°C | 12°C | 22°C | 99 mm |
| December | 17°C | 8°C | 20°C | 236 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Antalya, 54 km away at 54 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Sand, shingle and swimming
A long, wide sweep of sand from the old town past Kumköy, shelving gently, with loungers run by the hotels and beach bars. Easy for children.
A curve of sand on the far side of the peninsula from the harbour, close to the ruins, so a swim fits neatly between sightseeing and lunch.
Sand backed by pine forest, calmer and less built-up than the west beach, with hotel piers and a few beach cafés.
Things to do
The columns of a Roman temple at the tip of the peninsula make the classic sunset view, even with parts under restoration. Go early for a quiet look, then come back at dusk.
A small museum in a restored Roman bath house, full of statues and reliefs found in the city. Cool on a hot day, and it helps the ruins make sense.
Walk in through the old city gate along the colonnaded street and past the agora. The great Roman theatre has been closed for restoration, so you may only see its outer walls; check before you go.
A wide, low waterfall on the Manavgat river just north of the town, with tea gardens and walkways. Pretty rather than dramatic, and easy to combine with the market.
Boats run down the river from Manavgat to where it meets the sea, with a swimming stop along the way. An easy half day with children.
A day on the turquoise lake behind the Oymapınar dam, cruising into a steep-sided canyon with swim stops. Most trips include lunch and hotel transfers.
A 13th-century Seljuk caravanserai beside the Alara river, with a castle on the crag above. A good stop on the road east towards Alanya.
Food and drink
Sea bass and bream grilled whole at the harbour restaurants and priced by weight, so ask before it goes on the grill.
Courgette flowers stuffed with herby rice and cooked in olive oil, a summer meze worth ordering when you see it.
Pumpkin candied in syrup and topped with tahini and crushed walnuts, an autumn and winter dessert.
Thin, crisp flatbread spread with spiced mince, rolled up with parsley, onion and lemon: the cheap lunch of Manavgat's kebab houses.
Money
Side prices a shade below Lara and Belek for similar hotels, which makes it good value. Location matters more than stars: a hotel within walking distance of the old town is worth paying for if you want evenings out. Dinners in the old town are inexpensive, so half board can make more sense here than anywhere else on this coast.
Flights and transfers
Side sits down the coast from Antalya Airport, which takes direct seasonal flights from Leeds Bradford, Manchester and Newcastle. The transfer is longer than Lara's but still comfortable, and the resorts run in a strip either side of the old town.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
3 hours ahead of the UK in winter, 2 hours in summer
Turkish lira (₺)
Turkish
Type C and F, 230V
On the right
Not recommended for drinking; use bottled
Around 10 percent in restaurants; round up taxi fares
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed on a British citizen passport for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Passport. Valid for at least 150 days after the date you arrive, with a blank page.
The FCDO advises against all travel within 10km of the Syrian border. The places we suggest on this page were outside those areas when we checked, and we check the advice again before every booking.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
From some. Hotels in Kumköy and on the edge of Sorgun are often within a walk or a short dolmuş ride, but many resorts sold as Side, in Çolaklı, Evrenseki or Titreyengöl, are a taxi ride away. We check the real distance to the old town before recommending a hotel.
Yes. The beaches either side of the old town are wide and sandy, the hotels range from big all-inclusive resorts to smaller family ones, and the old town gives older children something to explore. Pushchairs cope with the main streets but not with all of the ruins.
Some call out, especially along the main street, but a polite no and a smile works. Mornings are calmer, and the harbour front is the nicest place for an evening stroll.
Side, usually. Belek's hotels are very good but self-contained, while Side gives couples a Roman town, a harbour and restaurants to walk to. Belek wins for golf, and for families who want a very large resort and a quieter beach.
It has been closed to visitors for major restoration, with no firm date to reopen. The rest of the ancient city, the Temple of Apollo and the museum are open, and Aspendos, towards Belek, has a complete theatre you can walk into.
Photographs
Also worth a look
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