Way back many millennia ago, Side (which means ‘pomegranate') was a harbour renowned for slavery and piracy, but by the time of the Romans it was also a resort of some note. These days, it is once again a delightful little resort with the modern town threaded through the ancient monuments. If anything, it has been a victim of its own success, so crammed with people in season that there is barely room to breathe, never mind down a tequila slammer or ten. If you are not a party person and want to see the town in quieter, more reflective mood, go out of season, when it fades back into being a charming little Turkish town.
Who goes there?
The young, the lively and those who like to party take over the town in high season. The resort hotels further along the beach have some good family facilities. Out of season, older couples and worthy Germany hikers arrive.
Where in the world?
Side (pronounced Seeday) lies 55km (34 miles) east of Antalya on the south (Mediterranean) coast of Turkey. The triangular resort town lies along a small peninsula, 800m long and 300m wide, on the coastal plain, with beaches along two sides.
Beach
Side is almost totally surrounded by wonderful golden sand beaches, which then stretch out like wings along the coast offering more than enough space for anyone with the energy to walk far enough to find a private patch. There are small dunes to the east, but to the west, the flat beach is lined by resort hotels which provide loungers and umbrellas for their customers. Beyond their reach, there is little shade. Offshore, you have a choice of watersports from parasailing and jet-skis to windsurfing and banana boats.
Beyond the beach
Ancient Side greets you as you arrive in town, the 15,000-seat Roman theatre and forum, with its 24-seat public toilets, on one side of the road, the bath house, now a museum, on the other. The road into town leads through the Roman gateway past a handsome nymphaeum (public fountain). Down beside the harbour, second century AD temples to the sun god, Apollo, and Athena, goddess of wisdom and patron of Side, perfectly frame the sunset over the sea. There are also a number of Byzantine ruins within the old town, often blocked from view by festooned carpets and postcard stands, are many attractive old Ottoman houses.
Family fun
Side doesn't sell itself particularly as a family destination, but there is plenty here for children. There are camel rides along the beach, while the gently sloping sand is ideal for sandcastles and paddling if you have small children, while the wide range of watersports and discos will appeal to teenagers. Larger resort hotels offer children's facilities, including some kids' clubs. There are also plenty of opportunities for activities from walking to quad biking, horse riding and white-water rafting available in the area.
Retail therapy
Side is jam-packed with as many as shops as can be fitted in between the clubs and bars, and there's a pretty good range of quality on offer, with a couple of excellent carpet, jewellery and leather shops alongside many cheaper souvenir shops selling the usual mix of lucky blue beads, Turkish delight, copper and onyx, miniature paintings and embroidered slippers. There is a Saturday market in Side while Manavgat, a larger town about 5km (3 miles) away, has an excellent market every Monday and Thursday. There are huge jewellery and carpet ‘supermarkets' near Perge and Aspendos about 50km (30 miles) west, and the designer shops of Antalya are within easy reach on a day trip (75 kms/47 miles) to the west.