Side vs Belek 2026: Which Antalya Resort to Book

Side and Belek sit 30 km apart on the same stretch of Antalya coast and attract completely different holidays. Side is an ancient port town where the Temple of Apollo stands on a headland at the end of a pedestrian street. Belek is a purpose-built resort zone of large hotels, pine forest and championship golf. Booking the wrong one is the most common mistake on this coast, and it is entirely avoidable. Quick answer Choose Side if you want to walk out of your hotel into a real town with ruins, restaurants and shops. Choose Belek if you want to golf, or want a large all-inclusive resort with everything on site and no need to leave it. Families with young children lean Belek for the facilities; couples and culture-minded travellers lean Side. Side Belek Character Ancient town, pedestrian streets, mid-market hotels plus resorts outside Purpose-built resort zone, no town centre Antalya airport transfer 65 km, about 1 hr 10 min 35 km, about 40 min Beaches Sand both sides of the peninsula; west beach for sunsets Long sandy beach backed by pine and hotel grounds Ancient sites On foot: theatre, agora, Temple of Apollo, museum None in the resort; Aspendos and Perge nearby by car Golf Not the focus The main draw — multiple championship courses Dining out Wide independent choice in the old town Mostly hotel-based; few independent restaurants Price level Broad range, more budget options Skews premium and five-star Nightlife Bars and harbour restaurants in the old town In-hotel entertainment Side: what you actually get The old town occupies a small peninsula inside the walls of ancient Side, a Pamphylian port that was wealthy enough in the second century to build a 15,000-seat theatre — still the largest in the region and standing in the middle of town. The colonnaded street, agora, Roman baths (now the museum) and the Temple of Apollo on the western point are all inside a twenty-minute walk. The temple columns at sunset are the image of this coast. The trade-off is crowding. The