Manavgat İlçesi

After more than two months in Turkey, the road from Alanya to Side felt like we'd be in a different country. One hotel next to a resort next to a shopping mall. Many resorts with their own aqua park. Many of them right next to the busy 6 lane highway. At this time of the year, more than half are closed. But we really can't imagine spending a holiday in one of them!
At least the road was flat (thanks to all the tunnels) and we made it to Side quickly. Just before Side, we turned away from the highway and cycled in another resort area. Again, one resort next to shopping malls next to more resorts with aqua parks. Even an artificial lake. At least, there was no noise from the highway and the resorts had grassy and shady areas. Some even looked more like apartment buildings. So a bit better than before.
When we arrived in Side, we were pleasantly surprised. The ancient ruins are well preserved and freely accessible. The old town and the harbour are also very nice. We just had a quick look as we are going to visit the ancient part of the town tomorrow. Today, we headed to a small apartment hotel outside of the center. It belongs to a friend of one of our contacts in Adana, so we got a good price. The hotel is only a few hundred meters away from the Western beaches of Side, so we went there for some beach exercise and a swim. Again, there's one resort next to another one and most of the long sandy beach is private, i.e. belongs to a hotel. Luckily, some resorts are already closed, so those stretches are empty and we can easily access the amazingly clear and refreshing water.Read more