Transfers across the Alanya area

The Alanya region is a ribbon of coast roughly 50 km long, ending at a town that keeps going after the hotels close. Alanya itself sits under a rock headland crowned by a Seljuk castle, with the Red Tower at the old harbour, Cleopatra Beach to the west and a long sand beach running east. West of town the resort strip runs through Konaklı, Türkler, İncekum, Avsallar and Okurcalar, where large all-inclusive hotels back onto pine and sand. East of town Kestel, Mahmutlar and Kargıcak climb between the sea and the Taurus foothills, with more apartment blocks than hotels and residents who stay all winter.

Every transfer leaves Antalya Airport on the D400, the coastal dual carriageway heading east past Aksu, Serik, Manavgat and Side. The distance band across the region is 94 to 145 km: Okurcalar at the near end is about 80 minutes, Avsallar and İncekum about 85, Türkler and Konaklı around 95, Alanya itself roughly 105, and Kestel, Mahmutlar and Kargıcak 110 to 120. The road is flat and fast as far as Alanya; beyond the town it narrows and bends as the hills come down to the water. Summer afternoons add time near Serik and Manavgat, night arrivals run almost empty, and winter is quiet throughout.

The two halves of the region suit different holidays. West of Alanya — Okurcalar, Avsallar, İncekum, Türkler, Konaklı — is hotel country: wide sand, resorts you rarely leave, and a drive into town for an evening out. Alanya itself is walkable, with a market, a harbour and bars, and works for people who want a town rather than a compound. East, Kestel, Mahmutlar and Kargıcak are residential rather than touristic, quieter after dark and more shingle than sand. For transfers this matters twice: name the resort as well as the hotel, and book the return early, because a summer departure means leaving the coast four to five hours before take-off.