There are places where you visit the beach and then, separately, you visit the ruins.
And then there is Side.
Here, you can be walking barefoot through warm sand in the morning, turn a corner, and suddenly find yourself standing among ancient Roman columns. A few steps further, the Mediterranean is sparkling in the background, fishing boats are bobbing in the harbour and someone is probably selling Turkish ice cream.
That was what made Side so special for us.
It didn’t feel like we had to choose between a relaxing beach holiday and a trip filled with history. Side somehow managed to be both.
After exploring other parts of Turkey, including Antalya and Belek, Side felt like a completely different experience. Belek is wonderful when you want the full family resort experience, with pools, slides, entertainment and everything conveniently in one place. If that’s what you’re looking for, have a look at our Belek with Kids: The Ultimate Family Resort Escape in Turkey.
But Side?
Side invites you to leave the resort.
And honestly, with kids, that’s where the fun begins.

Side with kids: where the past meets the present

Our first impression of Side was that it was incredibly easy to explore.
You don’t need a complicated itinerary. You can simply wander.
The old streets lead towards the ancient city, little shops appear between restaurants and cafés, and before long you’re surrounded by pieces of history that are thousands of years old.
For children, that’s quite different from walking around a museum.
There are enormous stone columns.
Old streets.
The remains of temples.
Ancient buildings.
And plenty of space for their imagination to take over.
Suddenly history becomes a little less about remembering dates and a lot more about asking questions.
“What was this?”
“Did people actually live here?”
And, inevitably:
“Can we climb it?”
That last one usually requires a little parental supervision.

The Temple of Apollo: the Side postcard

If you’ve seen pictures of Side before, chances are you’ve seen the Temple of Apollo.
And even if you haven’t, you’ll probably recognise the moment when you first see it.
The ancient columns stand close to the sea, creating one of those views that almost doesn’t look real. Especially around sunset, when the light changes everything.
It is one of those places where you don’t necessarily need to explain much to children.
Just let them look.
We found that some of the most memorable historical places on our travels weren’t necessarily the ones where we spent hours reading information boards. They were the ones where the surroundings did the explaining for us.
And the Temple of Apollo definitely falls into that category.
Ancient ruins.
Blue Mediterranean water.
Warm evening light.
It is hard to imagine a better setting for a history lesson.

Exploring Side Ancient City

The ancient city of Side is much more than the famous temple.
As you walk around, you’ll come across remains of Roman streets, columns, old buildings and the impressive ancient theatre.
And this is where Side becomes particularly good for families.
You can explore at your own pace.
There is no need to keep everyone entertained every five minutes because the surroundings themselves become the activity.
The kids can look for interesting stones, imagine where people used to walk and try to work out what the different buildings might have been used for.
Of course, they may also decide that being an ancient Roman is considerably more interesting than actually learning about ancient Rome.
That’s fine too.
If your children enjoy history, Side can easily become one of the highlights of a Turkish holiday.
And if they don’t enjoy history?
The beach is never far away.
That is the beauty of Side.

And then there is the beach

After wandering around ancient ruins in the heat, there is only one thing most children want to know.
“When can we go swimming?”
Luckily, in Side, the answer is usually: very soon.
The coastline around Side is beautiful, with long sandy beaches and warm Mediterranean water.
This is one of the reasons Side works so well for families. You can have a morning of exploring followed by an afternoon where the only important decision is whether to swim first or get an ice cream first.
The beaches are also a great place to slow down.
And I think that’s something we sometimes forget when planning family holidays.
You don’t have to fill every day with sightseeing.
Some of our favourite travel memories are simply the moments when nobody had anywhere they needed to be.
A towel.
A beach.
A swim.
A cold drink.
And children disappearing into the sea for what feels like several hours.

Side Harbour at sunset

Eventually, you’ll probably find yourself wandering towards the harbour.
The waterfront is lively without feeling quite as overwhelming as some of Turkey’s bigger resort areas.
There are boats, restaurants, little shops and plenty of places to sit and watch the world go by.
And sunset is when Side really comes alive.
This is the time to slow down.
Find somewhere to eat.
Order some Turkish food.
Let the kids choose something they recognise — or convince them to try something new.
And then watch the sky change colour over the Mediterranean.
Turkish food is one of those things that makes travelling with children surprisingly easy. Even if you have a picky eater, there is usually something familiar enough to keep everyone happy: bread, rice, grilled meat, gözleme, fresh fruit and, of course, Turkish ice cream.
Although Turkish ice cream comes with its own entertainment.
The person serving it may or may not actually give you the ice cream when you ask for it.
You’ve been warned.

Looking for something beyond the obvious?

This is where I think Side gets particularly interesting.
The main sights are beautiful, but don’t spend your entire time following the crowds.
Walk away from the busiest streets.
Explore some of the smaller lanes.
Find a quiet café.
Stop somewhere because it looks interesting rather than because it appears on your itinerary.
Those little discoveries are often what turn a destination from somewhere you’ve visited into somewhere you remember.
Side has plenty of these moments.
A tiny shop tucked away in a side street.
A restaurant you weren’t planning to visit.
A quiet stretch of coastline.
A view you hadn’t expected.
Or simply a little alley that makes you wonder where it leads.
And with children, those unplanned moments can be the best ones.

