Green Lake and Oymapınar on the Side Jeep Tour
The morning belongs to dust and riverbeds; the middle of the day belongs to water. Six stops in a row are built around the lake, the village above it, the dam and the canyon.
Short answer
On the classic Side jeep tour the water stretch runs: a lookout high over Green Lake, then a swim and fresh Turkish pancakes in Oymapınar village, photographs at Oymapınar Dam, the viewpoint above Green Canyon, lunch at a lakeside restaurant (in the fare), and an optional hour on Green Lake by boat at €5 per person.
The viewpoint over Green Lake
After the aqueducts the convoy climbs to a panoramic stop where the lake and the dam country open out below. It is your first sight of the water that day, and a good moment to have the phone out of its waterproof bag.
The stop is a look, not a walk: you get out, take in the view, and the jeeps move on to the village.
Oymapınar village: swim, then pancakes
The village is where you get into the water yourself. There is a swim stop, and afterwards Turkish pancakes are cooked while you wait, and a drink comes with them. Have your swimsuit on under your clothes and a towel in your bag, and the stop runs without a scramble for changing space.
For the food side of the day — the pancakes, lunch and what the fare covers at the table — see lunch, pancakes and the swim.
Oymapınar Dam and the canyon view
The jeeps then pull up by the dam wall for pictures, and after that at the viewpoint above Green Canyon. They are short, scenic stops rather than visits: we do not publish facts about the dam's size or history, because the operator's record does not give them and we prefer not to guess.
From the canyon viewpoint it is on to the lakeside restaurant near Green Canyon, where the fare covers your lunch and anything you drink is settled at the table.
On the lake itself: the optional boat
After lunch there is the one chance to go out on Green Lake rather than look at it: a boat trip of roughly an hour, €5 per person, decided and paid on the spot. It is an add-on to your day, not a separate tour, and skipping it costs you none of the stops above. More in the boat hour and the waterfall.
The water stops at a glance
| Stop | What happens | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Green Lake viewpoint | Panoramic look over the lake | In the fare |
| Oymapınar village | Swim, then pancakes with a drink | Part of the route |
| Oymapınar Dam | Photo stop at the dam wall | In the fare |
| Above Green Canyon | Viewpoint before lunch | In the fare |
| Lakeside lunch | Lunch by the lake near Green Canyon | In the fare; drinks extra |
| Green Lake boat | About an hour on the water | Optional, €5 per person on the day |
The order is the operator's usual one; the driver may adjust it to suit the day. The whole sequence is in the day, stop by stop.
