Jeep Safari, Green Canyon Boat Trip and Mud Bath Tour with Lunch Side

Jeep safari through the Taurus Mountains

The Taurus Mountains rise steeply behind the coast of Side and Manavgat, and within half an hour of the beach you are among pine forests, deep valleys and small farming villages. This jeep safari follows a mix of paved mountain roads and dusty forest tracks, giving you the off-road thrill without long hours in the vehicle. Your driver stops wherever the view opens up, so you can photograph the ridges, the river below and the villages on the slopes.

After a short break in Manavgat, the drive into the mountains takes about two and a half hours with stops, part of the fun of the day rather than a transfer. Expect bumps, dust and plenty of laughter, especially on the forest sections. Bring sunglasses and a scarf or buff if you are sensitive to dust; the jeeps are open to the fresh mountain air.

Oymapınar Dam

The Oymapınar Dam is a tall concrete arch dam on the Manavgat river, completed in the 1980s to produce hydroelectric power. Its curved wall closes a narrow limestone gorge, and behind it the river has filled the canyon to form the long reservoir now known as Green Lake. Standing at the viewpoint, you see the dam wall, the deep valley below and the green water stretching back into the mountains.

The tour stops here for about 15 minutes of photos, then for lunch at the lakeside, where the boat trip begins. The dam is the gateway to the Green Canyon, so if you are wondering how to get to Green Canyon from Side, this is the road: up the Manavgat valley to Oymapınar and onto the water. The landscape around the dam is especially striking in the soft light of late morning.

Green Canyon and the boat trip on Green Lake

Green Canyon, Yeşil Kanyon in Turkish, is a flooded gorge in the Taurus Mountains where sheer cliffs and pine forests drop straight into water of an intense emerald green, coloured by the minerals of the mountain streams. It is one of the most popular day trips from Side, and seeing it from a boat is the only way to appreciate how the canyon winds between its rock walls.

Lunch is served by the lake, with local flavours, followed by a river-boat trip of about 30 minutes on the green water and a swimming break in a calm, natural setting. The water stays cool even in summer, which makes the swim a real pleasure after the dusty jeep ride. Spring and early autumn are the best time to visit Green Canyon, when the colours are bright and the heat is gentler.

The natural mineral mud bath by catamaran

The stop that makes this tour different from a standard Side jeep safari is the natural mineral mud bath. A short catamaran ride takes you across the water to a quiet spot where the mineral-rich mud collects, and you have about half an hour to cover yourself in it, let it dry in the sun and wash it off in the water. Many visitors say their skin feels soft and smooth afterwards.

Wear a swimsuit you do not mind getting muddy, and bring a towel and a change of clothes for the rest of the day. The landscape around the mud bath is unusual and peaceful, a contrast to the busy beaches of the coast. The guide explains how to use the mud and keeps an eye on the time so that the group can continue the programme without rushing.

Manavgat and the return to Side

Manavgat is the busy market town on the Manavgat river, a few kilometres inland from Side. The tour passes through in the morning for a short break and returns in the afternoon for a visit of about 30 minutes; any entrance fee at this stop is not included and is paid on the spot. It is a good moment to stretch your legs, buy a drink or look at the river before the last stretch of the day.

From Manavgat the jeeps drive the final half hour back to your hotel in Side, the coastal resort known for its ancient city and the columns of the Temple of Apollo standing by the sea. The whole tour lasts about 7 hours, so you are back in time for an evening walk among the ruins or a quiet dinner in the old town.