Antalya Airport→Incekum

İncekum is the soft-sand bay at Avsallar, on the Alanya side of the Turkish Riviera, where the Toros pines lean almost down to the water. The name means "fine sand" in Turkish, and the beach lives up to it. The sea shelves gently and stays warm and shallow close to shore, which is why so many families choose this stretch over the pebblier bays nearer Alanya centre.

The journey from Antalya Airport (AYT) covers 110 km and takes about 90 minutes. That makes it one of the longer airport runs in the region, and it is a drive you want to do once, in one vehicle, with your luggage staying exactly where it is. Turkey Transfer collects you in the arrivals hall and takes you door to door to your hotel or apartment in İncekum, with no shared stops and no waiting for other passengers to be dropped off first.

This page walks through the whole trip: the road itself, what to expect on arrival, which part of the coast suits which kind of traveller, and how to plan evenings, day trips and the journey back to the airport.

The route leaves the airport area and joins the D400, the main coastal highway running east from Antalya toward Alanya. For the first stretch you are crossing the flat, fertile plain east of the city. Greenhouses, orange groves and cotton fields line the road, and the Toros mountains stand as a long blue wall on your left. After roughly the first third of the journey you pass the turnings for Aksu and Serik, and the exits that lead down to the Belek golf coast.

Beyond Serik the highway continues past Boğazkent and Kızılağaç, then runs through the Manavgat area. Manavgat is a large, busy town with its own river, and the road here carries local traffic as well as holiday coaches, so this is where you may notice the pace change. The turning for Side is signposted along this section. Side is a separate resort with its own old town and Roman ruins, and the road skirts it rather than passing through the centre.

After Side the character of the coast changes. The plain narrows, the mountains come closer to the sea, and pine forest begins to appear on the seaward side. You pass Kızılot and Okurcalar, both resort areas strung along the shore, before reaching Avsallar. The last part of the approach dips through pine-clad hills before the İncekum bay opens out. Sea views appear and disappear between the trees, and on a clear evening the light on the water is one of the best moments of the whole trip.

Under normal conditions the whole journey takes about 90 minutes. Most of the route is fast dual carriageway, so the drive is steady rather than stop-start. In the middle of the day outside peak season you can expect the trip to run close to that figure.

In July and August the picture changes. Traffic on the D400 builds around Manavgat and Side, and the stretch toward Alanya can slow noticeably in the afternoon when day-trippers and transfer vehicles share the road. Weekend changeover days, when many charter groups arrive and leave on the same day, are the busiest. On those days the trip can take longer than 90 minutes, and it is sensible to treat the figure as a guide rather than a promise. Your driver watches the road and chooses the most direct route that suits conditions on the day.

Sit on the right-hand side of the vehicle if you want the sea. Sit on the left if you prefer the mountains. Either way, the road gives you a clear sense of how the coast is arranged: a narrow band of settlement between the Toros range and the Mediterranean. Keep an eye out for roadside stalls selling fruit in season, and for the minarets and water towers that mark each small town along the way.

Your driver tracks your flight number, so a delayed landing or an early arrival does not cause a problem. The meeting arrangement follows the real arrival time rather than the scheduled one.

After you collect your bags, walk into the arrivals hall. Your driver waits with a sign showing your name. From there it is a short walk to the vehicle, and you are normally on the road toward İncekum within minutes of leaving the terminal.

Some practical points help the first half hour go smoothly:

• Give us your flight number when you book, not only the arrival time.
• Tell us how many suitcases and how many passengers will travel, so we send a vehicle with enough room.
• Mention child seats at booking. They are available on request.
• Keep your phone charged and your hotel name or address to hand in case you need to talk to the driver.

We offer cars for couples, larger vehicles for families and minibuses for groups. All of them have air conditioning, which matters on a 90-minute summer drive.

Because the journey is 110 km, it is worth thinking about how it fits into the rest of your day.

If you land in the morning, you will probably reach İncekum before hotel check-in time. Many hotels will store your luggage and let you start on the beach and the pool straight away. Ask your hotel in advance what they can offer.

If you land in the afternoon, the drive puts you at the hotel in the early evening. That is a good time to arrive: the heat has dropped, dinner service has started, and you can settle in before dark.

If you land late, the highway is quiet and the transfer is just as quick. The road is well lit through the towns, and the final approach to İncekum is calm. More on late arrivals appears further down this page.

İncekum is not a single village with one main street. It is a bay and forest area that blends into Avsallar, and hotels, apartments and holiday complexes spread along the coast road and up the side streets behind it. Because of that, the exact name of your hotel or building matters.

