GoToBeach - Global Online Holidays
Manavgat

Discover Manavgat

Why Book Your Manavgat Holiday with GotoBeach?

Manavgat is the river town just inland from the long beaches between Side and Alanya, famous for its broad, fast-flowing river and the wide waterfall that tumbles across it in the town centre. For holidaymakers, the name covers both the bustling market town — with one of the best weekly bazaars on the coast — and the quieter sandy resorts strung along the shore at Kızılot, Çolaklı and Gündoğdu, where a handful of comfortable all-inclusives sit on a calm, uncrowded beach. It is a gentler, more local-flavoured base than the big resort strips, with the Roman ruins of Side a few minutes west and the lively town of Alanya a short drive east. About an hour from Antalya Airport, it suits travellers who want a quiet beach and a taste of everyday Turkey.

Every Manavgat package we sell carries full ATOL financial protection under licence #11211, and your ATOL Certificate arrives the moment you book — you can read how your ATOL financial protection works before you commit. Our hotel here has been hand-picked and inspected in person against our 22-point criteria, not chosen from a brochure, so when we recommend it, it is because a member of our team has walked the grounds, eaten in the restaurants and timed the walk to the sand.

"Manavgat is the real Turkey just behind the beach — the river, the waterfall, the Monday market — and a calm, sandy shore that never feels crowded," says Raşit Eti, our Turkey Destination Specialist, who has spent more than thirty years in Turkish tourism — from senior management at Sunrise Queen and Mylome Luxury to director roles at Air Tours — and still walks the Antalya coast every season, re-checking the hotels on this page in person. He tastes the buffets on quiet weeknights, times the walk to the water in flip-flops, and reports back honestly when something has slipped. If you want the bigger picture before you choose, his overview of holidays along the Antalya coast sets Manavgat next to Side, Belek and Alanya, and his shortlist of the best all-inclusive hotels in Antalya is the honest place to start. Meet Raşit Eti, our Turkey specialist.

 

Photos of Manavgat

Discover Manavgat

Top hotels in Manavgat

Inspected in person · 22-point criteria

Manavgat's resorts line the calm, sandy shore at Kızılot, Çolaklı and Gündoğdu. Our programme here is deliberately focused — a standout all-inclusive that earns its place — with the much bigger line-ups of Side and Alanya only minutes away if you want more to choose from.

Manavgat · Antalya

Vonresort Golden Beach

Family Splash
★★★★★

A bright family ultra-all-inclusive on the calm Manavgat shore, built around an aquapark with proper slides, multiple pools and a full programme of kids' clubs and animation. The buffets are generous and varied, and there's enough on site to fill a relaxed week without leaving — all on a quieter, less crowded beach than the big resort strips.

🏖 Directly on the Manavgat beachfront

View Vonresort Golden Beach

One standout is the honest answer for a quieter shore like this. If you want more to choose between — and most of our guests do — the bigger line-ups sit right next door: browse the beach hotels of Side a few minutes west, with its Roman ruins, or look east to the lively resort town of Alanya. For the all-inclusive style Manavgat does so well, our shortlist of the best all-inclusive hotels in Antalya is the natural next step, and you can see the whole programme on the Manavgat hotels page.

Discover Manavgat

Manavgat's character comes from its river and its everyday Turkish rhythm. The town sits a couple of miles inland, where the broad Manavgat River rushes down from the Taurus Mountains and spills over a wide, low waterfall right in the centre — a popular spot for a riverside lunch and a photograph. The town's weekly bazaar is one of the biggest and most authentic on the coast, a proper working market where locals shop alongside visitors for produce, textiles and spices. This is the side of the region the big resorts rarely show.

Down on the coast, the resort areas of Kızılot, Çolaklı and Gündoğdu offer long, sandy, uncrowded beaches and a calmer pace than the busier strips — the appeal here is space and quiet rather than nightlife. And because Manavgat sits midway between two of the coast's headline destinations, you are never far from more: the ancient town of Side, with its temple and amphitheatre, is just west, while the castle and bazaar of Alanya lie a short drive east. It suits families and couples who want a relaxed beach week with a genuine slice of local life on the doorstep. For the wider lay of the land, start with our Antalya coast overview.

Manavgat beach & seafront

The beaches along the Manavgat coast — at Kızılot, Çolaklı and Gündoğdu — are among the quieter sandy stretches on this part of the Riviera. They are long ribbons of soft golden sand and fine shingle that shelve gently into clear, warm water, comfortable underfoot and reassuring for children, and noticeably less crowded than the resort beaches around Side and Lara. Sunbeds and parasols line the shore, water-sports operators run jet-skis and parascending in season, and each beachfront resort manages its own private beach club with loungers, towels and bar service for guests. Much of the shoreline flies the Blue Flag, and the west-facing aspect delivers lovely Mediterranean sunsets over the Gulf of Antalya. For the resorts that get the beach week right, see our pick of the best all-inclusive hotels in Antalya.

