home Visa Where to go in side with a child. Family holidays with children in Side

Where to go in side with a child. Family holidays with children in Side

Side is fashionable resort southern part of Turkey (75 km from Antalya). Museum city under open air preserves the memory of ancient times, presenting tourists with interesting sculptures and architectural monuments (statue of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, agora, aqueducts, etc.).

Holidays in Side will allow you to get acquainted with the neighboring ancient cities, visit the “Cotton Castle” (the eighth wonder of the world).

Extreme sports enthusiasts can enjoy mountain safari in jeeps and rafting on a mountain river.

To explore the surrounding area on your own, we offer rental cars.

There are luxury hotels of various categories: from high-level complexes to aparthotels. They offer a lot of services and entertainment.

The resort will also please lovers beach holiday, giving them a warm sea and fine sand.

What to see in Side and the surrounding area

In order not to miss anything interesting and have a fruitful vacation, we will dwell in more detail on the tourist sites that the resort offers to your attention.

Side is the most mysterious city in Turkey.

Amphitheater

This oldest architectural monument is two thousand years old. Its walls once accommodated about eighteen thousand spectators.

You can visit the theater during the day and in the evening, when the mega-building is illuminated with beautiful lighting (opening hours from 9:00 to 18:45). You will spend an hour or two on a leisurely inspection.

touch centuries-old history available for only 5 euros.

Don't be lazy to climb to the top row. From there you can enjoy a beautiful panorama of the sea, the city and the following tourist spots:

baths of the city;
Nymphaeum fountain;
Hellenic gate;
temple of Apollo;
temple of Athena;
altar of the goddess of Luck.

Getting to Ancient Side is not difficult. It is enough to call a taxi to the hotel or use a dolmushe (city public transport). The trip from any resort area will take only a couple of minutes. This circumstance allows you to see the amphitheater with your child.

Warn the taxi driver that you need to be dropped off at Antik Side.

Cost of travel to architectural complex varies between 15 euros by taxi (depending on distance) and about 2 euros by public transport.

To feel comfortable on a walk, it is recommended to take the following things with you:

headdress;
sunburn protection cream;
drinking water.

Side Museum

The museum is located near the amphitheater. Its uniqueness is that the collection is stored in ancient Roman baths, which are one and a half thousand years old.

Here you will be offered an introduction to archaeological finds Hellenistic and Roman periods. The largest of them are located on the street:

columns,
capitals,
statues of the gods of Greece.

Three halls present:

small artifacts,
tombs with remains,
sarcophagi,
decorations,
household items.

It is realistic to view the exhibits in an hour and a half.

A full ticket to the museum costs about 5 euros. Entrance is free for younger visitors.

A nice addition is a booklet in Russian for Slavic guests.

Travelers with children will enjoy the garden laid out around it, where colorful hens and roosters stroll leisurely among green vegetation and statues.

What excursions to visit

Taking into account the diverse interests of guests, we offer a list of diverse excursions. Many of them can be visited with your child.

Keyf city hammam

An ideal place for those who like to give rest to the body. You can spend a day, or even two, to improve your health in this paradise.

The large complex offers the following services:

two swimming pools (on the terrace and in the building);
steam rooms;
massage rooms;
salt cave;
bar, etc.

A visit to the hammam, steam room, sauna, scrub treatments and foam massage for twenty minutes will cost adults approximately 20 euros, and for young clients aged seven to twelve years they will charge 10 euros, for children under six years of age no fee is required.

You need to get to Belek Square.

Holidays on Green Lake

This pastime will delight nature lovers. A good option for a family holiday.

The excursion includes interesting entertainment:

fishing;
boating;
swimming in the lake;
Buffet.

Guests are accommodated in a boat that floats on the lake, then turns around and goes to the platform (the walk takes about 50 minutes). There is usually a stop there. Everyone is invited to swim. For a fun pastime, you can ride a banana.

This is followed by fishing on the shore.

At this time, mothers with children can meet the local rabbit and donkey, ride unusual swing(wheel on a rope) or canoe.

At sunset, visitors are invited to dinner, where they are served wild boar and fish caught the day before, prepared according to local recipes. There is an opportunity to try lamb on a spit, delicious salads and strong vodka.

The excursion ends with a large bonfire, around which everyone gathers and has fun to the music.

For adults this tour will cost around 44 euros, for children aged 7-12 years - 22 euros, for preschoolers - free.

The trip to the lake will not take much time, because it is only twenty kilometers from Side. There is a fee to enter the reserve - about one euro.

2.5. Museum of Ancient Art

The museum is open from 9.00 to 19.00 from April to October and from 8.00 to 17.00 from November to March every day except Mondays. Entrance costs 10 liras.

