Things to Do in Side

Side was once a major Roman port city and slave market, with ruins dating back to the 2nd century BC still visible throughout the town today.

The city's name comes from the Pompeian word for 'pomegranate', reflecting the agricultural bounty of the ancient Anatolian coast.

Side's harbour silted up around the 10th century, which actually preserved the ruins by protecting them from development until modern archaeology arrived.

The town sits on a narrow peninsula surrounded by the Mediterranean on three sides, making it one of Turkey's most geographically dramatic coastal settlements.

Side's famous Temple of Apollo, built in the 2nd century AD, features just five standing Corinthian columns that have become the most photographed monument on the Turkish Riviera.

The waters around Side are home to endangered loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta-Caretta), which nest on nearby beaches between May and October.