Things to do around Manavgat

The river is the star. The Manavgat Waterfall, wide and low in the town centre, is a quick and refreshing trip, while a Manavgat River boat cruise — gliding upstream past reed-banks and out towards the river mouth, with lunch and a swim stop — is the classic local day out. The town's huge weekly bazaar is well worth timing your week around for a proper Turkish market experience. Further upriver lies the great Oymapınar Dam and the emerald-green Green Canyon, where boat trips run across a strikingly coloured reservoir ringed by mountains.

The headline historical sight is on your doorstep: the Roman town of Side, with its cliff-edge Temple of Apollo and vast amphitheatre, is just minutes west. For families, the Land of Legends theme and aqua park over in Belek is the region's blockbuster day out — our guide to the best hotels near Land of Legends is worth a look. To plan beyond the hotel gates, read up on Antalya beyond the resorts, and for the regional food scene see where to eat fish in Antalya.

When to go to Manavgat

Manavgat's season runs from spring to autumn, and the sea takes a while to catch up with the air — here is how the months actually feel, and when our specialist would book.

When Air Sea Our take
April–May 21–26°C 18–21°C Warm, green and quiet; the sea is still bracing but the beach, river and bazaar are lovely — great value before the crowds.
June 30°C 24°C Reliable summer heat with a sea that's finally warm. A sweet spot before the school holidays land.
July–August 34–35°C 27–28°C Peak heat, peak buzz, peak prices — and the cool of the river and waterfall is a welcome escape from the midday sun.
September 31°C 27°C Our pick: summer-warm sea, softer heat, fewer families once schools go back.
October 25–26°C 24°C A gentle wind-down — still swimmable and sunny, perfect for couples and a calmer week.

If you can pick your week freely, late May, June and September give you the best balance of warm water, comfortable heat and sensible prices. Families locked into the summer break get the hottest, liveliest version of Manavgat — and the quieter beaches here are a real bonus in the peak weeks.

The practical parts

Getting there

You fly into Antalya Airport (AYT), the gateway for the whole eastern coast, and the transfer to the Manavgat resorts takes roughly an hour by road. Many UK airports run direct services to Antalya right through the summer, and every GoToBeach Turkey package includes your flights and your airport-to-hotel transfer at both ends.

Passports & entry

British passport holders currently don't need a visa for short tourist stays in Türkiye (up to 90 days in any 180). Your passport must meet Türkiye's validity rules — at the time of writing, valid for at least 150 days from arrival, with a blank page for the stamp. Entry rules can change at short notice, so always recheck the official guidance close to departure.

Money

The currency is the Turkish lira. Cards work fine inside the resorts and at most larger venues, but it's worth carrying some cash for the bazaar, taxis and small cafés in town. Tipping is customary and appreciated — a little for housekeeping, waiters and your driver goes a long way and is part of the local rhythm.

Health & insurance

A UK GHIC is not valid in Türkiye, so comprehensive travel insurance with proper medical cover is essential — we'd never send anyone without it. We can point you towards arranging suitable travel insurance when you book. In peak summer the sun is fierce, so pack high-factor sun care and take it easy on arrival day.

Getting around

The resorts are self-contained, so you can happily spend the week without transport. When you fancy a change, frequent dolmuş (shared minibuses) and taxis run into Manavgat town and along the coast to Side and Alanya. Hire a car only if you plan to explore the river, the canyon and the inland sights under your own steam.

Food & eating out

At the hotels you'll eat well from generous all-inclusive buffets plus à la carte restaurants. When you head out, the riverside restaurants are the local treat — order a spread of Turkish meze, fresh fish by the water, or a proper döner from a busy local spot. For the best catch in the region, see our guide to where to eat fish in Antalya.

Map of Manavgat

Frequently Asked Questions About Manavgat

Common questions and answers for planning your Manavgat holiday.

Handpicked packages featuring the best destinations across the Manavgat

Further reading from our specialists

Deeper diver from the team, all based on recent resort visits.

Best All Inclusive Hotels Antalya

The World’s Finest All Inclusive, Found in Antalya

Antalya Beyond the Resorts: Hidden Coastal Gems

Escape the crowded hotel zones and discover Antalya’s hidden beaches, charming old towns, local seafood spots and breathtaking Mediterranean sunsets.

Where to stay in Turkey

Turkey's Best Resorts. One Honest Guide

Official guidance & sources

Entry and health rules for Türkiye can change at short notice, so always check the official advice when you book and again shortly before you fly. These are the sources we trust.