Hotels near Side Old Town (Pedestrian Streets)

The Side headland is car-free behind the Vespasian Gate, and the 1 km grid of original Roman streets still functions as the town's main shopping district. Whitewashed houses with bougainvillea-draped balconies sit beside fragments of the ancient agora, the Byzantine basilica, and the eastern colonnaded street. Souvenir shops sell hand-loomed cotton pestemal towels (from TRY 350) and Turkish ceramics, while restaurants like Moonlight Side offer Anatolian sea bass at TRY 700 with a sea view. The town is small enough to walk end-to-end in 12 minutes and has the densest cluster of seafront cafes in southern Turkey. After dark, the souvenir lane lights up with laser projectors and turns into a pedestrian carnival until midnight in summer 2026. Entry to the Old Town is free; you only pay for the museum and theatre at separate gates.

Pro Tip: Walk the eastern colonnaded street at 07:30 before shops open. The pillars catch low golden light, and you avoid the souvenir touts who appear at 09:30.