Side days compared
Pirate Boat or Green Canyon from Side: An Honest Family Comparison
One day is at sea with a crew dressed as pirates; the other heads inland to the green water of a canyon lake. They answer different wishes, and the right one depends on who is coming.
Short answer
Choose the pirate boat when the day is for the children: costumes, a treasure hunt, games, swim stops and lunch, all along the Side coast. Choose Green Canyon when the adults want scenery and a slower day away from the beach. Couples without children will usually get more from the canyon; families with young children, from the pirate ship.
Coast against canyon
The pirate boat trip stays on the sea. After an air-conditioned hotel pickup, the ship cruises along the coast while the crew, in full pirate costume, keep the children busy with games, stories and a treasure hunt. There are swim stops in the Mediterranean and lunch on board, and the day runs for about 6 hours, morning to afternoon.
A Green Canyon day turns its back on the beach and goes inland, to boat on the green water of a canyon lake among the mountains. It is a scenery day: you go for the views and the colour of the water rather than for anything staged on deck.
Side by side
| Pirate boat trip | Green Canyon day | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting | The sea along the Side coast | A canyon lake inland |
| Built for | Children and families | Anyone who likes scenery |
| Entertainment | Pirate crew, costumes, treasure hunt, games | The landscape |
| Fares | €20 per adult, €14 for ages 2 to 10 | See our sister site |
Without children: be honest with yourselves
Our pirate days are made for families, and we would sooner say so here than have a couple feel out of place on deck. You can book the pirate boat trip as adults — it is still a coast cruise with swims and lunch — but you will share it with costumed children chasing treasure. The guide for adults and couples sets out exactly what you would be signing up for.
For a couple looking for a calm, beautiful day, a canyon trip is very likely the better fit. We would rather you enjoy your holiday than buy the wrong day from us.
With children: what each day asks of them
Young children judge a day by how much they get to do. On the pirate ship that question answers itself: they dress up, hunt, play and swim. A scenery day asks for more patience, and how well that goes depends on the child.
Older children and teenagers can go either way. Some will love the canyon's colours; others will happily join the pirate games for one more summer. Our is the pirate boat worth it guide breaks down what the fare actually buys, so you can weigh it fairly against a different kind of day.
Doing both
They overlap so little that booking both makes perfect sense on a longer stay. The pirate day can go early in the holiday, when the children are desperate for the sea; the canyon makes a good change of scene once everyone has had their fill of the beach. Our sister site covers Green Canyon days from Side in full, with the current fares and everything that is included.
Booking the pirate day costs nothing upfront. You settle the fare in euros once the day itself comes round, and a change of heart is free up to 48 hours before you sail.
Side Pirate Boat Trip: prices, what is included, and booking
