Scuba Diving from Çolaklı

Çolaklı sits on the sandy shoreline a few kilometres west of Side, a resort area built around one simple asset: a long, gently shelving beach where the Mediterranean stays warm and inviting for most of the swimming season. It is a place of spacious family hotels, quiet side streets and evenings that revolve around the seafront rather than nightlife — which is exactly why so many guests here go looking for one genuinely memorable day out beyond the sunbed.

Our dive day makes that easy. In the morning we collect you from your Çolaklı hotel — the transfer is free in both directions — and drive you along the coast to the dive boat in Side. After a full safety briefing and equipment fitting, your first guided dive settles at a relaxed 5–8 metres for 15 to 25 minutes, perfect for finding your breathing rhythm. Back on deck a fresh lunch is served on board, and in the afternoon the second dive takes you down to about 13 metres, the ceiling for beginners. Door to door, the whole trip lasts about seven hours. Certified divers dive the real profiles from the same boats: around 30 metres on standard certified dives, and down to 60 metres on the deep sites for suitably qualified divers.

Divers staying in Çolaklı almost always pick the Side Underwater Museum trip, and for good reason: you glide over sunken sculptures resting on the seabed, hand-feed swirling clouds of fish, and dive in small groups of just three to four per instructor. At €45 with all equipment, lunch, insurance and the Çolaklı transfer included, it is our flagship day out — see the full details on the Side Underwater Museum diving trip page, or compare every trip on our prices page. Reserve free of charge online and pay on the day; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

Never dived before? No licence is needed — every dive is guided, and try-dives are possible from around age 10, so families can share the day. Non-diving partners are welcome on the boat at a reduced rate. Just note the standard rules: diving is not possible during pregnancy or with serious heart, asthma or respiratory conditions, and you should not fly within 24 hours of your last dive. Curious first-timers can read more on our discover scuba diving page.