Scuba Diving from Kızılağaç

Kızılağaç sits just east of Side in the Manavgat district, a purpose-built holiday enclave where spacious all-inclusive resorts spread out along a long, sun-baked stretch of Mediterranean shoreline. The rhythm here is wonderfully unhurried — breakfast overlooking landscaped gardens, lazy hours between pool and beach, evening shows under a warm sky — with the green foothills of the Taurus mountains as a distant backdrop. It is exactly the kind of relaxed base from which one unforgettable day out shines all the brighter, and for many guests that day happens underwater.

From Kızılağaç, your dive day could hardly be simpler. In the morning our driver collects you straight from your hotel — the two-way transfer is completely free — and a short, scenic ride brings you to the harbour at Side, where the dive boat is moored. After a thorough safety briefing you make two guided dives: a calm first descent to 5–8 metres lasting 15–25 minutes, then, once a freshly cooked lunch has been served on deck, a second dive to about 13 metres, the ceiling for beginners. Tank, regulator, wetsuit, mask and fins are all provided, and passenger plus diving insurance is included. 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 Kızılağaç overwhelmingly pick the Side Underwater Museum trip — the departure point is the closest to your resort, and the site itself is unlike anything else on this coast. Beneath the surface, a field of sunken sculptures has slowly turned into a living artificial reef, and you can hand-feed the fish that now shelter among the statues. Groups are kept deliberately small at 3–4 divers per instructor, the full day lasts around 7 hours, and it costs €45 — you can compare every option on our prices page.

Never dived before? That is exactly who this trip was designed for: no licence is required, try-dives are possible from around age 10, and non-diving companions can join the boat at a reduced rate to simply enjoy the cruise and lunch. Read how a first dive works on our discover scuba diving page, then reserve free of charge online — you pay on the day, in cash or by card, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.