Quick answer
The Green Canyon you cruise is the reservoir of the Oymapinar dam, built on the Manavgat river in the 1980s in the Taurus mountains. Here's how the dam and steep canyon walls made the emerald lake, why the water is that colour, and how to join a full-day boat trip from Side, Antalya, Alanya and beyond.
Green Canyon is the reservoir of the Oymapinar dam, built on the Manavgat river in the 1980s, up in the Taurus mountains inland from Manavgat. When the dam held back the river, water rose into the steep valley and filled it, leaving a deep emerald lake between pine-clad canyon walls. That lake is what you cruise on a Green Canyon boat tour.
\n\nWhat the Oymapinar dam actually is
\nThe Oymapinar dam sits across the Manavgat river and was built in the 1980s. It stands in a narrow gorge in the Taurus mountains, some way inland from the town of Manavgat and the coast. Damming a river in a steep valley does one simple thing: it stops the water leaving, so the valley fills. The reservoir that formed behind Oymapinar is the body of water everyone now calls Green Canyon.
\nWe run our boats on that reservoir, not on the sea. That single fact explains most of what makes the trip different from a coastal cruise — the calm water, the cold swim stops, the tall walls on either side. It is a working dam and a working lake, and the cruise happens on the part of it that is open to boats.
\n\nHow a dam became a canyon lake
\nBefore the dam, the Manavgat river ran through a deep, winding gorge cut into the mountains over a very long time. The rock walls were already there. When the dam raised the water level, the river no longer flowed freely through the bottom of that gorge — instead the water backed up and rose against the existing walls.
\nSo the \"canyon\" you see is genuine geology, and the \"lake\" is man-made. The steep sides are natural rock and forest; the flat, deep, still water between them is the reservoir. That combination — old canyon, new lake — is why the scenery reads as dramatic and the boating reads as gentle at the same time.
\n\nWhy the water is green
\nThe colour is a mix of depth, minerals and reflection. The reservoir is deep and the water is cold and clear, carrying minerals washed down from the mountain rock. Deep, clean water like this absorbs and scatters light in a way that pushes the colour towards green and emerald rather than the blue you get on the coast.
\nOn top of that, the walls above the water are covered in pine forest, and that green reflects down onto the surface. Bright sun makes it more vivid; cloud flattens it. The name is honest — on a clear day the water genuinely looks green. See it for yourself on the Green Canyon boat tour.
\n\nWhat the cruise is like
\nBecause it is a lake and not the sea, there are no real waves and no swell. That is the headline for anyone who gets seasick: this is about as steady as boating gets. Our captains take the boat slowly around the open part of the reservoir, in and out of the wider sections between the walls, with stops to swim.
\nThe swimming is the memorable part. The water is properly cold — colder than the sea, because it is deep mountain reservoir water — and very clear. Guests swim off the boat at the stops, and there's free time to sit on deck, take photos of the walls, and relax. Many tours also include a lakeside lunch. For exactly what's included on the version you book, check the tour page, as inclusions vary.
\n\nA full day, start to finish
\nGreen Canyon is a full-day trip, not a quick hour on the water. The day runs roughly like this: transfer from your hotel, a relaxed cruise around the lake with several hours on and around the water, swim stops and free time, then the transfer back. We spend the time it takes to make the lake worth the drive inland — this isn't a rushed loop.
\nGuests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. You book online and pay on the day of the tour, so nothing is charged up front. Want the specific timings for your resort? The Green Canyon boat tour page is the place to check.
\n\nGreen Canyon vs a sea boat trip
\nIf you're weighing this against a coastal cruise, here's the honest comparison — feature against what it actually is.
\n| Feature | What it is on Green Canyon |
|---|---|
| Water | Freshwater reservoir behind the Oymapinar dam, not the sea |
| Colour | Emerald green — deep, mineral-rich water plus reflected pine forest |
| Conditions | Calm lake, no real waves, no swell — very little seasickness risk |
| Swimming | Cold, clear mountain water at swim stops |
| Setting | Steep canyon walls and pine forest, inland in the Taurus mountains |
| Length | Full day, including hotel transfers both ways |
| Best for | Scenery, calm water, cold-water swimming, people who dislike rough seas |
Neither is \"better\" — they're different days out. If you've already done the sea and want something calmer and greener, add the lake to your week. Browse the Green Canyon boat tour and see how it fits your dates.
\n\nWhere you can join from, and rough prices
\nWe pick guests up from across the coast — Side, Manavgat, Kumkoy, Belek, Alanya and Antalya. Because the lake is inland, the price mostly tracks how far your transfer has to travel. Starting prices are approximate 2026 per-person bands; the live price always sits on the tour page.
\n| Departure area | Approx. from (per person) |
|---|---|
| Side | from EUR 28 |
| Alanya | from EUR 38 |
| Kumkoy | from EUR 43 |
| Belek | from EUR 48 |
| Antalya | from EUR 54 |
Coming from the far end of the coast? We run dedicated pages for the longer transfers, including the Antalya Green Canyon boat tour and the Alanya Green Canyon boat tour. If you're staying around Side, you'll find the lake alongside our other departures on the Side trips hub. Pick your pickup point and the right price shows on the page.
\n\nFrequently asked questions
\n\nIs Green Canyon the same thing as the Oymapinar dam?
\nEffectively, yes. Green Canyon is the reservoir — the lake — held back by the Oymapinar dam on the Manavgat river. The dam created the lake in the 1980s, and the boat cruise runs on that lake. \"Green Canyon\" is the tourism name for the canyon-walled part of the reservoir you sail through.
\n\nWhy is the water so cold if it's in Turkey?
\nBecause it's a deep mountain reservoir, not the shallow warm sea. The water comes off the Taurus mountains and the lake is deep, so it stays cold and clear. That's exactly why the swim stops feel so refreshing — but bring a towel and expect a proper chill when you get in.
\n\nWill I get seasick on Green Canyon?
\nVery unlikely. It's a lake with no real waves or swell, so the boat stays steady. This is one of the trips we'd point people towards specifically because they struggle with rough seas. If motion is a worry for you, the calm water here is a big part of the appeal.
\n\nHow long does the trip take?
\nIt's a full-day trip: hotel transfer, a relaxed cruise with several hours around the lake, swim stops and free time, then the transfer back. Because the lake is inland, some of the day is the drive there and back. For the timings that apply to your resort, check the Green Canyon boat tour page.
\n\nWhat time is the pickup?
\nIt's a morning pickup. Guests are picked up from their hotel in the morning; the exact time is confirmed the day before and varies from hotel to hotel. You book online and pay on the day of the tour, so you're not charged before you travel.
\n\nReady to see the lake behind the dam
\nNow you know the story — a dam on the Manavgat river, an old gorge flooded in the 1980s, and an emerald lake sitting between the walls ever since. The best way to understand it is from the water, on a calm cruise with a cold swim in the middle. Check dates, your pickup point and the live price on the Green Canyon boat tour and book your day on the lake.
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