Side, Turkey

Side's long, clean beaches and
clear water make it an excellent
holiday destination.

Side (pronounced see-deh) is one of the four ancient Pamphylian cities on the Mediterranean coast. It has lately become one of the most popular holiday destinations in Turkey. Side is located 65 kilometers east of Antalya, and 63 kilometers east of Alanya. One of the more unique, or possibly annoying, features of Side is that the ancient ruins are interspersed through the modern town, with some of Side's businesses being located inside ancient buildings.

Side has two long, clean main beaches with clear waters, extending for kilometers on each side of the ancient city along the coast, known as the eastern, or "Sorgun" beach (after the nearby town of Sorgun), and the Western, or "Kemer" beach. The western beach is better positioned to view the sunset, but it is far more developed and noisy than the Sorgun beach. Recently a promenade was recently installed which runs the length of the Western beach.

In Side's town center, hundreds of shops, bars, restaurants compete for passing tourists' attention and money, which can become annoying after a few days. For a taste of Side's former self, stroll some of Side's back and side streets.

Side's population density increases dramatically in the tourism season, when holiday makers from Turkey, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Sweden, Holland, and the UK descend in droves. During the winter, there is little activity in Side. If you're more interested in seeing the ancient city than crowded beaches and partying, visit Side before or after the main tourism season.

Accommodation

Side is popular for cut-rate, all-inclusive hotel package tours. On the far end of the western beach are the more luxurious four and five-star hotel complexes with their own beaches and luxurious trappings, while the side of western beach nearer to town offers numerous smaller hotels with beachside restaurants and bars at more affordable prices. Inside the ancient city, hotels along the promenade offer cliff-side views of the sea. Caution: hotel rooms near the beach or inside the old city can be very noisy up until 3:00 or 4:00 AM. Most of the more popular hotels are almost always fully-booked for the season, so make reservations early; however the smaller hotels may have rooms available.

Dining

Restaurants near Side's harbor
offer shade and cliff-side
views.

There is certainly no shortage of restaurant choices in Side during the tourism season. Food in Side is relatively inexpensive, except along the shoreline restaurants. By simply moving inland a few streets, you'll see much of the same food, and especially typical Turkish specialties, for substantially less money. One of the local specialties is "Testi Kebab," which is cooked in a clay jar which seals itself while cooking, then is broken open to get at the contents. Another specialty is fresh local trout from the trout farms in Manavgat.

Night life

There are plenty of places to go for drinking and dancing in Side. Oxyd Disco is the largest night club in Side, with a capacity of 3,000 persons. They offer a variety of popular dance music, a laser show, and russian dancers. The light house is a restaurant which becomes a popular disco in the evenings, playing disco and pop music on the marina. The western beach is well populated with drinking and dancing establishments, as is the town center along and around the promenade.

Bars popular with expats include the Red Lion and the Flying Horse, in the Kemer section of town near the large Turkish flag. For a friendly and quiet expat bar experience, try Casper Bar (named after the "friendly ghost"), owned by Serdar and Jane, near the PTT on Western Beach. It's a couple of streets inland, so you can escape the beach noise and promenade strollers for a while.

Shopping

Competition is fierce for tourist
money in Side, sometimes
requiring extraordinary measures!

Because of the drastic seasonal fluctuation of Side's population, there are no large grocery or department stores in Side, except for small versions of Turkey's BIM and A-101 stores. These stores have limited stock, and only offer basic supplies and food items. The A-101 store is near the Belediye (municipality) on the road between Manavgat and Side.

To stock up properly on groceries, you'll need to go to Manavgat. Manavgat's main street has a MM (double-M) Migros on the right side of the road as you enter Manavgat on its main street. There is also a Tansas store on the far side of Manavgat on the same road. You can get to the Manavgat Migros by dolmus from Side.

There's no shortage of small shops lining the main street and town square in Side, offering carpets, jewelry, leather, and souvenirs, copper and onyx items, paintings, apparel, and a variety of other things you probably don't really need.

Side has a weekly market, where local merchants converge to offer fresh produce and various goods for sale. You'll find the Side market on Saturdays next to the main mosque in the ancient city. Manavgat, 15 kilometers east of Side, has a larger market on Mondays.

How to Get to Side

By Air

Flights from multiple European and Turkish cities fly into Antalya's international airport.

By Bus

A tractor awaits passengers for transport into Side.

A decorated people-carrying
tractor loads up to take holiday
makers into the pedestrianized
town center.

