Suluada is the boat day we get asked about most, and it earns the attention: a white-sand island off Adrasan that guests compare to the Maldives. But we run a whole fleet of boat days along this coast, and as the operator of all of them we can afford to be honest, Suluada is not the right choice for every traveller. Here is how our Side to Suluada boat tour compares with its own stablemates, with real prices and no salesmanship.
The quick answer
- Swimmers, snorkellers and beach purists: Suluada, without hesitation. The water is the whole point.
- First-timers who want an easy, cheerful taster: the classic Side Boat Tour at €20.
- Families where the children set the agenda: the Pirate Boat at €23.
- Couples and anyone allergic to party decks: the music-free Green Canyon catamaran at €33, or the Relax Boat at €70.
- Celebrations and private groups: your own yacht or wooden boat from €400 for the boat.
Suluada from Side: the flagship island day, €40
The Suluada boat tour costs €40 per adult, €30 per child aged 4–10, and infants up to 3 sail free. It is a 10-hour day, and that length is the honest trade-off: Suluada lies off Adrasan, well west of Side, so the day begins early, your exact pickup time is confirmed personally the evening before, and involves a longer drive than any of our local boat trips.
What you get for the commitment: the boat sails from Adrasan in the morning, swims in two quiet bays on the way out, reaches the island for the long midday stop and is back at the port in the afternoon. Lunch is cooked on board, grilled fish or chicken with pasta or rice, Turkish mezes such as stuffed vine leaves or lentil patties, a seasonal salad, then fruit and Turkish tea. On the island you visit the Love Cave and get free time on the white beach that gave Suluada its Turkish Maldives nickname.
Choose it if water clarity is your priority, nothing else we run swims like this. Think twice if you dread early starts, get restless on longer transfers, or are travelling with a baby who will not nap in a coach seat. The full cost picture, including what is deliberately not in the price, is in our price breakdown.
The local alternatives along the Side coast
Side Boat Tour: the easy first taste, €20
Our classic Side Boat Tour is a 7-hour day on the home coastline: swimming and snorkelling stops, lunch on board, live music and a foam party. Adults pay €20, children €14, infants sail free, half the price of Suluada, with a fraction of the driving. If this is your first boat day ever, start here. If you have already done a lively coastal cruise or two, Suluada is the upgrade you are looking for.
Side Pirate Boat Tour: built around the kids, €23
The Pirate Boat (€23 adults, €16 children) is six hours of face painting, treasure hunts, pirate games and a foam party, with a lunch children actually eat: spaghetti, chicken fingers, fish fingers. Suluada asks young children to be patient through a long transfer; the Pirate Boat asks nothing of them at all. If your day's success is measured in small grins, this is the better buy.
Green Canyon Catamaran: calm water, no music, €33
The Green Canyon catamaran cruise (€33 adults, €23 children) is the quiet one: roughly 4.5 hours of music-free cruising on an emerald mountain reservoir, two swim stops in cool, crystal-clear water, unlimited soft drinks, free fishing gear and lunch included. It is an inland day rather than open sea, dramatic canyon walls instead of island beaches. Couples who want scenery and silence sometimes prefer it to everything else we run, Suluada included.
Side Relax Boat Tour: comfort first, €70
The Relax Boat (€70 adults, €49 children) is a 7-hour sea day where every guest has a guaranteed reserved sunbed, lunch is a fresh open buffet, and both soft and alcoholic drinks are included. It cruises the point where the Manavgat River meets the sea, with swim stops near Dolphin Island and the Caretta bays. Yes, it costs more than Suluada: you are paying for space and service rather than a famous island. Guests who value a civilised deck over a celebrated beach choose it deliberately, and rarely regret it.
Private VIP Yacht & Wooden Boat: your own cruise, from €400 for the boat
For birthdays, anniversaries, engagements or a family that wants the deck to itself, the private VIP boat tour starts at €400 for the boat and runs six hours: your own wooden boat or yacht, your choice of swim stops and playlist, and lunch cooked fresh on board. It is a different product from a shared island day, compare it on occasion, not on price.
Staying in Antalya, Kemer or Beldibi?
The same island runs from the other direction too. Our Suluada tour from Antalya is also €40 per adult and €30 per child aged 4–10, a 12-hour day with pickup from central Antalya, Kemer and Beldibi, and snorkelling masks and pool floats included on board. One difference worth noting: it departs on three set days a week, while the Side departure is listed daily.
How to decide without risk
Every tour on this page is booked directly with us, the operator — no middlemen, no hidden costs — which means free reservation, payment on the tour day, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. So the honest advice is simple: reserve the one you are leaning towards, sleep on it, and switch at no charge if the family votes differently at breakfast.
Still weighing it up? The Suluada FAQ answers the practical questions, and if timing is the real question rather than the tour, see our guide to the best time of the season for Suluada. For the full picture of what runs from this coast, browse the complete local guide to Side excursions, or the Antalya version of the same guide if your hotel is closer to the city.