Things To Do in Manavgat

Locally-caught trout features large on the menus of Manavgat’s riverside restaurants and cafés. If you want a meal to remember, pick an eating place near the waterfall – you might even get to cool down your feet in the water while you dine. If you’re on a budget or want to eat on the hoof, there are plenty of cafés and takeaway places, too.

Manavgat’s river is full of waterfalls, rocks and canyons, but if you want to take to the water you’ll need a professional guide. You can book a white-water rafting tour for four to 12 people, which gets you three hours of paddling through the rivers and falls. Most trips include lunch and free pick-up from your hotel.

Over in Side, this beachside café bar has an old Roman wall as its centrepiece. The drinks list is right up to the minute, though – owner Mustafa has built up an impressive menu of cocktails and beers. That said, many people come here for the flavoured shisha pipe. And if you’re peckish, the place does Turkish kebabs and stuffed peppers.

Manavgat might not have sand, but Side has plenty to go round. The beach here is divided by a small rocky outcrop, and both sides come with sunloungers, parasols and a good quota of watersports. The western part is the busiest, while the east gets you a bit less of a crowd – plus a Temple of Apollo rising out of the dunes.

This place is a bit off the beaten track, about 20 minutes’ drive north of the town – but it’s worth the mileage. It comes with a kids’ play area and some great traditional Turkish food. Try the aubergine kebabs or sac kavurma – a beef and lamb combo – and the sweet, slow-baked pastry kunefe to finish. The waiters don’t speak much English, but they’ll certainly understand the empty plates.

Manavgat may not have a thumping nightlife, but you’re bound to come across restaurants where the waiters like to show off their Turkish dancing, and if you want to make some moves of your own some places will happily clear a space to make an improvised dancefloor. Meanwhile, Side’s harbour is a hub of bars and open-air discos.

The waterfall location makes this restaurant incredibly popular – the outdoor seating means you can watch the cascading waterfall while taking a leisurely look through the menu. The fresh, locally-caught trout is an obvious favourite, though there’s plenty more by the way of meat platters, kebabs and fish stews. Portions are generous, so go easy with the side dishes.

With a Roman amphitheatre and the Temple of Apollo as venues, Side’s festival is a spectacle even before the performers hit the stage. The whole thing is really classy, with the ruins lit up as a backdrop to folk, jazz and classical performances. The Vienna Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Istanbul’s State Opera and Ballet are the sort of people to expect. The festival takes place annually during the summer months.

Comfy décor, a relaxed atmosphere and draught Efes beer make The Crown a Brit-favoured watering hole here in Manavgat. Hungry visitors can order from the food menu if the bar nibbles don’t fill a hole. As for entertainment, you’ve got live sports on the screen, and live entertainment on the stage.

The fast-flowing Kopru River, to the northwest of Manavgat, is ideal for white-water rafting. A tour bus picks you up from your hotel and brings you to the start, a calm section of turquoise water bridged by an ancient Roman structure. Helmets and lifejackets are handed out and newbies are given detailed instructions – then it’s off down the river, through 100-metre high canyons and unique cypress-tree forests.