Hidden Paradise Tour from Side: Waterfalls, Green Lake & Secret Swimming Spots

Trade the beach for the mountains on this full-day nature excursion from Side. Stand beside Manavgat Waterfall, glide across Green Lake by catamaran with time for a swim, pause at a village mosque and ancient aqueducts, and photograph Green Canyon from above. The day peaks at the Hidden Paradise — an unspoiled swimming spot below small waterfalls, where a long swim break and lunch at a family-run restaurant await. Hotel pickup from the Side area, guiding and the catamaran ride are all included for €40. Reserve free and pay on the day.

Some of the most beautiful corners of the Antalya Riviera never appear on a beach map. This full-day excursion from Side strings them together: rushing water at Manavgat Waterfall, the still emerald surface of Green Lake, and a secluded swimming spot the locals simply call the Hidden Paradise.

Your day begins with a morning pickup from your Side-area hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle. First stop is Manavgat Waterfall, wide and thunderous in spring, gentler at the height of summer. From there you board a catamaran for a ride across Green Lake — the reservoir behind Oymapınar Dam — with a swimming break of about an hour in water so green it hardly looks real.

Back on land, the route slows down: a look inside the old mosque of Oymapınar village, a panorama stop at ancient aqueducts, a photo break on the bridge approaching Green Canyon, and a lookout over the canyon and Oymapınar Lake that fills every camera roll.

Then comes the reason the tour carries its name. Near a village on the road towards Alanya lies the Hidden Paradise: clear pools beneath small waterfalls, framed by greenery and blissfully free of crowds. You have around two hours here to swim, laze and eat — lunch is served at a family-run restaurant just below the falls. By late afternoon you are back at your hotel.

The pace is easy — light walking between stops, swimming always optional — which makes the day a favourite with families, couples and solo travellers alike. Guiding, hotel transfers, the catamaran ride and lunch are included in the €40 price. As a direct local operator we add no middleman margins and no hidden costs: reservation is free, you pay on the tour day, and cancellation is free up to 48 hours before departure. The programme order can shift with weather and road conditions, and if weather cancels the day entirely, rescheduling is free.