When you book, give us the full hotel name, or the apartment building name and street if you are self-catering. The driver will take you to the entrance, not simply to the nearest main road. This is especially useful in the apartment areas of Avsallar, where small blocks sit close together and street signs are not always obvious to a tired traveller carrying bags.

Large hotels often have a drive-in entrance with a reception area where staff help with luggage. Smaller hotels and apartment blocks may need a short walk from where the vehicle can stop. Either way, your driver helps you to the door.

If you are staying in an apartment, arrange key collection before you arrive. Message your host with your estimated arrival time. Because your flight is tracked, you can update them if the landing changes.

İncekum and Avsallar sit within a quieter part of the Alanya coast. The neighbouring areas each have their own feel, and choosing the right one makes more difference to your holiday than any other single decision.

This is the part of the bay right by the sand and the pines. It suits families with young children, couples who want shade and quiet, and anyone who plans to spend most of the day on the beach. Evenings are calm. You will not find a nightlife strip here, and that is the point.

Avsallar village has the everyday facilities that make a longer stay easy. There are bakeries, supermarkets and a weekly market. It suits self-catering guests, longer stays, and travellers who like to walk to a local restaurant rather than eat at the hotel every night. If your hotel is all-inclusive, the village is still handy for sun cream, snacks and small purchases.

Travelling back toward Side from İncekum, you find a string of larger resort hotels. These areas suit guests who want a full-service resort, with pools, entertainment programmes and everything on site. They are further from Alanya and closer to Side, so they work well if you plan to visit the Side ruins more than once.

Heading east, Türkler and Konaklı sit between İncekum and Alanya. They are slightly closer to the town and offer more choice of shops and restaurants. They suit travellers who want a quiet hotel but still like the idea of a short trip into Alanya for an evening out.

Central Alanya has the harbour, the castle hill, the long promenade and the busiest evenings. It is livelier, louder and more urban. Travellers who want nightlife and variety often prefer it. Those who want a calm beach holiday usually find the İncekum side more restful.

İncekum's real draw is the combination of sand and woodland. The beach is soft, golden and fine-grained, and parts of it have Blue Flag recognition. Because the headland breaks the swell, the water is usually calm. Children can paddle and play in the shallows without constant worry, and weaker swimmers feel more comfortable here than on steeper, pebblier beaches.

Behind the sand, the İncekum forest picnic area is a real pine park, with shade, tables and cool walking paths. It is popular with Turkish families at weekends, so on Saturdays and Sundays you will see picnics, barbecues and children playing under the trees. During the week it is much quieter. The smell of pine resin on a warm day is one of the simplest pleasures of staying here.

Practical tips for the beach:

• Go early or late in summer. Midday sun on this coast is strong.
• Bring water shoes if you like to walk the full length of the bay.
• Look for the shaded areas at the forest edge if you have babies or toddlers.
• Check which parts of the beach belong to your hotel, as sunbeds are often organised by property.

Eating in İncekum and Avsallar is relaxed. Most hotels run all-inclusive or half-board arrangements, so many guests eat at the hotel. When you do go out, you find a mix of small family restaurants, grill houses and cafés, mostly along the coast road and in Avsallar village.

Look for the dishes you would expect on the Turkish coast: grilled meat and fish, fresh salads, gözleme (thin flatbread filled with cheese or spinach and cooked on a hot plate), pide, and meze to share. The Alanya area is also known for its subtropical fruit, so ask what is in season at the market.

Evenings are gentle. A walk along the shore at sunset, a coffee under the pines, and a slow dinner make up the typical night. If you want more, a taxi or transfer into central Alanya takes you to the harbour and the busier restaurants. Plan your return before you leave so you are not searching for a ride at midnight.

İncekum has a good reputation among family travellers, and the reasons are simple. The sea is shallow and calm. The beach is soft. The forest gives shade. Many hotels along this coast have children's pools, play areas and activity programmes.

For the transfer itself, think about the length of the trip. Ninety minutes is a long time for a small child after a flight. A few steps help:

• Ask for a child seat when you book. They are available on request.
• Pack snacks and water in your hand luggage, not in the suitcase.
• Bring a favourite toy or tablet with charged battery for the car.
• Tell the driver if a stop is needed. A short break is easier than a stressful hour.

If you travel with a pushchair, tell us when you book so we can make sure there is space for it as well as the luggage. For larger families, a minivan or minibus usually works better than two cars, because everyone arrives together.

Many charter flights into Antalya land late in the evening or after midnight. The D400 is quiet at night, and the drive to İncekum takes about the same time as it does in daylight, around 90 minutes. Your driver tracks the flight, so a late landing does not affect the pick-up.

