Antalya Airport to Demre private transfer

About 140 kilometres west of Antalya, on the middle stretch of Turkey's Lycian coast, Demre is a working small town wrapped on three sides by a sea of greenhouses. It's usually marketed under its ancient name, Myra, because the modern district sits directly on top of one of the six leading cities of the ancient Lycian League. We tell our passengers the same thing every time: Demre isn't a resort strip — it's history, pilgrimage and real Mediterranean small-town life, with tomato greenhouses (Demre supplies a large share of Turkey's and Europe's winter tomatoes) lining the road in instead of beach clubs.

A short taxi ride from the town centre takes you to Myra Ancient City, and the view here is one you won't get anywhere else on this coast: dozens of Lycian rock-cut tombs carved into the cliff face, their facades imitating timber house fronts, sitting directly above one of Lycia's largest and best-preserved Roman theatres. Late afternoon light is best for photographing the tomb facades, and a short climb up the theatre's upper rows gives you both the stage building and the cliff tombs in one frame.

Demre's international fame comes from Saint Nicholas, bishop of Myra in the 4th century and the historical figure behind the modern "Santa Claus." The Church of St Nicholas, with restored Byzantine mosaics, stands right in the town centre and is easily reached by taxi from any hotel. His relics were moved to Bari, Italy in 1087, but the church remains a genuine pilgrimage and memorial site, drawing steady numbers of visitors from Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe in particular.

About 5 kilometres from the centre — again, a quick taxi hop — lies Andriake, the ancient port of Myra. Its enormous Roman granary, built under Emperor Hadrian, has been restored into the Museum of Lycian Civilisations, covering the region's maritime trade and daily life. Right next to it, where the Demre River meets the sea, Çayağzı Beach offers a quiet, uncrowded stretch of coast that's also good for birdwatching thanks to the wetlands around the lagoon.

Demre sits closer to Kekova than almost anywhere else, which makes it a natural base for one of the coast's best day trips. A 30-40 minute taxi ride gets you to the fishing villages of Üçağız or Kaleköy (ancient Simena), where boats depart for the sunken city — earthquake-submerged ancient ruins visible right through the clear water. Kaş (around 45 minutes by taxi) and Finike (roughly 25-30 minutes, known for its orange groves and marina) are both easy taxi day trips as well if you want to see more of the coast.

The practical way into Demre is via Antalya Airport (AYT). The distance is around 140 km, and the drive along the coastal D400 road through Kumluca typically takes 2 to 2.5 hours depending on traffic — we won't pretend it's a short hop, which is exactly why we think a proper transfer matters, especially on a night flight: we track your flight, meet you at arrivals with your name, and wait if you're delayed, at no extra charge. We're a family-run Antalya company, and we run you door-to-door from the terminal to your hotel for a fixed price agreed in advance — a fixed fare confirmed at booking — with the vehicle sized to your luggage. If you also need a taxi out to Myra, St Nicholas Church, Andriake or the Kekova boat piers during your stay, the same team is a phone call away.

The town centre itself is small and walkable, but Myra, Andriake and the Kekova boat piers are all a few kilometres apart and public transport runs infrequently, so most visitors rely on taxis to link these points together. Whether it's a one-off hotel transfer, a day's taxi hire for sightseeing, or the return run to the airport, we'd suggest confirming your price and booking ahead by WhatsApp — during high season, arranging a car at the last minute can get harder than you'd expect.