Start with the water, not the price
Almost everyone holidaying on this coast weighs the same two days against each other, and the choice is simpler than the hotel leaflets make it look. Green Canyon is a reservoir held back by the Oymapınar Dam, in the mountains inland from Manavgat. A sea boat trip works the coastline you can see from your balcony.
So read the lines below, stop at the one that sounds like you, and book that.
- Travelling with someone who dreads swell, or unsure how you cope with it — the reservoir, every time.
- After the cheapest full day afloat with lunch included — the sea.
- Care more about scenery than about a lively deck: canyon walls, pine slopes, still green water — the reservoir.
- Want salt water, snorkelling and a foam party in the middle of the afternoon — the sea.
- Want quiet above all: only the Side catamaran states a no-music rule, so ask for that one by name.
- Hoping for a short outing: neither qualifies. Both run six hours or more.
What changes when you swap the sea for the reservoir
The route is the biggest change. A canyon day drives you inland and puts you on a catamaran between rock walls and pine slopes; a sea day stays on the coast and anchors in bays for swimming. Both include hotel pickup, both feed you, both stop for a swim. The contrast is atmosphere, not value for money.
The Green Canyon catamaran from Side is the only boat in our catalogue that publishes a no-music rule: nothing loud is played on board, so the canyon keeps its quiet. The Side sea boats do the opposite on purpose — live music from the moment you board on the island tour, a foam party on deck on the standard day. Neither is a defect; they are simply built for different people.
There is swimming either way. The reservoir day makes two stops in cool mountain water; the sea days make several in the bays along the Side coast, including Kızılot and Boğaz on the island tour.
The two things people misjudge
First, temperature. The canyon water comes down from the mountains and stays cool right through the season, which is a relief at the height of summer and bracing early and late. If your idea of a swim involves stepping into something like bathwater, the sea is the honest answer.
Second, noise. A foam party is not an optional extra you can sit out in a quiet corner; it is the middle of the afternoon on that boat. If that sounds good, the sea days are remarkable value. If it makes you wince, do not book one and hope.
Good to know
- Reservoir — sheltered water and no open-sea swell, all day long
- Reservoir — canyon scenery, and one boat with a stated no-music rule
- Sea — the cheapest full day afloat in the catalogue, lunch included
- Sea — several swim and snorkel stops in the bays along the coast
Worth considering
- Reservoir — the water is properly cold, and the drive inland eats part of the day
- Reservoir — no beach, no coastline, no sea view at all
- Sea — live music and a foam party come as standard, not as a choice
- Sea — open water stays open water; on a breezy day you feel it
What each ticket actually buys
The Side boat tour costs €20 per adult and €14 per child. That covers hotel pickup and drop-off, lunch on board and the swimming stops. Drinks are not in it — soft drinks and anything alcoholic are paid at the bar.
The Green Canyon catamaran from Side costs €33 per adult and €20 per child. The difference pays for the drive up to the reservoir, lunch, unlimited soft drinks on board and free use of the fishing gear — though those free drinks apply on the catamaran, not at the lunch restaurant.
If your hotel is in Antalya city rather than Side, the same reservoir costs €42 per adult and €25 per child. The longer road is what you are paying for, not a better boat.
Child fares run from 4 to 10 years old. From 11 the adult price applies, and under-4s travel free on both kinds of day.
The two days, side by side
Four departures, two bodies of water. The Antalya row is here because plenty of readers are staying in the city rather than on the Side belt.
A dash means the record does not state it. Only the Side catamaran publishes a music policy, so we will not invent a second silent boat for the sake of a tidy table.
| Boat day | From | Duration | Water | Music on board | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Canyon catamaran from Side | €33 per adult | 6 hours | Dam reservoir, cool mountain water | No music, by stated policy | Calm water, canyon scenery, no party |
| Green Canyon from Antalya | €42 per adult | 8 hours | Oymapınar lake, cool water year-round | — | Antalya-city hotels wanting the same lake day |
| Side boat tour | €20 per adult | 7 hours | Open sea, Side's turquoise bays | Live music and a foam party | Swimming, sun and a sociable deck |
| Side island boat tour | €24 per adult | 8 hours | Open sea, the bays at Kızılot and Boğaz | Live music from the moment you board | A longer sea day with soft drinks included |
Departure points, seasickness and paying
Several pickup points reach the same reservoir and the right one depends on where you are staying — our Green Canyon departure guide sorts them by resort. And if the real contest is the reservoir against the eleven-hour island day rather than against a local sea day, our island-against-canyon comparison is the one to read.
On seasickness: the reservoir has no open-sea swell, which is why nervous travellers get pointed there. What happens when a captain does not like the forecast sits on our seasickness and safety page.
Paying works the same on both sides of this comparison — nothing up front, settled in euros on the day you sail. For the steps in order, read how the booking works.
