Holidays in Side (Turkey) - 2021. Our review and review of the resort

If you came here with the conviction that Side in Turkey is beaches with golden sand and a blue-blue sea gleaming among the ancient ruins, then…. then I advise you to tune in to carefully reading and viewing this article. Because Side is much more primitive landscapes, but it has something to beat other resorts in Turkey, and we come back here for the third time.

I'll tell you everything I know about rest in Side: from good hotels to the addresses of shops with the most delicious rahatlukum.

The last time we went to Turkey on vacation was after the opening of the borders. What do you need to enter in 2021? Anyone over 6 years old must have a negative PCR test. Expiration date: 72 hours from the moment of taking a swab from the nose. It can be on paper, it can be electronic - but in English. The certificate is checked even at check-in for the flight.

Why choose Side?

Holidays in Side in Turkey can be spent for several reasons. I will prioritize them:

• Sandy beaches - a critical point for most tourists.
• Tour cost and hotel level - there are both cheap hotels for plus or minus forty thousand for two, and luxury options (of course, there is also a mid-price segment).
• Short drive from the airport - bus transfer takes about 1 hour, rescue for children and their parents.
• "So that it was calmer with the Europeans" - that is, there are fewer parties and a contingent, like from a pub around the corner - more decorous vacationers from Europe (p.s. this is a delusion that Europeans are sedate and cultured, they also come to Turkey to break away :)).

I will warn you right away that the Side resort will not fit the query "I want nature, mountains, pine trees!" Here, so to speak, it is bald - although, if desired, the hills of Kemer can be seen in the haze.

And why are we all in Side and Side? It so happened that all the times the hotels we liked were located here. I will definitely recommend them in the section below.

Weather in the resort - when is the best time to relax in Side?

I saw Side in May, August and September. The most pleasant (in terms of weather) memories were of the resort in the spring - in the morning I even ran!

The weather in Side is what it should be in a place that everyone loves for the sun and sea. Extremely hot in summer and simply hot in autumn and spring.

• The holiday season begins in May, comes into full force - so that swimming is comfortable - in June and ends In November.

* the average water temperature is indicated

Red - cool off-season

Yellow - transitional months, may or may not be lucky

Green is the tourist season

It is very hot in Side in July and August. By "hot" I mean the degree when you get burnt at noon even under a dense umbrella on the beach - outside it burns from + 30 ° C to + 35 ° C, and the water temperature rises to + 28 ° C. Of course, on the first of September, the sun does not click the switch, and therefore the "velvet" season is considered to be the period from mid-September to the whole of October. At this time, it is no longer scary to stroll to the store after lunch, and the Mediterranean Sea is still warm.

In winter, it is cool in Side, during the day from + 10 ° С to + 15 ° С, but fifteen (!) Sunny days out of thirty and a low price tag for classy hotels evoke thoughts of a trip, in the absence of other options.

Districts and villages of Side

Yes, yes, we were in Side three times - and moreover, all three times we lived in the Side Center! Great place, I think. Now I'll tell you why.

That's all - the Side resort. And it is divided into 8 districts (or villages).

1. At the head of them - Side city or Side Center... As you can imagine, this is the center and the most "active" place that can be found in Side. Here you can find attractions, a huge shopping center with Starbucks and the achievements of Turkish textiles, a promenade, and many hotels - from budget to terribly expensive.

Do you see a piece protruding into the sea on the map? This local treasure is the Old Town, similar to the old towns of Rhodes (Greece) and Budva (Montenegro). A sight in the spirit of Europe, in short.

The Old Town divides the Side Center into two parts:

• the one in the direction of Kumkoy - for all-inclusive rest, there are corresponding hotels;
• the historical center itself and up to Sorgun - for independent rest in a European way. Here they rent apartments, have lunch and dinner in restaurants and participate in the evening program of the Old City in the form of dancing, music and wine.

The embankment stretches up to Colakli from Side-center. Somehow we decided to walk to the villages, mastered as much as 5 kilometers along the promenade of 12 :) There is no such embankment towards Sorgun.

