angelaturkey
Days On The Beach in Side
Side - Best place for first time visit to Turkey
There seems to be little on this website about Side (pronounced See-Day and meaning Pomegranate in Turkish ie Olde Worlde Turkish like our Shakespearean!). Having been all over Turkey about 30 times, I must say in my opinion Side is the very best place for first time visitors or even others who have not seen the Antalya region. It has wonderful 5 star all inclusive holidays there as well as small, family run 2 star hotels on a B&B basis.
Side is just 50 minutes from Antalya airport but it has a much softer, white sand beach than Antalya where it is very stony and hard on the feet. It also has marvellous ruins in the centre of town where you can kick back the dirt and actually see the original colourful mosaics. There is also an active amphitheatre where you can see classical music concerts, opera, ballet and even Turkish pop music concerts in mid-September. Otherwise Aspendos is not far away and there are regular trips to that amphitheatre throughout the year.
Side itself is a little town with wonderful small restaurants mixed amid the ruins and the harbour area. Apollo Temple (like the Acropolis in Athens) is right on the harbour and you can take great pictures there at sunset. Lots of cobbled streets, so where flat shoes. Also the turtles can be seen swimming close to the beach from the restaurants above.
Just the other side of Apollo and about 3 along is the Paradise Restaurant where you can go down the back steps and actually sit on the rocks in the sea on tables and chairs there. Wonderful to hear the sea lapping beside you as you drink and eat and to watch the local cats jump in and catch their daily fish!
Onen is the ONLY place in old town Side you do not have to haggle in and is a wonderful haven of peace and tranquility. The shop is located up the hill by the mosque where the Gendarmarie (Police Station) road crosses the main 'High Street' into town. They have fresh Turkish delight twice a week there and you can try up to 100 varieties free before you decide on a purchase. Small box which is made up as you pick your choice is £1.50 They also have strips of 10 spices for £2 or 10 Turkish teas for £2 and will take English money as well as Euros or Lire. They speak excllent English there and can advise you on anything you wish to do whilst in Turkey.
The beach itself is pure white sand and no nasty creepy crawlies or big dips. Ideal for all ages and a spotless beach - the second longest in Turkey. The bars and restaurants nearest to the harbour area offer free sunbeds etc but if you go down further (about 25 minutes walk along to the right) BE CAREFUL - do not sit on the sun beds or you will get yelled at! They each belong to individual 5 star hotels and are monitored by their staff.
Oxyd Disco on the Side to Kumkoy road is the big spikey building and used to be the prison of the whole of the Antalya region. Big change now - wonderful open air disco with outdoor swimming pool, 4 staircases on each corner to the stars and a 60ft high picture of Marilyn Monroe. Good for all ages just to see this amazing place. Entrance 10 Lire but only open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in season.
Alremu Restaurant on the beach has FREE entertainment on a Friday night with belly dancers (normally 2) and Turkish dancing for all ages. Waiters and customers all join in.
Cheers Bar, also on the main road from Side to Kumkoy, has Monday and Thursday night FREE karaoke where a lot of local Brits go. Good food there and not pricey either. They also have football on the big screen when matches are played. And now they have Internet access too for just 1 Lire.
For a very special evening out, go to Conny's Restaurant. They do FREE pick up and drop off service to all Side hotels and have the very best steak in all of Side. Very different from any other restaurant there.
If you enjoy Side as much as I do, it is one of the best places in Turkey to invest in now. It will never be like a Miami Beach with high rise places along the beach as there is a law there saying no building must be higher than 3 storeys, so as to keep it looking quaint and in keeping with the ruins and amphitheatre there. A 2-bed 2-balcony apt there is now just £40,000 or a fully furnished villa £60,000 - both just one block from the beach and 20 minute walk into Old Town Side.
If you need a book to read on holiday, then go to Kale Properties on the main road out of Side near the Chinese Restaurant at the roundabout. Sally sells both Norwegian and English books and also does swaps. She is English but speaks fluent Turkish and is a great help with anything you might need to know.
Tours currently being offered by Ali of Ora Tours on the ruins road into Old Town Side, next door to House In Turkey =
OVERNIGHT TOURS
(1) Pamukkale - every Wed and Sat, 2 days half board for £30 departs 8am
(2) Kapadokya Tour - every Tues and Fri, 3 days and 2 nights at £50 departs 6am.
- and the following are just DAY TRIPS, returning at 6pm
(3) Alanya Tour - Wedn and Fri at £6 departs 8:30am
(4) White water rafting - incl lunch, departs 9am every day at £15
(5) Antalya tour - Tues Thurs and Sat at £4 departs 8am
(6) Village Tour - Mon and Thurs - £8 departs 8am
(7) Boat Tour including waterfall and market day - £12 departs 10am on Mon and Thurs only(8) Aquapark near Antalya, 1 hour drive away - departs Tues and Fri at £15 leaving at 9am but extra for lunch, dolphin and sea lion show, and to swim with dolphins. If you want to do all of that, then £100 !
(9) Turkish Bath/Hamam - every day at £13 - pick your time of day to suit yourselves. Takes about 2 or 3 hours.
(10) Car Hire - from 9am every day at £20 per day.
But anything different you want, he can arrange too - e.g. fishing off the piers with the locals in Side, horse riding along the sandy beach or in the Sorgun Forest nearby, riding an ostrich or donkey in the Sorgun Forest, etc.