From the Antalya airport, you can take the HAVAS bus to Antalya's bus station, then jump on another bus going east to Side. Tell the driver you're going to Side (see-deh), and keep your eyes open, you need to be dropped off at a signposted turnoff going south to Side, which is near Manavgat. Cross the street and you'll be at the dolmus stop for the dolmus going to Side.

If you're on a bus which arrives at the bus station in Manavgat, you'll find that Dolmuses provide service every 20 minutes from Manavgat to Side's main dolmus station just outside the ancient city gate. There is also a large auto park and taxi stand there. From Side's dolmus station, you can walk into the ancient city, or hop aboard one of the decorated tractors and ride into town. Depending on where your hotel is, the dolmus may continue on to where you're staying, or you can check the placards on the dolmuses at the main station to find one going your way.

Driving to Side

From Antalya, take highway D 400 east. Drive three kilometers past Manavgat. Keep your eyes open for a signposted turnoff going south to Side, and follow the signs into town. As you're entering Side proper on the main road into Side, you'll see a sign pointing left to the otopark. This is also the location of Side's bus station and main taxi stand. Once parked, you can easily walk into town, or hop on one of the people-carrying tractors for a ride. If you pass the otopark and continue into Side, you'll find that the same road passes under the monumental gate and goes into the town center.

The town center of Side is mostly pedestrianized, restricted to vehicles except for a few hours each day. If you have luggage, though, the attendant will normally allow you to take your luggage to your hotel.

Landmarks

A large Turkish flag in the Kemer district of Side, Turkey.

This big flag in the Kemer
district marks the area
where you'll find banks and
other important places.

Two main landmarks may serve you when in Side, to help you get a bearing on where you are in relation to the ancient city and the municipality in the Kemer district.

Municipality Flag

This is the largest flag, marking the center of the Kemer district. As you ride into Side on the main road from Manavgat, keep an eye on your right, and you'll see it. This flag marks the general location of the belediye (municipality offices), the tourism information office, three banks, a small supermarket called A-101, and two of the more popular expat hangouts, the Flying Horse and the Red Dragon.

Theater Flag

As you continue on that main road and approach the monumental gate to enter the ancient city of Side, you'll see another, but smaller, Turkish flag flying over the ancient theater.

Tourism Information Office

Open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. It around one kilometer from town center, in the "Kemer" area of Side, on Side Yolu Uzeri near the large Turkish flag. The telephone number is 0242 753 1265. They offer a modest supply of pamphlets, few of which are in the English language.

Beaches

Side's Western Beach is more
developed than the beach on
the eastern side of town.

The beaches of Side are mostly clean, fine sand, with a pleasant slope into the sea.

Western Beaches

The beaches on the western side of the old city stretch for around 10 kilometers, and are lined with hotels, bars, and beach clubs offering a wide variety of entertainment, some offering childrens' shows. Watersports, such as parasailing and banana boats, are plentiful. The more sophisticated luxury hotels in the Side area are on the far end of the beach from the ancient city, while smaller, more affordable hotels are closer to the ancient city.

Eastern Beaches

Beaches on the eastern side, referred to as the "Sorgun" beaches after the town to the west of Side, are much quieter, less crowded, and less developed, since they are on the side of Side which is less favorable for sunsets. They're very peaceful as compared to the Western beach.

Day Trips from Side

Although surrounded by touristy
trappings, the Manavgat waterfall
is a good place to have lunch
or dinner.

A boat trip up the Manavgat River: This is another way to see the Manavgat waterfall, only by boat.
Perge: an ancient city once visited by Paul and Barnabus on their missionary journeys, Perge is very well preserved. It's just on the west side of Antalya.
Aspendos: Attend a theatrical or musical performance inside the ancient Aspendos theater; or simply go to see this ancient city.
Belek Golf courses: If you're a golfer, Belek is the place to go, there are several golf courses and hotels catering to golfers there.
Alanya: See the Alanya castle, towering far above the mediterranean coastline.
Koprulu Canyon National Park: If you like white water rafting, this is for you! Or you can simply enjoy the wonders of this natural place.
Manavgat Water Fall: Unfortunately, you can forget experiencing nature here, since the Manavgat waterfall is now a place with souvenir shops, platforms, railings, and even a security team with a metal detector to keep the terrorists from blowing up the waterfall. But it is a nice place to have lunch or dinner, once you get over having to pay to look at a waterfall.

Fun for Children

Although Side is not marketed as a family-oriented destination, there are lots of things for children to do, including camel rides offered on the eastern beach, water sports, childrens facilities at many of the resort hotels on the Western beach, and children's entertainment in the early evenings at many of the seaside restaurants which offer entertainment.