Of course, I recommend everyone to stay in the city of Side. But, perhaps, you will not be satisfied with the hotel base, and for such a case there is ↓

2. Villages. In general, they are all alike. Even the boundaries between them are ephemeral, there is no clear definition that here one ends and another begins.

There are seven villages in total (look at the map):

• Colakli
• Evrenseki
• Kumkoy
• Sorgun
• Titreyengel
• Kizilot
• Kyzylagach

Unless it is possible to single out that in Sorgun there are a lot of premium and high-quality hotels, and Kizilot and Kyzylagach are territorially and not Side already, but they must be taken somewhere, not left in the "open field", so they say that in Side.

The villages have an established infrastructure - supermarkets, small shops, shopping centers, pharmacies, rentals, cafes, excursions - but boring ... Apart from hotel entertainment and shopping, there is nothing to do. So that you understand, there is no LS Waikiki in the villages! Only in the Side Center.

So, first of all, decide the issue with the hotel. It doesn't matter where it is, the main thing is that you are satisfied with the filling. Because in the villages outside it, plus or minus the same thing.

3. Stands apart Manavgat city... He is not on the coast, he hid in the depths. But you will often hear this name. For example, when you decide to get to the largest shopping center or to the bus station to see Antalya or Alanya on your own.

For local people, Side is a small point on the map next to a huge and noticeable one: the city of Manavgat. It is home to about 250 thousand people, and this is a real Turkish provincial city without tourists. It is interesting to go here to have a look at ordinary life. Buses leave from Manavgat to other cities and resorts in Turkey.

The cost of tours in Side - 2021

I buy tours on aggregators - I got used to them even before the “fateful” spring of 2020, and now even more so I see no reason to go somewhere: Travelata Level.Travel Onlinetours

We can say that these are also travel agencies, only online, more reliable and more honest - they work directly with all major tour operators and without extra charges.
And, well, I always have a mobile application from Travelata at hand - it is available on both android and ios.

Prices for all-inclusive tours in Side do not differ from the general price tag of Turkey - you can relax for 50 thousand rubles for two, and for 250 thousand, it's all about the hotel:

• The minimum cost of a ticket to Side for 7 days in the high season is from 50,000 rubles for two.
  - It will be 3 stars and the second or third line from the sea.
  - 4 stars cost from 60,000 rubles.
  - 5 stars - from 70,000 rubles.
• Prices for "all inclusive" with a flight for 10 days - from 60,000 rubles.
• Family vacation (mom, dad, two children) for a week raises the bar to 90,000 rubles.
• Holidays in Side in 2021 in a good hotel (5 stars, 1 line, excellent reviews) - from 90,000 rubles for two for 7 days.

You can see what prices the tour operators have set for the dates / number of people / city of departure you need on the websites above.

Prices in Side in 2021

Most of all in Turkey I like to buy rahatlukum for gifts to loved ones. Not the usual toffee in powder, but this one with nougat and nuts ... it's too tasty!

I consider myself one of the tourists who find it difficult to spend a lot on the spot in Turkey - I am not eager to go shopping in the heat, and then button up my suitcase for a long time and painfully. But my mother ... she is a shopogolous soul, so I am more than familiar with the prices for everything and everyone in Side.

I'll start with the main thing - where to buy clothes and souvenirs:

1) The largest mall in Side is Nova Mall in Manavgat.A minibus will take you from any village, you just have to tell the driver Nova Mall. There are LS Waikiki, DeFacto, H&M, Levi's and a bunch of handbag and shoe departments.
2) Another more or less large - Mall of side to Kumkoy and Ottoman Shopping Center in Evrenseki (but the choice with the Nova Mall cannot be compared).
3) Next in the shopaholic pyramid are shopping arcade and small shops, they are everywhere. Here you can collect T-shirts, towels and souvenirs in the form of magnets, wallets and plates. Or "consumable" items like swimming goggles and slippers, which you can leave here.

Since Side is a half European resort, it is not uncommon to see the price tags in euros. Well, let me remind you that 1 Turkish lira = 10 rubles.