2.6. Temples of Apollo and Athena

Another attraction of Side is the ancient temples of Apollo and Athena. The Temple of Apollo, with six rows of columns made in the Corinthian style, delighted and amazed everyone who saw it. People said that he was a symbol of the love of the commander Anthony for Queen Cleopatra.

Now the temple of Apollo looks like this:

3. Beaches of Side

There are two beaches near Ancient Side: eastern and western. West Beach good for families with children. There is a gentle entrance to the water, attractions, and the hotels located on the first line have excellent bars.

There are fewer people on the eastern beach, but the entrance to the water is not as shallow. The place is ideal for windsurfing, diving, and you can simply meditate while looking at the waves.

Almost all Side beaches have soft and pleasant sand, but the water is not as clean as on pebble beaches.

4. Side surroundings

4.1. Resorts

There are several resorts around Side: Kumkoy, Colakly, Sorgun, Titreyengal, Kizilagach.

Closest to the city is the Kumkoy resort, which, with its sandy beaches, gentle entrance to the water and comfortable hotel areas, attracts tourists with children. 14 km from the city is the modern resort of Colakli with sandy beaches and four to five star hotels.

In the east to Side there is another popular resort Sorgun with spacious sand and pebble beaches, hotel clubs and pine forests. A little further is the democratic resort of Titreyengal with sandy beaches and hotels to suit every taste and budget. The farthest is the Kizilagach resort with some of the most environmentally friendly clean beaches on the coast.

How to get there from Side: There are regular buses and dolmus to all resorts. You can walk to Kumkoe if you like walking. The resort is 3 km from Side.

4.2. Manavgat Waterfall

To see how beautiful the nature is in Turkey, you need to go to. Located in the delta of the river of the same name, the waterfall is a popular holiday destination. Along the banks there are numerous restaurants where you can try trout dishes, classic teahouses and souvenir shops.

How to get to the waterfall from Side: There are buses and dolmushi services from Side bus station. In the city you need to change to a dolmus with a sign Şelale - Sarılar, which will take you directly to the entrance to the waterfall. The entrance fee to the waterfall is 5 liras.

You can also go to the waterfall on a guided tour. For example, a full-day trip including a cruise along the Manavgat River, a visit to a waterfall, swimming, lunch and a visit to the bazaar will cost only $20. You can find such a tour either on the spot or in advance. Be sure to check the availability of a Russian-speaking guide if you require it!

5. What else to do in Side

In addition to inspection historical monuments in Side you can stroll along the embankment, sit in one of the cozy restaurants, and in the evening return to the city to, in search of ancient artifacts, come across the Temple of Apollo and meet the most memorable sunset.

One of the most best options for a holiday with children is a holiday in the Turkish city of Side. Here little travelers have everything they need: excellent water parks, entertainment complexes, theme parks. In addition, the city preserves ruins left over from the era Ancient Rome and Greece: for example, it is definitely worth visiting the columns of the Temple of Apollo, the ruins of a Roman theater dating back to the 2nd century AD. And, of course, visit the museums of Side, learning a lot of new information about the city’s past.

First entertainment center A place worth visiting with the kids when arriving in Side is Prima Hane Garden Waterpark, located on the territory of PrimaSol Hane Garden. The water park has all the conditions for making the time spent here memorable for a long time: several swimming pools, water attractions, recreation areas with magnificent palm trees under which you can hide from the summer heat, as well as animators dressed as your favorite characters that entertain the kids throughout the day.

Another interesting water park is simply called Aquapark; it is located on the territory of Club Golden Beach. There are not many slides here, but they are all interesting (although none are particularly extreme, so you don’t have to worry about the kids), there are several swimming pools. The water park is clean and well-maintained; little tourists can splash around in the water, play with inflatable toys and try all the slides. A local cafe with an excellent selection of dishes is always available to visitors if they get hungry. Copyright www.site

Discovery Park, next to Prima Hane Garden Waterpark, is another great place for visiting. If a child loves dinosaurs just like George from Peppa Pig, then it’s definitely worth taking him here (however, if he doesn’t like dinosaurs that much, it’s really worth a look here for the sake of pleasant memories for the child). There are sculptures of dinosaurs everywhere (full-length), which seem to be about to come to life, there are also figurines depicting cartoon characters “ glacial period" A train runs through the entire park, which is very interesting for children to ride.

In addition, on the territory theme park There is a small zoo whose inhabitants include goats, lions, crocodiles, parrots, bears, wolves, and deer. You can take pictures with many animals, and some you can feed. In the aquarium, children will be amazed by the huge python. The climax of the excursion around the park is considered to be the magnificent show of fur seals and crocodiles. Needless to say, the experience of visiting a theme park will be the most pleasant? You can complete your exploration of the park in a local cafe, where all visitors praise the perfectly prepared dishes. It is worth noting that it is best to come to the park in the morning, so that little citizens have more time for a pleasant pastime.

