Side or Kemer: where is the best vacation spot in 2021?

We tell and prove: Side or Kemer - where is it better to go? Where is the sun and sea warmer and the beach cleaner?

On a gloomy spring evening, my friend and I remembered the resorts of Turkey. She was in Kemer, we are in Side (and we are going again in May). And somehow, word for word, argument for argument, and the conversation about nostalgia for the sun outgrew a whole battle on the topic of resorts - what to choose for the perfect vacation?

The dispute was long, but the conclusions turned out to be "iron", which we will share in this article. If you also have a determining factor in favor of Side or Kemer - and we missed it - write in the comments! :)

Where to look for a tour?

Half of the tourists do not bother with a deep analysis of which is better - Side or Kemer, they have enough one significant difference: in the first, the beaches are sandy, and in the second - pebbly.

If this fact also solves the dilemma with the resort for you, then it's time to look at the tours. You can find out prices for the required dates, available hotels and departures on the online aggregators:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

They collect offers from all leading tour operators, compare prices - who has what is cheaper, and neighboring dates - in case it is more profitable tomorrow.

We found our tour to Side from Kazan - burning, for 43 thousand for 10 nights - on Travelata (and slightly reduced the price with a promotional code). So there will be more awesome photos in this article soon! 🙂

Flight and distance to resorts

Chartered by Rossiya Airlines (Boeing 747)
we flew to Turkey (tour operator Biblio Globus)

First of all, we find out: how to get to the resorts and how long it will take road.
The nearest airport for both Kemer and Side is Antalya air harbor. Therefore, in the calculations we start from it.

They fly here both by direct regular and charter flights from tour operators. From Moscow the flight lasts ± 3 hours 40 minutes, and:

✓ from Antalya airport to Kemer - 42 km (40 minutes drive)

✓ to Side - at least an hour (65 km)

But if the transfer is a group transfer, as is the case with a tour, get ready that it may take longer. While everyone will be collected, and then delivered to different hotels.

Where is it warmer: Kemer or Side?

This view of the embankment opened from the balcony of our hotel room

In order not to miss the place for a beach holiday, it is important to find out the climate of the selected location.

There are only 125 kilometers between Side and Kemer. It is clear that the climate is not strikingly different. But there is a peculiarity: in Kemer, due to hilly terrain, the air warms up longer in May and the first half of June. Consider the extreme humidity in summer, as it is the greenest and most natural resort.

Kemer.
The weather in Kemer in June, July and August is generous in degrees (the thermometer scale jumps up to + 30 ° С, or even + 40 ° С in the sun). Most comfortable in June and September (from + 24 ° С to + 29 ° С).

They begin to swim in May, although, objectively, it is still chilly - about + 20 ° C in the water. To keep warm, it is better to wait until mid-June. The water treatment season ends in October.

Side.
Side is a hot Mediterranean climate. That is, it is cool in winter and dry in summer. On the street in Side it is usually over + 30 ° С, but on some days the air can warm up and above + 40 ° С (more often in July and August).

The tourist season starts here in spring - from April to November. Starting in May, the heat sets in with clear skies and warm sea (from + 22 ° С, just check it out!), Which attracts all beach goers here.

Monthly weather

Where is it warmer - in Side or Kemer?
Average temperature of air and water, ° С

For each season - and each resort - read our separate article: Season in Turkey >>

Tour cost - where is it cheaper to have a rest?

The next point: what is the difference between a vacation in Turkey for the pocket, and which is cheaper - Side or Kemer?

At the peak of the season, the cost of tours for two for a week in 2021 in Kemer is from 38,000 rubles. By the way, Kemer is a budget Turkey, there are a lot of inexpensive hotels, but the quality is appropriate. Especially if we compare the "luxury" Belek for at least 50 thousand. Side is slightly higher in amount - 7 nights for a couple start at 40,000 rubles.

Where is it cheaper?
Minimum price of vouchers in the high season (2 people, 7 nights):

Turkey, as it seems to me, is the only country where there is SUCH a range of prices for tours. From junk for 30 thousand for two to "these 5 stars are built of gold ?!". Both in Side and in Kemer it is more profitable to go at the very beginning of the season - in May - or at the end - in September-October, when both the weather is normal and the rest in a good hotel costs 60, not 90 thousand rubles.

Food prices

How much to take with you for food? Even if the type of food is all, no one canceled the "nabEgi" at the cafe and just all sorts of goodies. So the comparison below is cheap Turkey: Side or Kemer?

We can’t vouch for Side (yet), but in Kemer it’s quite possible to dine on a budget. And the portions are impressive. Once, as a friend said, she decided to experiment and go to a cafe. A check for 2 dishes with meat + tea cost $ 8.5 for two!

If you are a serious person and calculate your budget in advance, look here >>, we tell you how much money you can take to Turkey, even if it is “all inclusive”!

Excursions and attractions

And where is it better to go, to Side or Kemer, if you plan, in addition to a sunbed and an umbrella in the summer, a more active vacation and entertainment?

Things to do in Kemer

Kemer's main natural attractions include mountains, pine trees and fresh air. It is for them that tourists come. But what else can you see here?

✓ Park "Moonlight" (admission is free, but you have to pay for entertainment). And if you've settled in a hotel nearby, you're in luck. There is also a dolphinarium (adults - $ 16, children - $ 8), and a water park ($ 8.2), and a club for children, attractions, cafes and restaurants. And the main advantage of the park is the sandy beach!

✓ One of the largest water parks Dolu Su Park, Kirish. It boasts 17 slides for adults and 5 for children. What's the cost? From parents - $ 30, kids up to 7 years old - free.

✓ Wide range of excursions: a walk through the ancient state of Lykia (Demre-Mira-Kekova), hiking to the Goynuk canyon and a trip to the ancient city of Phaselis (recommended). For fans of extreme sports, Kemer can offer more lively excursions - diving and rafting.