• Dress in LS Waikiki - 80-150 lire
• Turkish bath towels - 50 lira
• Diving goggles - 20-30 TL
• T-shirts - 5 euros
• Slippers - 15-30 lire
• Rag bag with the inscription ANTALYA - 50 lire
• Magnets - 4-15 lire
• Wallets - 30-35 liras
• Painted plates - 6-15 lire (depending on size)
• Inflatable mattress - 5-10 euros
• Armbands - 2–3 euros

Prices for food in a cafe and groceries in a store

Do not think that food prices are relevant only to those who are "at breakfast" (that is, not on all inclusive). The hotels host evenings of national cuisine, but in economy hotels the food is mediocre and definitely does not taste like real Turkish kebab or lahmajun.

For everything "truly Turkish" - you have to go to a cafe. Fortunately, there are many of them in any village. In the Side Center, we oh-oh-really liked the institution Umut pide kebap, inexpensive and tasty.

You are probably familiar with the global conspiracy against tourists: there are restaurants on the beach, where everything is 2-3 times more expensive, and restaurants two streets from the embankment, where prices are not overpriced, and the staff is more friendly. I specifically compared the cost of items on the menu, both there and there, and that's what happened.

Prices in a cafe in Side:

By tradition, portions in Turkish cafes are large (but exceptions happen), and before the start of the meal, treats are brought to the table - flat cakes, sauces, vegetables. But don't let yourself be enchanted and ALWAYS look at the final check to see if anything extra has appeared there.

About products. It is unlikely that a tourist will go to a supermarket a few kilometers away if there is a mini-market nearby. But just in case, I will say that popular stores throughout resort Turkey are chains Migros and Carrefour... Why do you need a grocery store at all, you ask? For ayran…. these small glasses for 1.1 lira (11 rubles!) made us go to the market every day!

Prices in supermarkets in Side - 2021:
1 lira = 10 rubles

• Strawberry tray - 13-15 lire
• A pack of Lays - 6 lire
• Ayran, 1 l - 5 lire
• Bottle of water, 1.5 l - 0.8–2 lira
• Turkish coffee, 100 gr - 5.5 lire
• Turkish tea, 100 gr - 4 lira
• Pomegranate juice, 1 l - 8 lire
• Watermelon, 1 kg - 5.5 lire
• Sweet cherry, 1 kg - 15–20 lire
• Fresh bread - 4 lira
• A set of spices as a gift - 20-30 TL
• Sunscreen 50 spf, 200 ml - 70-75 lire
• Set "bucket-spatula" for a child - 18–20 lira
• Infant formula, 300 gr - 50-65 lire
• Local beer in glass - 9 liras
• Red wine - 40-65 lire

Well, and of course, the BIGGEST QUESTION: how much does rahatlukum cost and where to buy it ??? Dear reader, I will take the responsibility to clarify that there is not only the usual rahatlukum - which is like a toffee in powdered sugar, unremarkable, costing from 5 to 35 lire per box. In nature, there is still a super unusual rahatlukum: thick sticks with nougat and nuts - you have to take them without looking! A kilogram of such luxury will cost 50-110 liras, the cost depends on the filling and the amount of nuts. I take from my heart the name of the store in Side-center, which sells delicious and fresh super delight: Büyükdemirler Gross Market on Google Maps.

Prices for excursions and entertainment in Side

Before going on excursions, you need to scout the area. It's a shame to miss the entertainment within walking distance. And in Side there is something to see. More precisely, in the Side Center.

Side's main attraction (and free) is temple of apollo... It is said to have stood since pre-modern times. Of course, life battered him, and the columns and pedestals remained from the temple - but it's easy to imagine the big picture. I love this place in Side, especially walking to it along the embankment and through the Old Town.
Sincere advice: go to the temple in the morning, before breakfast. At this time there is no one. But at sunset ... if I find morning / evening photos in the gallery, I'll attach them above, compare.

Next - such a cluster of attractions not far from the temple:

• This is Amphitheater or Side Antique Theater: local Colosseum, entrance 25 lire.
• Historical Museum, where everything of value that has been dug up (and are being dug out) in the territory of the Old City is kept, entrance 20 lira.
• Column Avenue, or a street surrounded by antique columns.
• Agora (on Google maps Devlet Agorasi) - also an ancient (still) shopping area, its remains.