Aktur Lunapark is another place worth visiting in Side. Here, little travelers will be able to ride on a variety of interesting attractions, and adults will be able to remember their childhood and also have a great time. There are several extreme rides (for example, “Rocket”), carousels, but children are usually especially delighted by traditional car rides. Children will also enjoy the ship moored near the shore, on which they can climb, jump and run. Nearby is Dede Korkut Parkı, where little tourists can play on the playground.

Having visited such cities of the Turkish coast as, this time we decided at all costs to go to a resort with sandy beach. After reading reviews on the Internet, we concluded that there are two of them in Turkey - Belek and Side.

Both of these cities are equally close to the airport, but you need to go in different directions. After our trip to Alanya, the duration of the transfer was of great importance to us. Choosing to go to Belek or Side with a child, we decided on Side - we were lured by its famous ruins and amphitheater.

Turkish ice cream connoisseur!

I found myself in Side very nice beach, with sand, although dirty and dusty. But the children really liked the sand, they built their own castles and Easter cakes, and they didn’t worry about dusty hands at all - the sea is nearby, we can wash it!

The entrance to the sea in Side is simply ideal for children: flat, without a single pebble, there are no big waves, except perhaps from passing boats. Holidays in Side with children are the best option!

Vanya liked the beach

We vacationed in May, at that time the weather in Side was not hot. During the day, of course, most often it was 28-30 degrees, but in the evening I wanted to dress up. The sea in May was a little cool. But we swam twice every day; Vanya, of course, swam the most. He really liked swimming in the open sea in armbands, and he swam quite far with us.

Sights and excursions in Side

Where to buy excursions in Side? Yes everywhere! There are so many travel agencies on the street that you just have to choose. There are also Russian-oriented ones, and those in which it is easy to negotiate in basic English. We bought an excursion from an “English-speaking” travel agency, but our guide turned out to be purely Russian - a very nice woman who came from Russia and married a Turk. The cost of various excursions from Side will be given at the end of the article.

We lived in ancient Side, not far from seaport, amphitheater and other ancient ruins. Thanks to this, we saved on the excursion, paying only for a ticket to the ancient amphitheater of Side, which was much cheaper than the excursion with transfer. It's funny, but travel agencies near our hotel also offered excursions to the amphitheater - for a fee you could walk this route with a Turkish Russian speaking guide. We went there ourselves - a 20-minute walk one way, taking into account Vanya’s small legs.

We visited the amphitheater of ancient Side, and also examined other ruins, admission to which is free.

Ancient amphitheater in Side

Entrance was also free to the Temple of Apollo- those same famous columns that, along with the amphitheater, are depicted on all souvenirs and are a symbol of Side.

The territory of the Temple of Apollo is fenced, the entrance opens at 9 am. Excavations and restoration work are being carried out on the territory, so, most likely, soon the Temple of Apollo will be more or less restored, and entry there will also be paid...

Temple of Apollo stands right on the seashore, almost on a cliff. There is a beautiful view from here.

Near the Temple of Apollo

Side is a port city, so here, near the ruins, you can see a huge number of ships that sail, sail away, and take away noisy tourists on excursions to the loud cries of animators.

There are very beautiful ships in the port of Side

After we liked it, we decided to definitely go with Vanya to the best Turkish dance show “Lights of Anatolia”. If you are planning excursions in Side with children, I highly recommend not to miss this spectacle.

At the entrance to Aspendos

The show takes place in Aspendos, an ancient open-air amphitheater just outside Side. Also on other days there is another dance show - "Troy", which you can also go to with your child. According to reviews, some people like it even more than “Lights”.

Since the action takes place in the open air, if you are going to go to the “Lights of Anatolia” with a child, you should take warm clothes and umbrellas with you, anything can happen. For example, we were freezing in our blouses and also wrapped ourselves in towels, which we took with us to sit on. We read that visitors used to sit upright on the stone steps and prepare to soften their fate. But when we arrived at the amphitheater, we were pleasantly surprised by the plastic seats. Of course, they are not super comfortable, but, in any case, they are better than stones.

This time we decided to go on one historical excursion - Since the excursion was quite tiring, we went without Vanya, fortunately my mother also went with us to Side - Vanya stayed with her. Before this, we had never gone on such excursions because of a small child, and we were very glad to have the opportunity.

Kekova is ancient city on stone island, vertical city. The streets there were not arranged in the usual horizontal way, but vertically - upward. There are still traces of ancient houses, wells and trenches for collecting drinking water.

View from the sea to a coastal village

IN city of Demre located Church of St. Nicholas- it was in this place that he was buried. It was a discovery for us that Saint Nicholas, it turns out, was a native of these places. In Russia, he is somehow considered “one of our own.”

Church of St. Nicholas fortified

Inside the Church of St. Nicholas there are beautiful mosaic floors, and ancient frescoes have been preserved in some places.

