Escape the Crowds
Side: the temples on the harbor
Marble columns of Apollo's temple at the tip of the old harbor — best at sunset, best off-season.
Why do it?
East along the coast, the modern resort town of Side sits literally inside the ancient one: a colonnaded Roman street runs through the middle of town, a huge theatre looms over the shops, and out at the harbor tip the re-erected columns of the Temple of Apollo stand against open sea. At sunset, with the light going gold behind the marble, it's one of the classic images of this whole coast — and the ruins themselves are free to wander into.
The Smileys Take
Time it for late afternoon so you're at the temple as the sun drops — that half hour is the reason to come. We'll be honest about the rest: in high summer the town is a full-volume resort, so either embrace that or do what we prefer and come off-season, when the colonnaded street empties out and the place breathes. Pairs into one long day with a slow fish dinner by the old harbor before the drive back.
Explore nearby
Do it with people
The Smileys community does things like this every week — organized events, spontaneous hangouts, and visitors looking for company.
Tips from Smileys
More like this
There's always more Antalya.