Two boats, one fishing coast
Between Side and Alanya the Mediterranean turns deep surprisingly close to shore, and small boats have worked these waters for generations. We sell two ways to join them: a quiet six-hour fishing morning out of Side on a boat capped at twelve guests, and an Alanya fishing day that adds a hot lunch on deck and a stop for swimming in a sheltered bay.
Both are real fishing days rather than sightseeing cruises with a rod as a prop. The tackle is supplied, the crew help you bait the hooks, and the pace is deliberately unhurried — you drop a line, settle in and wait for the tug.
What a Mediterranean fishing trip here really is
Forget ocean sport-fishing film sets: these are calm coastal mornings with rod and line, catching whatever is biting that week — mostly smaller, colourful Mediterranean fish, sometimes a bigger surprise. On the Side boat the captain supplies every rod, line and portion of fresh bait, then stays hands-on until complete beginners know exactly what to do.
The Alanya crew work the same way: rods, bait and basic tackle are handed out on board, and the skipper shares the small tricks local anglers rely on. If you own better gear you may bring it — on the Alanya boat, premium bait and extra specialist equipment are the only things that cost more.
Side or Alanya: which morning fits you?
The honest difference is intimacy versus comfort. The fishing trip from Side is the smaller, quieter boat: a maximum of twelve guests, an early departure for the best fishing light, and a Turkish breakfast of simit and hot tea served on deck as the sun rises. Lunch is not part of the programme, so pack your own snacks if you like — your own food and cold drinks are welcome aboard, and the crew also sell cold drinks.
The Alanya fishing trip is the fuller day out: you sail from Alanya harbour, watch the Taurus coastline and Alanya Castle slide past from the water, fish the open sea, then anchor in a calm bay for a swim while a hot lunch is served. Boat excursion insurance is part of that package; drinks, tips and the photo service are not.
- Side — €45, six hours, maximum 12 guests, simit-and-tea breakfast, hotel pickup around Side
- Alanya — €50, six hours, hot lunch on deck, swim stop in a sheltered bay, pickup in central Alanya
- Both trips — rods, lines and bait included, beginners actively helped, free cancellation up to 24 hours
Who enjoys these mornings most
Three kinds of guests keep booking these trips: early risers who love the soft first light on the water, couples after a slow shared morning, and patient kids who get a genuine thrill out of reeling in their own fish. No experience is needed on either boat — both are built with first-timers in mind.
On the Alanya trip you never have to enter the water at all: every fish is caught from the deck, so non-swimmers are completely at home. If your holiday needs music and a crowd, a party boat will serve you better — this is deliberately the opposite kind of day.
Honest expectations: the fish are wild
No boat on this coast controls what swims beneath it. Catches vary with season, current and plain luck: some mornings the bites barely pause, other mornings you work for every one. Nobody on our boats will promise you a full bucket — and you should be wary of anyone who does.
What the crews can influence, they do: they run to the grounds that produced fish during the week, keep groups small enough for real help, and put fresh bait on your hook. The biting is the sea's side of the bargain, and that uncertainty is exactly what makes the pull on the line so exciting.
Booking, pickup and prices
Reserving costs nothing and there is no online prepayment: you pay on the day of the tour, and cancellation stays free up to 24 hours before departure. Hotel pickup is included on both trips — around Side by air-conditioned vehicle for the €45 morning, across central Alanya for the €50 one — and your exact collection time is confirmed personally after booking, because it depends on where your hotel sits.
Unsure what to wear or carry? Our packing list for a boat day answers it in detail; the short version for anglers is a hat, sunglasses, proper sunscreen and a camera for the moment your catch comes over the rail.