PS: My villa is for sale in Side and just one block from the beach, overlooking the swimming pool - 2 photos attached - and just £65,000 fully furnished. Prices includes 2 x single beds with storage, 1 x double bed with storage, wardrobes, chests of drawers, big TV, video, DVD, microwave, toaster, cutlery, crockery, 3 sets of patio furniture (one of each level), towels, sheets, duvets, etc - READY TO MOVE INTO! - and Tapu and Habitation Certificate all sorted in my name. It currently has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms but a very large roof-top terrace with planning permission for another 2 bedrooms if required. Any queries, please email me. Kind regards, Angela x
Side is just 50 minutes from Antalya airport but it has a much softer, white sand beach than Antalya where it is very stony and hard on the feet. It also has marvellous ruins in the centre of town where you can kick back the dirt and actually see the original colourful mosaics. There is also an active amphitheatre where you can see classical music concerts, opera, ballet and even Turkish pop music concerts in mid-September. Otherwise Aspendos is not far away and there are regular trips to that amphitheatre throughout the year.
Side itself is a little town with wonderful small restaurants mixed amid the ruins and the harbour area. Apollo Temple (like the Acropolis in Athens) is right on the harbour and you can take great pictures there at sunset. Lots of cobbled streets, so where flat shoes. Also the turtles can be seen swimming close to the beach from the restaurants above.
Just the other side of Apollo and about 3 along is the Paradise Restaurant where you can go down the back steps and actually sit on the rocks in the sea on tables and chairs there. Wonderful to hear the sea lapping beside you as you drink and eat and to watch the local cats jump in and catch their daily fish!
Onen is the ONLY place in old town Side you do not have to haggle in and is a wonderful haven of peace and tranquility. The shop is located up the hill by the mosque where the Gendarmarie (Police Station) road crosses the main 'High Street' into town. They have fresh Turkish delight twice a week there and you can try up to 100 varieties free before you decide on a purchase. Small box which is made up as you pick your choice is £1.50 They also have strips of 10 spices for £2 or 10 Turkish teas for £2 and will take English money as well as Euros or Lire. They speak excllent English there and can advise you on anything you wish to do whilst in Turkey.
The beach itself is pure white sand and no nasty creepy crawlies or big dips. Ideal for all ages and a spotless beach - the second longest in Turkey. The bars and restaurants nearest to the harbour area offer free sunbeds etc but if you go down further (about 25 minutes walk along to the right) BE CAREFUL - do not sit on the sun beds or you will get yelled at! They each belong to individual 5 star hotels and are monitored by their staff.
Oxyd Disco on the Side to Kumkoy road is the big spikey building and used to be the prison of the whole of the Antalya region. Big change now - wonderful open air disco with outdoor swimming pool, 4 staircases on each corner to the stars and a 60ft high picture of Marilyn Monroe. Good for all ages just to see this amazing place. Entrance 10 Lire but only open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays in season.
Alremu Restaurant on the beach has FREE entertainment on a Friday night with belly dancers (normally 2) and Turkish dancing for all ages. Waiters and customers all join in.
Cheers Bar, also on the main road from Side to Kumkoy, has Monday and Thursday night FREE karaoke where a lot of local Brits go. Good food there and not pricey either. They also have football on the big screen when matches are played. And now they have Internet access too for just 1 Lire.
For a very special evening out, go to Conny's Restaurant. They do FREE pick up and drop off service to all Side hotels and have the very best steak in all of Side. Very different from any other restaurant there.
If you enjoy Side as much as I do, it is one of the best places in Turkey to invest in now. It will never be like a Miami Beach with high rise places along the beach as there is a law there saying no building must be higher than 3 storeys, so as to keep it looking quaint and in keeping with the ruins and amphitheatre there. A 2-bed 2-balcony apt there is now just £40,000 or a fully furnished villa £60,000 - both just one block from the beach and 20 minute walk into Old Town Side.
If you need a book to read on holiday, then go to Kale Properties on the main road out of Side near the Chinese Restaurant at the roundabout. Sally sells both Norwegian and English books and also does swaps. She is English but speaks fluent Turkish and is a great help with anything you might need to know.
Tours currently being offered by Ali of Ora Tours on the ruins road into Old Town Side, next door to House In Turkey =
OVERNIGHT TOURS
(1) Pamukkale - every Wed and Sat, 2 days half board for £30 departs 8am
(2) Kapadokya Tour - every Tues and Fri, 3 days and 2 nights at £50 departs 6am.
- and the following are just DAY TRIPS, returning at 6pm
(3) Alanya Tour - Wedn and Fri at £6 departs 8:30am
(4) White water rafting - incl lunch, departs 9am every day at £15
(5) Antalya tour - Tues Thurs and Sat at £4 departs 8am
(6) Village Tour - Mon and Thurs - £8 departs 8am
(7) Boat Tour including waterfall and market day - £12 departs 10am on Mon and Thurs only(8) Aquapark near Antalya, 1 hour drive away - departs Tues and Fri at £15 leaving at 9am but extra for lunch, dolphin and sea lion show, and to swim with dolphins. If you want to do all of that, then £100 !
(9) Turkish Bath/Hamam - every day at £13 - pick your time of day to suit yourselves. Takes about 2 or 3 hours.
(10) Car Hire - from 9am every day at £20 per day.
But anything different you want, he can arrange too - e.g. fishing off the piers with the locals in Side, horse riding along the sandy beach or in the Sorgun Forest nearby, riding an ostrich or donkey in the Sorgun Forest, etc.
PS: My villa is for sale in Side and just one block from the beach, overlooking the swimming pool - 2 photos attached - and just £65,000 fully furnished. Prices includes 2 x single beds with storage, 1 x double bed with storage, wardrobes, chests of drawers, big TV, video, DVD, microwave, toaster, cutlery, crockery, 3 sets of patio furniture (one of each level), towels, sheets, duvets, etc - READY TO MOVE INTO! - and Tapu and Habitation Certificate all sorted in my name. It currently has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms but a very large roof-top terrace with planning permission for another 2 bedrooms if required. Any queries, please email me. Kind regards, Angela x