Side days compared
Fishing Tour or Dolphin Boat in Side: Choosing with Children in Mind
If your children love the sea, they may well ask for both. Here is how a fishing morning compares with a dolphin boat day, so you can decide which comes first — or whether the week has room for each.
Short answer
Pick the fishing morning if your children like doing rather than watching: every guest has a rod, the captain helps them hook bait and bring up a fish, and you are back at the hotel by early afternoon. Pick a dolphin boat day if the hope of a sighting from the deck is what excites them. The two are very different in rhythm, and fit comfortably into one holiday on separate days.
Doing versus watching
On the fishing morning, children are participants. They hold their own rod, feel for the knock of a bite, and reel in whatever has taken the bait — red mullet, sea bass, sea bream and shrimp are common, small colourful species turn up, and now and then something larger, though nothing is promised. The captain takes each fish off the hook, so small hands never have to.
A dolphin boat day is a different kind of outing: a boat on the water with the hope of a sighting as its point. Our sister site describes that day and keeps its current details up to date, so we leave its timings, inclusions and prices to them.
The two days compared
| Fishing morning | Dolphin boat day | |
|---|---|---|
| Children's role | Active: their own rod, with the captain's help | Watching from the boat |
| Fare | €45 per person, every age alike, plus the €5 sea fee in cash on board | Shown on our sister site |
| Start and finish | Boat 07:00 to 12:30; pickup time set the day before | Shown on our sister site |
| Group on board | At most 12 guests | Shown on our sister site |
What the fishing morning asks of children
Mainly, an early start. The boat leaves at 07:00, and your hotel's pickup time, sent the day before, comes earlier still, so young children need to be up, dressed and ready at an hour they may not be used to. Our early start guide has practical advice for that, from the night-before checklist to packed snacks.
Every age pays the same fare and is welcome on board, and parents stay with their children throughout. No food is served on board, neither breakfast nor lunch, so bring juice and a snack your child will eat. The children's guide covers the rest, including how to manage a child whose patience with the rod runs out before the morning does.
Which to choose
For a child who fidgets when there is nothing to do, the fishing morning has the edge: there is always a line to check. For a child whose heart is set on the dolphin boat, and who is content to watch and wait, that is the natural pick. Our sister site, which covers the dolphin boat in Side, sets out what that day currently involves.
Consider cost per family too. On the fishing morning each person pays €45, children included, and the €5 sea fee per person in cash on the boat. The worth-it guide lists everything that fare covers, from the hotel transfer to the bait.
Fitting both into one week
Since the fishing boat is back at 12:30, it uses half a day and leaves the afternoon for rest. Placing the two outings on separate days, with a quiet pool day between them if your children tire easily, keeps both enjoyable.
When you are ready to reserve the fishing morning, use the deep-sea fishing trip page. Bookings open from tomorrow; there is no payment online, the fare is paid in euros on the day and the cancellation is free until 48 hours before.
Side Deep-Sea Fishing Trip: prices, what is included, and booking