Side Ancient City & Manavgat Waterfall

Side is one of the most evocative ancient cities on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, its Greco-Roman ruins seamlessly woven into a charming harbour town 75km east of Antalya. The defining sight is the Temple of Apollo — two elegant columns standing at the edge of the sea where the ancient city meets the water — which at sunset glows amber against the bay in one of the most photographed scenes in Turkey. The Side Museum, housed in a restored 5th-century Roman bath at the centre of town, contains an outstanding collection of Hellenistic and Roman sculpture. The ancient theatre, one of the largest in Asia Minor with a capacity of 15,000, and the colonnaded main street are both freely accessible. The town's two main beaches — East Beach and West Beach — flank the peninsula and are excellent for a late-morning swim after exploring the ruins. Manavgat Waterfall, 10km inland from Side, adds a natural counterpoint to the archaeological focus: the wide, stepped cascade across the Manavgat River is unusually broad and set within green parkland, with shaded riverside restaurants serving fresh trout and local dishes. Most visitors see Manavgat Waterfall in the morning before heading to Side, though the reverse order works equally well. The journey from Antalya takes approximately 90 minutes by dolmuş from the Doğu Garajı terminal, with departures every 30 minutes throughout the day. Entry to the museum costs approximately 200 TL; the rest of the ancient city is open access. Organized tours typically include both stops and transport for 200–500 TL per person. A suggested itinerary: arrive at Manavgat by 09:30 for the waterfall and riverside breakfast, transfer to Side by 11:00, explore the museum and ruins through midday, have lunch in the harbour, swim through the afternoon, and catch a late dolmuş back to Antalya before 20:00.