Side days compared
Dolphin Boat or Suluada from Side: Two Island Days Compared
Both are island days by boat, both are about swimming, and the names get mixed up in hotel lobbies. They are not the same trip, and the island is only part of the difference.
Short answer
The dolphin boat starts on the calm Manavgat river, swims at the Boğaz river mouth, serves lunch on deck and anchors at Dolphin Island (Yunus Adası), where wild dolphins and turtles live and may pass — never promised. Suluada is a boat day built around a different island and its bays. Pick the dolphin boat for the river-to-sea route and the wild chance; pick Suluada for that island's own coastline.
Two islands, two different days
Dolphin Island is the turning point of our day, not its whole content. The boat leaves at 10:00, runs down the river, stops at the river mouth where cold fresh water and warm salt water sit a few strokes apart, and only then heads into open water to the island for the long swim. Our Dolphin Island guide explains what the island is and why the boat anchors there.
Suluada is a separate island day with its own route, its own bays and its own lunch on board. It draws people for the colour of its water and its beaches. If that island is what you came to Türkiye to see, it deserves its own day.
The swims, side by side
The dolphin boat has three swims: the river mouth, the long one at Dolphin Island and a last dip before the foam party on the way home. Our swim stops guide describes each one and how to enjoy the day if you would rather stay on deck — swimming is never compulsory.
On a Suluada day the swimming happens in that island's bays. How many stops, where and for how long is for its own site to say.
What you pay on the dolphin boat
| Guest | Dolphin boat fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 11 and over | €21 | Paid in euros on the day |
| Child, 2 to 10 | €15 | Same pickup, same lunch |
| Under 2 | Free | Tell us when you book |
Hotel transfer, the BBQ lunch, the foam party, guiding on board and full-day travel insurance are in the fare. Drinks from the bar are not. The full breakdown is on our prices page.
Choosing, or doing both
If someone in your party wants the chance of dolphins, the dolphin boat is the day built around that chance. If someone has a photograph of Suluada saved on their phone, that is the day to book for them. They do not repeat each other: different water, different islands, different routes.
Suluada is sold by our sister site suluadaboattour.com, which lists its own price, times and inclusions. For the dolphin day, see dolphin boat prices and book with no card online; cancelling is free until 48 hours before.
