Manavgat and Side: ancient harbour, river and beaches

2026-10-08 · Author: Grand Emlak

Ancient Side, the Manavgat River and long beaches make Manavgat a well-known district east of Antalya. Here: location, transport, neighbourhoods and daily life.

Location and transport

Manavgat lies in the eastern part of Antalya province. Its western neighbour Serik is recorded as 40 km from Manavgat town centre and 38 km from the city of Antalya; both districts sit on the Antalya–Mersin highway. Manavgat covers 2,283 km², and a large share of its territory rises northwards into the Taurus Mountains. Source: Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Serik), Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Manavgat), accessed 08.10.2026

Antalya Airport is located north-east of the city centre on the D400 highway, about 20 minutes by car from downtown. According to the airport operator's transport guide, minibus services towards Manavgat, Side and Alanya depart from the Antalya Intercity Bus Terminal, and the fastest way to reach the terminal is the AntRay tram. Source: Antalya Airport – Getting to the airport, Antalya Airport – Buses and public transport, accessed 08.10.2026

Neighbourhoods and their character

Side: the ancient harbour town

Side was founded in the 7th century BC on a peninsula 5 km south-west of Manavgat centre, the natural harbour of ancient Pamphylia. A major trading centre under Lydian, Persian, Macedonian and Roman rule, the town is today an open-air museum with its harbour, aqueducts, temples, agora, theatre, baths and Byzantine buildings. Source: Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Manavgat), accessed 08.10.2026

The Side Theatre is considered unique in Anatolia for combining the Hellenistic tradition with Roman construction techniques; its three-storey stage building reflects the baroque style of the Antonine period. The site is open daily from 08:00 to 19:00, with night visits until 22:00, and the temples of Apollo and Athena stand right next to it. Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Side Theatre, accessed 08.10.2026

The Side Museum occupies a Roman bath dated to the 2nd century AD and opened on 14 October 1962 after restoration in 1959–1961. It displays statues, sarcophagi, inscriptions, reliefs, glass and bronze finds and coins from the 1947–1967 excavations; summer hours are 08:30–21:00 and winter hours 08:30–17:30. Source: Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Side Museum, accessed 08.10.2026

Manavgat centre and the river

The 78 km long Manavgat River runs through the town centre. Some 2.5 km north of the centre, the Manavgat Waterfall, where the whole river drops 3–4 metres, is the district's landmark. Further north, the Oluk Köprü section of Köprülü Canyon National Park is known for intensive rafting; the single-arched Roman-era Oluk and Bürüm bridges are found here. Titreyengöl lake is also counted among the district's natural attractions. Source: Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Manavgat), accessed 08.10.2026

Köprülü Canyon National Park is listed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry as a national park in the provinces of Antalya and Isparta, declared on 12 December 1973 and managed by the Ministry's 6th Regional Directorate. Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry – Protected Areas, accessed 08.10.2026

Coastal neighbourhoods and beaches

Along the district's 64 km coastline, neighbourhoods such as Sorgun, Çolaklı, Ilıca, Evrenseki and Gündoğdu line up next to Side; Manavgat consists of 106 neighbourhoods in total, and tourism leads its economy. Source: Wikipedia (TR) – Manavgat, accessed 08.10.2026

In the 2026 Blue Flag season, 580 beaches in Türkiye received the award and Antalya ranked first with 232 beaches. Among the free public beaches awarded in Antalya, the Sorgun and Ilıca public beaches in Manavgat were announced as well. Source: Habertürk – 2026 Blue Flag announcement (TÜRÇEV/FEE), accessed 08.10.2026

Daily life

Climate: according to the Turkish State Meteorological Service's 1930–2025 records for Antalya, the annual mean temperature is 18.2 °C; July and August average 28.5 °C and January 10.1 °C. Average rainfall is 4.7 mm in July but rises to 250.9 mm in December, and daily sunshine reaches 11.7 hours in July. Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service – Antalya climate statistics, accessed 08.10.2026

Healthcare: Manavgat State Hospital provides cardiology, pulmonology, nephrology and dialysis, general surgery, neurosurgery, paediatric surgery, obstetrics, physiotherapy and radiology including MRI and CT; appointments are booked through the national MHRS system and home healthcare is available. Source: Manavgat State Hospital, accessed 08.10.2026

Economy: alongside tourism, agriculture plays an important role; 423,360 decares of the district's area are farmland, with wheat, cotton, sesame, tomatoes and oranges among the main crops. In the Republican era Manavgat became, after Alanya, Antalya's most important district in terms of population and economic activity. Source: Antalya Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism (Manavgat), accessed 08.10.2026

Who chooses Manavgat?

Those seeking life amid ancient surroundings in Side, holiday complexes in Sorgun and Çolaklı, or year-round town life in the centre consider Manavgat.

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