This is all of the interesting locations. Next, you will have to look for something to do among the more trivial entertainment. For example, massage... In a hotel, it is always more expensive, and in street salons it costs from $ 15 to $ 20 for half an hour and from $ 25 to $ 30 for 1 hour of work of the master. Or water activities - catamarans, bananas, parachute flights for a boat ($ 100 for two).

Where can you go from the city?

* in a whisper * I warn you that if you get into the network the excursion dealer's office without a specific purpose, getting out of there - oh, how difficult. I will introduce you to the course of affairs, which are generally there.

Excursions from Side are the same as from any other resort on the Antalya coast. The standard set looks like this - I will give a short description and prices from the tour operator and through the "/" from the agency on the street (remember that it all depends on the ability to bargain).

- Hamam: Turkish bath. Lather, scrub, massage. Do not repeat the frequent mistake of a tourist, do not burn out in the sun if you are planning a hammam :)
Cost: $ 25 / $ 15 per person

- "4 in 1": a trip to Antalya with the capture of the Duden waterfall, ascent by funicular and an aquarium.
Cost: $ 55 / $ 45

- Green Canyon: sailing on a yacht, swimming and admiring the picturesque reservoir in the middle of the mountains.
Cost: $ 55 / $ 30

- Demre, Myra, Kekova: a trip to three cities - the sunken Kekova, the Demre shrine and the ancient Myra full of tombs.
Cost: $ 50 / $ 45

- Pamukkale: I am sure you have seen these snow-white fields of salt on the Internet or in the pictures of your friends!
Cost: $ 55 / $ 35

- The Land of Legends Waterpark in Belek: the best you can think of from outdoor entertainment! Cool modern water park + amusement park, the day flies by instantly. We drove and would go again!
Cost: $ 60 / $ 43

- Travel to Israel: in the program Bethlehem, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea - by plane one day.
Cost: $ 275, haven't seen streetwear

- Rafting or jeep safari: everything is clear from the names.
Cost: $ 30 / $ 20

Payment for excursions, as a rule, in dollars or euros. Should you trust agencies from the street? It's up to you whether you need it cheaper. We bought an excursion to the water park like that, and everything was fine. Agencies in Side are on every corner, don't miss it. Yes, and one hundred percent there will be a Russian-speaking person who will talk you over.

Transport in Side

Side-center is connected with the villages by minibus communication. Local buses - they are minibuses, they are dolmushi - travel along the coast and to Manavgat. Often, tourists are honored to pay attention.

The fare in dolmus costs from 2.5 (25 rubles) to 5 liras (50 rubles) - it depends on the distance. You can pay by credit card. But if you wish to pay with dollars or euros, then the tax is always the same - 1 dollar or 1 euro. Of course, it is more profitable to give lira.

Taxi we have never used it, to be honest. Cars often flash on the street, and, following the law, taxis - especially local ones - are likely to be expensive. We found out how much the trip from Side to the water park in Belek costs - $ 60 for a round trip.

In Side you can and rent a car... Gasoline cost: 6.5-7 lira (65-70 rubles) per liter. The rental offices on the street offer cars for $ 30 or € 25 per day.Online services - for example, the Russian-language Myrentacar - are offered for the same amount, only with them it is more reliable and transparent.

Best Hotels for Vacation in Side

There are many hotels in Side, as they say, for every taste and budget. It's easier to click and see for yourself, but who would benefit from recommendations? I will tell you about our hotels, I will mention a few from friends and a couple with a good rating.

Tour prices are for high season. Remember that any hotel gets cheaper from October to May!