Inside the Church of St. Nicholas

There are several sarcophagi of church ministers in free access, and the “miraculous” sarcophagus of St. Nicholas itself is protected by glass on all sides.

Sarcophagi of the clergy

Quite recently, this sarcophagus could have been touched, but for some reason people began to desecrate it, throwing it there or simply throwing garbage. So now the relic has been closed, but especially “believers” have found a way to touch the shrine. You can stick your hand into a crack in the stone slab under the glass and even “bless” an icon purchased here by holding it near the sarcophagus.

Sarcophagus of St. Nicholas behind glass

Ancient city of Mira. In fact, this is a mountain with crypts, but it looks very majestic.

Not far from the mountain there is an amphitheater, very similar to the amphitheater in Side. Interestingly, the amphitheater was not built here by chance. All important city meetings were held here, and previously it was believed that citizens, even after death, should be aware of everything that was happening. Therefore, it was decided to build the most important place for general gathering not far from the burials.

Amphitheater of the city of Mira

Of course, everyone decides for themselves which excursions are worth visiting while vacationing in Side. But it is worth considering that the road to them can be very long. For example, on an excursion to Pamukkale from Side you need to travel about 8 hours one way, including along a mountain serpentine road. An excursion to Cappadocia from Side takes even longer. The child definitely cannot withstand such torment.

In conclusion, I will post prices for excursions in the Turkish town of Side. I think they may be useful to those who are planning to visit this wonderful town with or without a child.

The Turkish resort of Side is often chosen by parents with children because the children's entertainment infrastructure in hotels is well developed here. Almost without going beyond hotel complex, you can swim in the pool, have fun in the water park, and ride on all kinds of carousels. The only alternative to this view is a tour of the ruins. It is very interesting to explore the remains of the ancient fortress wall, amphitheater, and temples, but in search of new experiences you can visit neighboring resorts. We offer review 5 interesting places, which is easy to reach with a child from Side.

Sealanya Sea Park

Surprisingly: next to a busy highway there is truly paradise. The creators of the park settled the inhabitants of the seas in 15 pools with azure water. You can get acquainted with the strange creatures that inhabit the depths of the water by simply observing them from the shore. But those who wish can swim with dolphins or go on an underwater trip with a mask and snorkel. Here you can see bright tropical fish, stingrays, and sharks. Good-natured dolphins stage a bright and cheerful performance twice a day, charming all spectators, young and old.

Troy Waterpark

This water park is located 40 minutes drive from Side, on the territory Rixos Hotel Premium Belek. It seems to transport visitors back to the time of the Trojan War: helmets and armor are scattered here and there, and a huge wooden horse rises in the center of the park. True, here it is not for military tricks, but for sliding downhill.

The main part of the water attractions is designed for adults and children over 10 years old. But the kids enjoy playing in the small pool where the slide boat is moored. You can also take young children on a swim down the Lazy River. Extreme sports enthusiasts will appreciate the Troy slides, as well as a special pool for windsurfing. Next to the water park there is a dolphinarium, where the artists, in addition to dolphins, are: White whale and a walrus. Having captivated visitors with their performance, the animals are ready to take photographs, and the dolphins also invite them to swim together.

Read more about the Troy water park on the page of our website.

Koprulu Canyon

The Koprulu Canyon National Nature Reserve allows you to organize a vacation to suit every taste. You can go hiking or horseback riding to take more photos. wildlife. You can have a picnic in a shady corner. Or you can try to conquer the stormy Kepruchay River: even novice rafters can try their hand here. To do this, you only need courage and a reliable company, which is precisely the family.

Victory in the fight against the water element will be remembered for a long time in the family circle. It should be noted that all conditions have been created for rafting on Kepruchai; specialists will give the necessary instructions and provide equipment.

Manavgat Waterfall

If your child likes noisy entertainment, tempt him with a trip to a waterfall, which can outshine even a crowd of children. The waterfall on the Manavgat River is not high, but it is striking in width - it reaches 40 meters. Rising from the ledge, the dark water turns into white foam, and refreshing splashes reach those who admire this spectacle. The water in the river is cold even in summer, so it’s nice to have a picnic on the shore near the waterfall; there are convenient places for this. By the way, the local restaurant serves very tasty trout caught in Manavgat.

Boat trip on a yacht

A very attractive yacht, on which Vikings and pirates coexist, offers a trip along the Manavgat River with access to the Mediterranean Sea. Animators will easily involve children in fun competitions and costume games: who will refuse to try on a pirate hat or weigh an antique pistol in their hand. And as the journey progresses, everyone can expect to land on Pirate Island, search for treasure, swim in the open sea and prizes for brave sailors. It is important not to forget to bring a hat and sunscreen.

Kidpassage wishes you and your children a varied and exciting holiday at the Side resort!