Things to do in Side

If the culture of the country, its history is important to you, welcome to the resort! Here you can see the walls of the Roman theater (gladiator fights are still remembered), the Side Museum with a huge collection of artifacts, the remains of the large shopping area Agora.

For lovers of relaxation, a hammam excursion is offered (adult - $ 15, children - $ 10) lasting two hours.

But, let's face it, Side is more suitable for a quiet, relaxing beach holiday, and is almost ideal for children and people of age. There is more activity in Kemer.

Which is better - Kemer or Side? Vacation with children

If in Side or Kemer with children, where is the best place to relax? It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally, both resorts offer decent conditions for a family vacation. But we'll try. And especially in detail - in a thematic article about a vacation in Turkey with children >>

Where is vacation safer?

What's better with a child in terms of safety? For a vacation with little ones (up to 7 years old), sand and a gentle entry into the sea are preferable, and this is about Side. Kemer, with its pebbles, can only invite to the Moonlight beach (the only sandy one). It is worth coming here for a portion of pine aromas and clean air with very little ones, up to 1.5 years old.

Tourists with a child are also interested in the issue of accommodation.Many large hotels in Side and Kemer are tailored for family vacations: playgrounds, water parks have been installed, children's menus and feeding equipment are provided in restaurants. Animators, clubs for children and nannies will help unload the parents.

Don't trust the hotel baby menu despite the stars? In this case, we advise you to take dietary meals or buy baby formulas and instant cereals in supermarkets.

Resting with a child is troublesome. It must first be organized inside and out, and then entertain your child if the animation does not like it (but I suggest, a win-win option in Turkey is water parks >>).

Beaches and sea

The Mediterranean is so different, or rather, its resorts. Side is rich in sandy beaches, and small pebbles are the lot of Kemer (which, on the one hand, is even better - the water is transparent).

Side beaches.

Back from the beach to our hotel - Side Town Hotel

• Sorgun... Cozy quiet place for families with children. A mild climate, fragrant coniferous forests, palms and orange trees - this is about Sorgun beach.
• Colakli... A gentle entrance to the sea, a cloud of all kinds of entertainment (water parks, a zoo), animation - everything as the doctor ordered. But you can't find greenery here, except on the territory of the hotel. Alas.
• Kizilot... If we are talking about a secluded vacation, then whale on a clean strip of a quiet sandy beach. 16 km to Side, the nearest shopping center is 13 km away.
• Kumkoy... In Kumkoy - a la youth beach vacation. For fans of clubs and discos.

Kemer beaches.

We liked Kemer with its clean water and pebble beaches

• Central. Due to the pebbled coating, the water here is pure (plus sign in karma - awarded the Blue Flag). There are many opportunities for entertainment - a parachute, a boat trip, a jet ski or a banana boat.
• Moonlight. A pleasant exception is a sandy beach with pebbles at the entrance to the sea and turquoise waters. Attention: there is both a paid area (with the rental of a sunbed and an umbrella) and a free area - if the towel comes off.
• Tekirova beach. Come here for a relaxing holiday away from the city. The surface is sand mixed with pebbles, but the water is clear with a hint of diving.
• But the choice in Kemer is much more than that. The tourist area of ​​the resort includes several more villages and, accordingly, beaches: Beldibi, Goynuk, Kirish and Camyuva.

As for a beach holiday, for a sun lounger at both resorts they will ask $ 2-3. True, sometimes the scourge fights are "confused" in the calculations, and the total amount rises to $ 15 from one.

Transport and infrastructure

The infrastructure in Turkey is at a high level, designed for tourists after all. The only thing is that in the villages there may be no shopping centers and other elements of civilization. We'll have to get there, since the transport is well organized here.

In Side and Kemer, you can get around by local dolmus or taxi. We pay for the fare upon boarding, in the hands of the driver (2-4 lira). Both dollars and euros are accepted - but the rate, of course, is unprofitable. Therefore, it is better to always have Turkish currency with you.

For active tourists: bicycles can be rented in some hotels in Side. For longer trips - a car (from 200 liras per day). By the way, according to the criteria of price-reliability, I advise you to contact the Rentalcars.com service. He compares all the international rental locations and points out the best ones. And yes, a detailed description of the horse can be viewed in advance on the website.

Where is the best all inclusive system in Turkey?

All inclusive at the Side Town Hotel in Side where we stayed

But first: always take a good look at the reviews and ratings of the proposed place of residence! There are so many "unfortunate" hotels in Turkey that can ruin a vacation that it is better to reread than not read.

Tourists praise Side all inclusive meals at hotels such as:

• 5 * Barut Hemera with green territory
• close to the sea 5 * Crystal Sunrise Queen Luxury Resort & Spa
• 5 * Side Star Beach.
• and 5 * Acanthus & Cennet Barut Collection - were there in person.

All inclusive in Kemer, judging by the reviews, it is better to take in the central:

• 5 * Imperial Turkiz Resort
• or 5 * Queen's Park Tekirova Resort & Spa (Tekirova).

What to choose - Side or Kemer? Outcomes

So in Side or Kemer in 2021? After scouring tourist reviews and tips for resorts (and taking into account our own experience), we have built the following selection.

Pros of Side and Kemer

Cons of Kemer and Side

Went 10 nights in Side and recorded a full review,
our review about the rest

We considered the pros, but what are the disadvantages of resorts worth paying attention to? Where without them.

And finally. Let's sum up for sure.

Side or Kemer - where is the best place to relax?

If Turkey does not inspire, and the button "Buy!" next to the tour is not pressed, maybe our other comparisons will help you? :) For example, Turkey with Tunisia! Or Greece and Turkey?