After midnight the İncekum stretch is dark and calm. Hotel reception staff are used to late arrivals, but it is wise to tell your hotel your expected arrival time before you travel. Some smaller hotels and apartment hosts need advance notice to open the door and hand over keys.

For early flights home, the situation is reversed. You may need to leave İncekum in the middle of the night to reach the airport in good time. We cover how to plan that in the next section. A pre-booked transfer is far less stressful than trying to find a taxi on the roadside at 3 am.

The journey back is the same 110 km, and it takes about 90 minutes. The most important part of the return is working out when to leave.

A good rule is to work backwards from your flight. International check-in usually opens a few hours before departure, and you need time for check-in, passport control and security. Add the 90-minute drive, then add a safety margin for summer traffic.

For example, if your flight departs in the early afternoon, a mid-morning pick-up leaves a comfortable cushion. For an early morning flight, you will leave in the middle of the night, so pack the evening before and settle your hotel bill in advance if you can.

Some tips for the day of departure:

• Confirm your pick-up time with us the day before, by sending us your flight time.
• Check out of the hotel before your pick-up time and have bags ready at reception.
• Ask your hotel for a breakfast box if you leave before the restaurant opens.
• Keep passports and tickets in your hand luggage, not in the suitcases.
• In July and August, leave a little earlier than you think you need to. The D400 slows around Manavgat and Side.

You can give us your return flight time directly or through your hotel reception. We then work out the pick-up time and have the vehicle waiting at your door.

Staying in İncekum puts a surprising amount within reach. A private vehicle makes the longer trips easier, because you avoid changing between dolmuş minibuses and local buses with children and bags.

The most obvious trip is into Alanya itself. Alanya Castle is a Seljuk-era hilltop fortress with sweeping views over the town and sea. The Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) is a 13th-century harbour landmark and the unofficial symbol of the city. Damlataş Cave is a stalactite cave beside Cleopatra Beach, known for its humid air, and Cleopatra Beach itself is the town's most famous sandy beach. The harbour and marina are where boat tours depart and make a pleasant place for an evening walk. From the İncekum area, allow roughly 25 to 30 minutes by taxi.

East of Alanya, Dim Cave is a large stalactite cave. Nearby, the Dim River valley has wooden restaurants built over cold spring water. It is a classic half-day outing, and it sits inland away from the main dolmuş routes, so a taxi is the practical choice. Allow about 35 to 40 minutes each way.

Going west, Side is a separate resort with an old town set on a small peninsula. The Temple of Apollo stands close to the water, and the Roman ruins sit among the streets and shops. It is a good evening trip, because the stones glow at sunset and the restaurants are lively.

Between İncekum and Antalya lies Manavgat, known for its river and waterfall. It is an easy stop on the way to or from the airport if you have time, and it fits naturally into the D400 route.

If you want to see ancient sites, the Roman theatre at Aspendos and the ruins of Perge are both well known and both lie on the Antalya side of the coast. They are longer outings from İncekum and work best as a full-day trip. We can arrange these as private transfers.

Tell us your plan in advance. We arrange both airport pickups and day-trip transfers for guests staying anywhere along the İncekum coast.

The Mediterranean climate gives this coast long, warm summers and mild winters. The sea season runs roughly from April to November.

April and May are green and fresh. The sea is still cool, but the air is warm and the beaches are quiet. Hotels are less crowded, and day trips are comfortable because the heat is not yet strong. Traffic on the D400 is light.

June to September is the peak. Days are hot, often above 35°C, and the sea is warm and inviting. This is the best time for beach holidays with children. It is also the busiest time on the road, so allow extra time for the transfer, especially at weekends and in the afternoon.

September and October keep much of the summer warmth, with fewer crowds and a sea that has had months to warm up. Many travellers think this is the best time of all. By November, evenings begin to cool and some seasonal businesses close.

Winters are mild, around 15°C in the daytime. The beach is quiet, and many seasonal restaurants and shops close. Some hotels also close for the winter, so check before you book. The transfer is quick on empty roads, and the mountains behind the coast may show snow on their peaks.

Avsallar is well set up for self-catering as well as hotels. If you are heading to an apartment, give us the building name and we will take you to the door.

Child seats are available on request, which is useful given how family-oriented this beach is.

The fare is per vehicle, not per person. Whether you travel as a couple or a family, you book the whole car, so the price is shared and there are no per-head surprises on arrival.

The distance is 110 km, and the transfer takes about 90 minutes. The exact time depends on traffic through Manavgat, Side and Okurcalar. In high summer, expect it to take longer at busy times.

Yes. Many İncekum and Avsallar guests stay in self-catering apartments. Give us the full address or building name when booking, and the driver will deliver you to the door, the same as a hotel drop-off.