Side is one of the few places on the Turkish Riviera where a modern town lives inside an ancient city. The old town fills a small peninsula surrounded by Roman and Hellenistic ruins: you walk past columns to reach a restaurant, and the sunset view is framed by a temple. It is at its best outside the summer, when it is quiet enough to feel the history.
The main sights
- Temple of Apollo: the columns stand at the tip of the peninsula, right by the sea - the classic place for sunset.
- The great theatre: one of the largest ancient theatres in the region, built into the slope at the entrance to the old town.
- Side Museum: housed in a restored Roman bath, with statues and reliefs found in the city.
- The colonnaded street and agora: the ancient main axis leading from the city gate towards the harbour.
- City walls and the monumental gate: the entrance route used by visitors for two thousand years.
The old town today
Inside the walls, lanes of restaurants, cafés and small shops lead down to the harbour, where boats leave for trips along the coast. Cars are kept out of most of the old town, so it is pleasant to explore on foot. Wide sandy beaches stretch east and west of the peninsula.
When to visit
Spring and autumn are ideal: warm enough for the beach, cool enough to walk around the ruins in the middle of the day. In winter many seasonal hotels close, but the old town, the ruins and the museum remain open, and on a sunny day the temple and the harbour are almost empty. In July and August visit the ruins early in the morning or at sunset.
Day trips from Side
| Destination | Why go | Approximate time from Side |
|---|---|---|
| Aspendos | One of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world | about 40 minutes |
| Manavgat waterfall | A wide, low waterfall in a green park | about 15 minutes |
| Perge | A large ancient city with a stadium and colonnaded streets | about 1 hour |
| Köprülü Canyon | Rafting and a Roman bridge in a national park | about 1 hour |
Getting to Side from Antalya Airport
Side is about 65 km from Antalya Airport, roughly 55 to 65 minutes by road. A private transfer takes you straight to your hotel or to the edge of the pedestrian old town, at a fixed price per vehicle that does not change with the season or the time of your flight. The same vehicle can be booked for day trips to Aspendos, Perge or the canyon.