Take to the water

After seeing the Mediterranean from the beach, it’s worth seeing it from the water too.
Boat trips from Side can take you along the coastline, with opportunities to swim in beautiful bays and stop in places you simply wouldn’t reach on foot.

Suluada: the Maldives of Turkey

One of the experiences we would add to a family trip around this part of Turkey is Suluada, often nicknamed the Maldives of Turkey.
And once you see the pictures, you understand why.
Turquoise water, white sand and little bays surrounded by rugged coastline make Suluada feel almost tropical. It is a completely different experience from wandering through the ancient streets of Side, but that is exactly what makes it such a great addition to a Turkey itinerary.
One day you’re standing next to Roman ruins.
The next you’re swimming in water that looks like it belongs somewhere thousands of kilometres away.
We wrote the full story about this experience in Suluada: The Maldives of Turkey – A Family Day on the Turquoise Mediterranean, because this really deserves its own story rather than being squeezed into a paragraph here.
And that’s perhaps the best thing about travelling around the Turkish Riviera with kids: there is so much variety.
You can have history, beaches, boat trips, resort days and those completely unexpected moments when you look around and think, are we really still in Turkey?
If you want to look at boat trips and other family experiences before you travel, we use GetYourGuide, https://getyourguide.tpk.lu/OrKGbkZY to compare activities and tours.
And honestly, a boat trip is one of those things I’d leave room for rather than planning every minute of it.

Side or Belek with kids?

This is actually a question we would ask ourselves when planning a Turkish family holiday.
Belek is fantastic if your idea of a holiday involves a beautiful resort, a huge pool, water slides, kids’ clubs and plenty of time where the children can entertain themselves.
We loved that side of Turkey too, and you can read all about it in our Belek with Kids: The Ultimate Family Resort Escape in Turkey.
Side feels different.
Here, the destination itself becomes part of your holiday.
You can stay in a resort and still easily head out to explore the ancient city, harbour and beaches.
So if your family likes a mixture of beach + culture + exploring, Side is a really good choice.
And if your children need a little more resort entertainment?
You can still combine Side with a resort-style stay.
That’s one of the things we love about travelling around Turkey: you don’t necessarily have to choose one holiday style.

Side and Antalya: two very different experiences

If you’re flying into Antalya, don’t make the mistake of thinking Antalya is simply somewhere you arrive before heading to your resort.
We found Antalya itself worth exploring.
The old town of Kaleiçi, the harbour, the streets and the coastline give you a completely different experience again.
If you’re planning to include it in your trip, have a look at our Antalya with Kids: Beaches, Old Town & Family Adventures.
Antalya feels more like a city.
Side feels more like a historical coastal town.
Belek feels more like the ultimate family resort escape.
And Suluada?
That’s your little slice of tropical-looking paradise.
Together, they show just how varied a Turkish family holiday can be.

How to get around Side

If you are staying in Side itself, you can explore a lot on foot, particularly around the historic centre and harbour.
But if you want to explore more of the surrounding area, having a car gives you much more freedom.
This is particularly useful if you’re combining Side with other destinations along the Turkish Riviera or want to visit places such as Aspendos and Perge.
We like having the flexibility to decide on the day what we feel like doing rather than having every excursion booked in advance.
If you’re looking at a road trip around the Turkish Riviera, you can compare rental cars here, 
Just remember that the best family holiday doesn’t necessarily involve doing everything.
Sometimes the best plan is having no plan for an afternoon.

Don’t try to see everything in one day

This is probably our biggest tip for visiting Side with kids.
Don’t turn your holiday into a history marathon.
You could spend the entire day exploring ancient ruins.
But why would you?
Explore the ancient city in the morning.
Have lunch.
Go swimming.
Come back later for the harbour and sunset.
Or dedicate another day to the water and head out towards Suluada.
Suddenly the holiday feels much more relaxed.
And the children are much more likely to remember it fondly.
We have learned this lesson over and over again on our travels.
Kids don’t need a packed itinerary.
They need experiences.
They need time.
And occasionally, they need an ice cream.

Side with kids: the perfect Turkish combination

When we look back at our time in Turkey, Side stands out because it gave us something that is surprisingly difficult to find in one place.

History right next to the beach.

One minute you’re standing among Roman ruins.
The next you’re swimming in the Mediterranean.
Another day you’re heading out onto the water towards Suluada, surrounded by turquoise sea that looks almost too blue to be real.
Later you’re eating Turkish food beside the harbour while the sun disappears behind the ancient columns.
That’s Side.
It doesn’t feel overly complicated.
It doesn’t demand that you tick off twenty attractions.
It simply gives you plenty of opportunities to explore, slow down and enjoy being together.
And that’s probably why Side works so well for families.
If you’re planning a bigger Turkish adventure, start with our The Ultimate Turkey Travel Guide – Beaches, History & Family Adventures, and then build your trip around the places that fit your family best.

Side gives you both.