Which Side Boat Tour Should You Choose?
Nine tours sounds like a lot until you notice that each one answers a different question. Start with who is coming and what you would be sorry to miss.
Short answer
For young children, choose Little Pirates or Pirate. For peace, Relax. To fish, Fishing. For a long day at sea with soft drinks included, Island. For wildlife chances, Dolphin Island or Caretta Bay, knowing sightings are never promised. To shop as well, Manavgat and bazaar. For a simple cheerful day on the coast, the Side Boat Tour.
The nine at a glance
| Tour | Who it suits | Length and character |
|---|---|---|
| Side Boat Tour | First-timers and groups who want the classic day | 7 hours. Coastal bays, snorkelling, live music, foam |
| Island | Anyone who wants a long day at sea and no tally of soft drinks | 8 hours. Two named swim stops, unlimited soft drinks, foam |
| Caretta Bay | Swimmers who like variety and the thought of turtles | 6 hours. River first, then the sea, foam on the way home |
| Manavgat and bazaar | Curious shoppers free on a Monday or Thursday | 10 hours. River, foam, and two hours ashore |
| Little Pirates | Families whose children want costumes | 6 hours. Games and treasure, no foam listed |
| Relax | Couples and solo guests after a quiet day | 7 hours including transfers. No music, your own sunbed |
| Fishing | Beginners and anglers; early risers | 6 hours door to door. Twelve guests at most |
| Dolphin Island | People hoping for a wild encounter, on no promises | 6 hours. Several swims, barbecue lunch, foam |
| Pirate | Families wanting a big show plus foam | 6 hours. Staged pirate programme, children's menu |
If it comes down to food and drink
Soft drinks are unlimited on the Island tour, and Relax covers both soft and alcoholic drinks. Elsewhere, assume you will buy drinks on board or from the bar. Fishing offers simit and tea, with no lunch. If that decides it, the fares on the prices page tell the rest of the story.
Questions that settle it quickly
- Is the point the sea, or the people you are with? A foam party is a social event. Relax is the opposite.
- Are there children aged 4 to 10? Little Pirates charges them less than adults. Pirate and Relax do not.
- Do you want the afternoon free? Fishing is the only one that gets you back with the afternoon intact.
- Can you spare the day? The bazaar tour is the longest on the list, and it runs up against the market's two weekly days.
- Is anybody uneasy on the open sea? Our calm-day guide and the river-based days are the places to start.
Two tours that look alike but are not
The Caretta Bay and Dolphin Island tours share a river start, a swim where the fresh water runs into the sea, and foam on the way back. The difference is the afternoon destination and the lunch: a bay on one, an island and a grill on the other. Wild turtles and dolphins are wild; nobody can schedule them. Choose on the swim and the lunch, and treat any animal as a bonus.
