Side weather in August
August in Side: sweltering, dry — fine if you can take 36°C afternoons.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Side · #309 of 1413 destinations to visit in August · comfort 89/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 32°C
- Nights
- 24°C
- Wet days
- 2
- Sun
- 12.3 h
- Humidity
- 65%
- Daylight
- 14 h
Traveller notes on Side in August
Notes from nearby Alanya (60 km away)
Side doesn't have its own notes for August yet — these are about Alanya, close enough to share the season.
Regulars describe this stretch from mid-July through August plainly as very hot with high humidity that makes a breeze hard to find, temperatures in the high thirties and occasionally touching forty. Our row backs it - 32.1C reading as 37C at 68.2 percent humidity, with nights holding 26.9C, so hotel air conditioning matters after dark as much as during the day. Their method is the one this whole coast converges on: sightsee early or late, stay in around midday, and take whatever breeze the sea offers if you are beside it. The water itself is the reward, consistently above 30C - our column says 30.3C - so swimming is never the problem here, only walking. Rain is negligible, 11.9mm across 4.2 days. The record: 12.3 hours of sun, a 12.7 kph wind and AQI 55.
Other months in Side
The Side forum is full of people hoping for a beach-ready March, and the honest answer from regulars is: it's pleasant for sightseeing, not for swimming yet. Daytime highs mostly sit in the mid-teens C, several posters warned evenings turn properly cool and you'll want a jacket or cardigan the moment the sun drops, and a couple described getting caught out by a sudden, heavy downpour that shut down outdoor plans for an afternoon. It's a good month for walking the ancient theatre and harbor without summer crowds or heat, just don't pack only summer dresses like one traveler admitted she did.
Forum posters describe early September on Turkey's Turquoise Coast as still solidly hot, commonly 27-30C under cloudless skies, with humidity noticeably lower than the peak of July-August. One poster tracking a specific late-September week reported days staying warm while evenings turned genuinely chilly by the last week of the month - cool enough to want a jacket or cardigan after dark, a real shift from earlier in the month. Sea and pool temperatures are described as comfortably 'just right' for swimming throughout, with posters generally rating September as an easier, less oppressive alternative to midsummer while the back half of the month starts trending toward autumn evenings.
Add your own note from Side's card on the map.
Side climate normals — August
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Side in August
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsCoach hours at the ruins, Swimming season, Summer holidays in Turkey(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Side's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherSide's best weather comes in June, July and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Side in August
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Coach hours at the ruins
15 Apr – 31 Oct · usuallyDay-tripper crushCrowdedCoaches from Antalya and Alanya unload at the temple gates late morning and the pedestrian street through the old town is impassable until mid-afternoon.
- Nature
Loggerhead nesting
15 May – 30 Sep · usuallyTurtle nestingClosuresLoggerheads come ashore on the sand either side of the promontory through the summer and the marked nests are roped off. Beach furniture and lights are restricted where they are. Source ↗
- Season
Swimming season
1 Jun – 31 Oct · usuallySea warm enoughCrowdedThe bay warms early and holds it deep into October, well past the point the package flights taper off. Late September and October are the best weeks on this coast.
- Festival
Aspendos opera and ballet
1 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyMusic festivalBook earlyThe Roman theatre half an hour up the road stages opera and ballet through the summer, performed in a house that seats several thousand and needs no amplification. Source ↗
- Season
The August peak
15 Jul – 31 AugSchool holidaysCrowdedBook earlyTurkish domestic holidays and the European charters coincide and the strip between the ruins and the harbour is at its densest. Everything costs more and the ruins are best at eight in the morning.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Side — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Side?
Side in August — FAQ
- Is August a good time to visit Side?
- August in Side: sweltering, dry — fine if you can take 36°C afternoons. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Side on SeasonMap's comfort score (89/100).
- What is the weather like in Side in August?
- In August, Side averages a daily high of 32.4°C and a low of 23.9°C, with about 6 mm of rain over roughly 1.9 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Side in August?
- Side has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 54 in August.
Within 300 km: Kaş's Loggerhead nesting at Patara on 1 May – 30 Sep, and Paphos' Turtle nesting at Lara around 1 Jun – 15 Oct.