8 Best Side Hotels with Water Parks

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Want slides without buying a water park ticket every day? Book a resort with its own aquapark. Side’s all-inclusive hotels run for miles either side of the old town, and their slide parks close for the winter. Pick Sorgun or Kumköy if you want the Roman theatre a short taxi ride away. Here’s where I’d book, depending on how many slides your kids can handle.

Side Hotels with Water Parks

Kumköy, Sorgun or Kızılağaç: Where to Base Yourself

The Side coast is one long run of resorts, and the strip you pick decides how easy the old town is.

• Kumköy Beside the Old Town: Kumköy’s sand runs straight into the old town, and dolmuş minibuses cover the stretch in a few minutes. A pharmacy and a supermarket sit across the road from the beach hotels.
• Sorgun for Pine Shade: East of the peninsula, Sorgun’s resorts sit among pine trees running down to the beach, with Titreyengöl lake behind them. It’s quieter than Kumköy, and the old town is a short taxi ride away.
• Çolaklı and Kızılağaç Out on the Edges: These self-contained resort strips sit out on the edges of the coast, Çolaklı to the west and Kızılağaç to the east. Kızılağaç has its own shopping centre, with bars and restaurants along the main road.

When Side’s Hotel Aquaparks Are Open

Hotel slide parks are seasonal, and some run in set sessions through the day.

• April to October Season: Hotel aquaparks on this coast open in April or May and close in October. A trip in November or March falls outside the slide season.
• Lunch Breaks on the Slides: At Club Hotel Turan Prince World, the slides run a morning session and an afternoon session, and the kids’ slides close while the staff eat lunch. Plan slide time for late morning and mid-afternoon, and use the gap for your own lunch.
• Cold Water at the Edges of Summer: Some resorts here don’t heat their outdoor pools, and the water feels cold in early October. Pack a rash vest for small kids, or look for a hotel with an indoor pool if you travel at either end of the season.

What the All-Inclusive Covers at the Pool

On an all-inclusive stay, the hotel’s own slides cost nothing extra, and a few extras sit outside the package.

• Slides Come With the Room: At resorts with their own slide park, entry comes with the stay. TUI BLUE Palm Garden lists its aqua park among the all-inclusive facilities.
• Extras That Cost Money: Spa treatments and massages are charged separately at Voyage Sorgun. Ask at reception which à la carte restaurants your stay includes, and book a table on your first day.

Getting From Antalya Airport to Side

Every Side resort is reached from Antalya Airport along the D400 coast road.

• Private Transfers: The drive from the airport to Side is 65 km and takes 55 to 75 minutes in normal traffic. Summer traffic on the D400 adds time on busy arrival days.
• Shared Coaches: Package-holiday coaches drop at several hotels on the way. A package coach out to Kızılağaç is timed at over two hours.
• Kızılağaç Adds Time: Kızılağaç sits east of Sorgun, so allow longer if your hotel is out there. Evrenseki, west of Side, is closer, about an hour from the airport by private car.

Slide Parks for Toddlers and Thrill-Seekers

Slide parks here mix big slides with shallow kids’ pools, and height limits decide which ones your kids can ride.

• Height Limits on the Big Slides: The bigger slides carry height and age limits. Measure younger kids before you go so nobody is turned away at the top.
• Splash Pools for Toddlers: Some resorts pair their main slides with a shallow kids’ pool that has its own mini slides. At TUI BLUE Palm Garden, that pool is 0.5 m deep, and a separate baby pool takes children up to age 3.
• Kids’ Clubs Between Sessions: At Club Hotel Turan Prince World, the kids’ club takes ages 4 to 11 and runs an evening mini disco. Ask at the club on arrival for the week’s programme.

Beaches Along the Side Coast

The sand changes as you move along the Side coast.

• Soft Sand Near Town: Kumköy and Side’s West Beach have soft golden sand that shelves gently, so the water stays shallow a long way out. It’s the easiest stretch for toddlers.
• Pebbles at the Waterline: Further out, some beaches turn to sand and gravel where the waves break. Water shoes save sore feet.
• Sunbeds and Shade: Hotel beaches come with free sunloungers and umbrellas for guests. Near the old town, the public stretches are lined with beach-club sunbeds you pay to use.

FAQs

1. How warm is the sea in Side?

Warm enough to swim from June to October, and August is the warmest month at around 29°C. In May the sea averages about 21°C, which feels fresh for small children in the shallows. Winter water drops to about 17°C. If sea swimming matters as much as the slides, aim for July to September.

2. What is there to do in Side besides the pool?

Side’s old town sits on a small peninsula of Roman ruins, so the Temple of Apollo and the theatre make an easy evening trip. The temple’s columns stand right by the sea, and crowds gather there at sunset. Inland, the Manavgat waterfall spans the whole width of the river, and boats run up the Manavgat River from Side harbour. Excursion desks also sell day trips to the Roman theatre at Aspendos, under an hour’s drive west.

3. Is there a public water park near Side?

Yes, Water Planet, along the coast east of Side near Alara, is the big one, with more than 20 slides and a Kamikaze drop. Excursion trips bundle entry with a return transfer, lunch and soft drinks. It’s worth a day if your hotel’s own park has only a handful of slides.

4. Do Side resorts have family rooms for four?

Plenty do, and some room names spell out the party. Voyage Sorgun sells a Standard Land 2+2, and Marvida Family Eco a Large Room (2 Adults + 2 Children). Marvida Family Eco also has Superior Family Villas that sleep five adults. Search with each child’s age entered at the start, so the rooms and prices shown match a family booking.

5. How do you get from Side to Manavgat?

Take a dolmuş, the shared minibus that runs along the coast road. From Kumköy it reaches Manavgat centre in 15 to 20 minutes, and minibuses from Manavgat also stop at Side’s Vespasian Gate. Manavgat’s waterfall makes it an easy half-day trip from the coast. The waterfall sits 3 km north of the town, so add a short taxi ride from the centre.

6. Is The Land of Legends worth a day trip from Side?

It is if your kids have outgrown the hotel slides. The Land of Legends sits in Belek, about 40 km west of Side, and its water park has more than 40 slides. Tour sellers offer tickets with transport from Side hotels, so you don’t need a car. Save it for late in the week, once the hotel park has lost its novelty.

7. How long should you stay in Side?

A week works well for a water park holiday. Three days covers the sights in and around the old town, including the Aspendos and Köprülü Canyon excursion, which leaves four days for the slides. Families who only want the pool and the beach skip the excursion and spend the whole week at the hotel.