I didn’t expect to start my day under water in Alanya, but here we are—and it was one of those travel memories that stick.

It began with a transfer arranged by voyawith.com to Antalya Aquarium, Europe’s largest aquarium tunnel. We walked beneath hundreds of sharks, rays, and vibrant reef fish. My daughter pressed her forehead against the glass, amazed at how the creatures swam inches above us. For a moment, the world above disappeared. We moved on to the interactive jellyfish area, where soft blue lights and swaying tentacles created a trance-like calm—perfect for a family wanting a moment of awe.

Later, we boarded a small boat bound for Sea Alanya, where snorkeling masks and fins awaited. Dropping into crystal-clear pools, we found ourselves swimming alongside tropical fish in every shade of the rainbow. The highlight? A short shark cage dive—just tall enough to see their sleek shapes glide by, safe and surreal.

“I feel like a marine explorer,” my youngest said. And she was right.

But the real magic was still to come: the Side Underwater Museum dive, an unscripted treasure hidden just off the coast. Voyawith.com’s Side Diving Tour guides us leisurely out to the site, where familiar statues—Poseidon, dervishes, even camels—rise from the seabed like time capsules.

The first breath underwater is always a shock. Briefly disoriented, I blinked through my mask—and then I saw the statues. Rays circled around a reclining Poseidon, fish flitted between a dervish’s robes. It didn’t feel like swimming near art—it felt like stepping into history.

We surfaced quietly, awed and speechless. Over lunch on the dive boat, someone said, “This changed how I feel about Side.”

If you want a day that blends curiosity, calm, and just a pinch of adventure, this is it. From the bright lights of Antalya Aquarium to the deep quiet of Side’s underwater sculptures, this odyssey delivers.