❓ Blog · 4 min read
What Is the Green Canyon? A Plain Answer
Quick answer
Not a gorge you hike, not a sea bay — a flooded mountain canyon holding 300 million m³ of spring water. The plain answer.
The Green Canyon is a flooded mountain canyon in the Western Taurus near Manavgat, Antalya: the reservoir that formed when the Oymapınar Dam — a concrete arch about 185 metres tall, completed in 1984 — closed the Manavgat river. The result is Turkey's largest canyon reservoir: roughly 300 million cubic metres of water over about 4.7 square kilometres, walled by pine-covered slopes.
Why the water is that green
The Manavgat river — 93 kilometres long, known as the Melas in antiquity — is fed by giant karst springs. Water filtered through that much limestone carries fine minerals that turn sunlight emerald. The colour is real, strongest in bright midday light, and needs no camera filter.
How you actually visit
The canyon is experienced by boat — the walls rise straight from the water, so there is no shore promenade to stroll. Two formats sail daily in season: the classic 4.5-hour boat tour with lunch on board and several swim stops, and the 2.5-hour panoramic catamaran. Hotel pickup runs from the Side–Manavgat coast daily, from Alanya daily in season, and from Belek and Antalya on Mondays and Thursdays.