Getting into Side old town by car — and out again after dinner

Side was a harbour city for well over a thousand years before the first hotel was built on the beach beside it. Its streets still follow the ancient plan: a colonnaded avenue runs from the main gate down to the theatre, and beyond the theatre the modern village of restaurants, pensions and shops fills the old grid all the way to the water. There is no space for traffic, and the municipality keeps the peninsula pedestrianised — delivery vehicles and residents aside, private cars and taxis do not drive in.

That is good news once you are inside: you can wander in the middle of the street with an ice cream and nothing behind you but a cyclist. It only means you should plan the first and last ten minutes of the visit, which is what the rest of this page is for.

Coming from the hotel strip of Kumköy, Sorgun or Manavgat, the road leads to the car park by the ancient city gate, where the Hellenistic walls cross the neck of the peninsula. Outside the gate stand the remains of the great monumental fountain, the Nymphaeum, which makes a useful landmark. Taxis set passengers down at the edge of the car park; private cars pay to park there, and on summer evenings it can fill up.

From here you have two choices. You can walk through the gate and follow the old colonnaded street towards the theatre, or you can wait for the small road-train shuttle that runs from the car park area to the harbour end of the town. The train is a tractor pulling open carriages; it is slow, inexpensive and particularly welcome in the July heat or with tired children. Pay the driver or attendant in cash and check the current fare when you board.

The walk from the gate to the tip of the peninsula is under two kilometres and almost flat. Done without stopping, it takes perhaps twenty-five minutes; done properly, with the ruins, a coffee and a few shops, it fills an afternoon. This route keeps the best moment for last.

1. 1Through the gate and along the colonnaded streetColumn bases and fallen shafts line the ancient main street. Along this stretch you pass the monument and gateway associated with the emperor Vespasian, reminders of how much Rome invested in this port.
2. 2The agora and the museumBefore the theatre, the remains of the commercial agora open out on one side. Across the road, the Side Museum occupies a restored Roman bath house; its statues and reliefs were found in the city around you. Check the opening hours and ticket price at the entrance.
3. 3The Roman theatreBuilt in the 2nd century AD, the theatre rises on arches rather than on a hillside — the land here is flat — and from its upper rows you see the whole peninsula and the sea on both sides. It is a ticketed site; entry is usually from the road beside it.
4. 4Into the old villagePass the theatre and you are in the lanes of the village proper: carpet sellers, jewellers, bougainvillea over the doorways, and side streets leading to small beaches on either shore.
5. 5The harbour and the Temple of ApolloKeep heading towards the sea. The lanes end at the harbour, where boats tie up along the quay, and a short walk round the point brings you to the Temple of Apollo, its re-erected columns standing at the water's edge.

Of all the things Side has kept, the five standing columns of the Temple of Apollo are what most visitors remember. Together with the neighbouring Temple of Athena, it stood at the tip of the peninsula as a sign to ships coming in; today the columns and their carved frieze stand against open sea to the west, which is exactly where the sun goes down.

“Plan the day backwards from the sunset: temple first in your diary, then dinner, then the car.

In high season the low wall around the temple fills up well before the light turns orange, so arrive half an hour early and pick your stone. Afterwards the harbour restaurants are a few steps away. Most display their menus outside; fish is often priced by weight, so ask before ordering what a portion will cost. Tables on the quay with a view of the boats tend to go first on summer evenings.

Side is easier on wheels than many ancient sites, but it is not smooth. The main street through the village is paved and level, with some cobbled and stone-slabbed sections; the side lanes are narrower and rougher, and kerbs are high in places. The ruins themselves — the agora, the theatre, the ground around the temples — are original stone, uneven and partly unfenced.

• A pushchair with larger wheels copes far better than a small travel buggy; a baby carrier is easier still in the ruins.
• The road-train can save a long push in the heat; fold the pram before boarding.
• Wheelchair users can follow the main street, but the theatre's tiers and the temple's surroundings are hard going without assistance.
• Wear shoes with grip: ancient marble polished by centuries of feet is slippery, especially after a sprinkle of sea spray.

If someone in your party walks with difficulty, tell us when you book the ride. Our cars carry folding wheelchairs and pushchairs at no extra cost, and the driver can drop you as close to the entrance as the rules allow.

Late morning to mid-afternoon is when coach excursions from the wider Antalya region arrive, and the main street at that time can be a slow procession. The quietest hours are the early morning, before about ten, when shops are opening and the theatre is cool, and the evening after the coaches have left. Between June and September the midday sun on bare stone is fierce; between those two windows is a good time to be on a beach instead.

For the trip home, agree the plan with your driver before you get out of the car. There are two ways it usually works:

1. 1Fixed pickup timeChoose an hour — say, ninety minutes after sunset — and meet at the same car park where you were dropped. The driver will be there.
2. 2Message when you are readySend a WhatsApp message as you leave the restaurant. Allow ten to fifteen minutes for the walk or road-train back to the gate, and the car will usually arrive about the same time from the hotel strip.