• 5 * Acanthus & Cennet Barut Collection (Side Center) - the best beach hotel in Side Center, seriously. It's not cheap (that's why we flew for 5 nights :)), but you get: the best beach on the entire coastline of the city, modern rooms, an excellent buffet with red fish and aperol and four unlimited ala carte, wi-fi everywhere and on the beach, guaranteed sea views and a cool canvas tote bag. The hotel is calm, not youthful, more for couples and retirees - there is no entertainment for children or young people (except yoga). HIGHLY RECOMMEND, if you are not limited by budget, I even wrote a separate review article about this hotel, so it sunk into my very heart.
  Tour for 7 nights: from 180,000 rubles. I agree, it's a shock, so I advise you to choose it in the low season - for a vacation in a quality hotel - when the price drops to 100,000 rubles
• 4 * Side Town Hotel (Side-center) - expensive hotels are an exception for us, not a rule, so here is a "budget employee" we have checked. Such strong 4 stars 5-7 minutes from the sea. The beach area is narrow in width, but elongated, the rooms are clean and shabby, the food is good (we weren't tired of it in 10 days), but the breakfasts are monotonous. Lots of Europeans and Russians, all come to hang out with a cocktail by the pool. The hotel is quite active, you cannot find a quiet vacation here.
  Tour for 7 nights: from 65,000 rubles
• 5 * Alva Donna Beach Resort Comfort (Colakli) is a quality family hotel. Maintains reputation from year to year, and therefore the recommendation is passed "by word of mouth". The child is engaged, the parents are resting. You may be unlucky only with a view from the room, but you can always agree - the employees speak Russian.
  Tour for 7 nights: from 150,000 rubles
• 5 * Victory Be Mine (Colakli) is a brand new hotel that decided to open in 2020. I immediately collected a bunch of positive reviews (and in this difficult year it is worth a lot). Guests give fives for food - no complaints! - and animation. The hotel is active, focused on tourists with a child: there is a mini-water park and attractions. The territory is small, about 10 minutes walk to the sea.
  Tour for 7 nights: from 100,000 rubles
• 3 * Side Su (Side Center) is a decent option when you need a simple, small and inexpensive hotel in the city of Side - to be in the center of events (to walk around the sights), and to go on excursions. The food is ok, the rooms are clean, the beach is close - just right for an unassuming holiday.
  Tour for 7 nights: from 70,000 rubles

An even larger range of hotels in Side:

Side beaches - features

Reviews of tourists about Side start in the same way - from the beach. Yes, throughout Side the beaches are wide and sandy. But what you imagine after the word "gritty" may not coincide with reality. The sand in Side is not gold or white - it is rather grayish-brown and dirty (in terms of color), somewhere with an admixture of the smallest pebbles.

The sand also affects the color of the sea - there is no such transparency of water as in pebble Kemer. The sea is clean, but its maximum instagram profile is in the morning, while there are no waves and swimmers. After lunch it is already cloudy: numerous legs and arms lift the sand from the bottom, creating a suspension in the water.

Almost everywhere in Side there is a gentle entrance to the sea, such that it is not scary with a child. Therefore, the resort is also considered a children's one.

I will give a hint about the beaches in the Side Center: the best entrance to the water (completely sandy) is at the Barut Akantus hotel. The water's edge is shared, so you can get in and out from anywhere. Also, if you divide the Side-center on the map into the eastern and western parts, then the western beaches are better. Stones and boulders are often found near the Old Town when entering the sea.

Feedback from tourists about the holiday of Side in 2020 - our experience

I like Side for its calm atmosphere, light European "touch" and activities that can be extended for every evening - walks along the embankment and the Old Town.

It is clear that the average tourist in the resorts of Turkey remembers, first of all, not the resort itself, but the hotel. But of course, each region has its own characteristics that make you make a choice in favor of one or the other. In the case of Side, they look like this:

• Sandy beaches
• The spirit of ancient history (I forgot to say, ancient ruins in the Side Center are found everywhere, not only in the Old City)
• Civilization

Despite the fact that holidays in Side in 2021 are inexpensive - prices for all-inclusive start at 50,000 rubles for a standard 7-day tour for two - there are no frank hotels here. Well, the significant presence of Europeans disciplines the locals themselves - "hey, Natasha!" in Side not to hear, and the people as a whole are less annoying.

By the way, if you ask - you were in Side after the opening of the borders, why is there nothing about the word starting with "k" and ending with "s" ?? I will answer: I wrote about the situation in Turkey now, about all the restrictions and changes in a separate article. The same text is about Side, who was, is and will be. Including when a word starting with "k" and ending with "c" leaves us :)