Antalya City Center→Incekum

Incekum is a name that describes the place. In Turkish it means "fine sand", and the beach lives up to it with soft, pale grains and water so shallow that children can wade out a long way. The resort sits in the Avsallar district of Alanya, on the coast between Antalya and Alanya, with stone pines running right down to the shore. It is a quieter, family-leaning stretch of the Turkish Riviera.

The private car covers about 95 km from Antalya City Center in roughly 100 minutes. The exact time depends on the season and on how heavy the D-400 is around Manavgat and Side. This page explains what the drive is like, what to expect on arrival, how the area is laid out, and how to plan the return to Antalya Airport.

Your driver collects you at your hotel, apartment or address in Antalya City Center. Many guests start from Kaleiçi, the walled old town with its Ottoman houses and the marina below Hadrian's Gate. Others start from the Konyaaltı side in the west, or from the Lara side in the east. Each pickup point has a slightly different way onto the main road, and the driver knows which streets to use at which hour.

From the city, the car heads east along the coastal corridor and joins the D-400. This is the single highway that threads the whole eastern Riviera. Everything on this trip follows it, so there is little chance of a wrong turn and little variety in route. What changes from hour to hour is the traffic.

The first stretch passes the edge of the city and the area around Aksu. Then come the turnoffs for Belek, where the golf resorts are. The road is wide here and the mix of traffic is easy to read. You will see airport-bound minibuses, hotel shuttles and plenty of rental cars.

Next comes Serik, a working agricultural town. On both sides of the road you will see greenhouses and orchards, which is a good reminder that this coast grows food as well as tourists. The Taurus mountains are a pale line to the north. On a clear day they stay in view for most of the drive.

Past Serik, the road crosses the long bridges over the Köprüçay and the Manavgat rivers. These crossings are a good moment to look up from your phone. The riverbanks are green, the water is a cold, clear colour in spring, and the mountains close in on the left.

After the bridges you reach the Side and Manavgat area. This is the busiest part of the whole drive. Roundabouts, junctions for the Side resorts, market traffic and local buses all use the same corridor. A calm hour here costs a few minutes. A busy hour can cost a lot more, and that is where most of the "about 100 minutes" in our estimate is decided.

Once you are past Manavgat, the landscape opens up. The hills lean closer to the sea, and the pine cover thickens. You pass Okurcalar and then Avsallar before the Incekum exit. This is a genuinely scenic part of the drive. The Taurus mountains are on one side and the Mediterranean flashes into view on the other, between hotels and pine trees.

The final turn off the D-400 is short. Then the driver follows the smaller roads to your hotel. Incekum is small compared with the big resort towns, so you reach your door quickly once you leave the highway.

The route has a pattern. Early mornings and the middle of the night are the quickest. The car can then run the 95 km close to the lower end of the estimate. Late morning and late afternoon in July and August are slower, because many people drive the coast at the same time.

Three situations slow the trip down most:

• Manavgat market days, when local traffic fills the junctions around the town.
• Summer Saturdays, when the whole coast changes guests and hotel shuttles fill the D-400.
• Short roadworks or a minor accident, which on a single-highway coast can back up traffic for a long way.

For this reason, treat 100 minutes as a realistic planning figure and not as a minimum. When you plan a flight connection, add a sensible buffer on top.

The trip is long enough that some guests want a break, especially with small children. Tell the driver at pickup or at the start of the drive. Roadside stops exist along the D-400 near Serik and Manavgat. A short stop costs little time and often makes the second half of the journey calmer for everyone in the car.

Incekum has no airport and no train. The public dolmuş from Antalya means a change at Alanya's otogar (bus station) with luggage in your hands, and often standing for part of the way. A shuttle bus is a different problem. It drops other guests along the route, and it turns a 100-minute drive into a half-day trip.

A private car goes straight to your hotel door in Avsallar or Incekum. The driver helps with cases, can carry child seats on request, and knows which beachfront lanes are one-way. You travel at your own pace, with no waiting for other passengers. For a family arriving after a flight, that difference matters.

Share the hotel name when you book. Our drivers know the Incekum and Avsallar beachfront well, including the smaller side roads off the D-400. You will be taken to the door of the hotel, not dropped at a junction.

Some properties in the area sit directly on the beach, and some are a short walk back from it. Some are in the greener, forest-edge streets. If your accommodation is a villa, an apartment or a smaller guesthouse, send the full address and, if you can, a map pin. This helps the driver find the entrance on the first try.

Hotels on this coast often have a standard afternoon check-in. If your transfer arrives in the morning, the room may not be ready yet. Most hotels will store your bags while you use the pool or the beach.

Beach resorts here often have a one-way entrance or a small service road. The driver will stop as close to the reception door as the road allows. Tell the driver at booking how many suitcases you carry, and whether you travel with a pram, golf bags or diving gear. This helps the car match the load.

The area is small, but it has different corners. Knowing them helps you choose where to stay and how to move around.

This is the heart of the resort. The shore is pale sand with very gentle, shallow water. It suits families with young children, couples who want a calm swim, and travellers who prefer a beach holiday without a long walk to the sea. If this is your first visit, start here.

Behind the beach, the stone pines grow thick. The streets and hotels near the trees feel greener and quieter, with more shade in summer. This part suits guests who want a calm base and do not need to be at the water's edge all day. It is also a nice option for people who enjoy walking in the early morning.

Avsallar is the local town, a short distance away from the beach strip. It has the everyday life of the area, with shops, small restaurants and local markets. It suits guests who like to feel the place beyond the resort gates, and those who prefer to buy fruit and vegetables at a local stall. It is also a good option for longer stays.

Back toward Manavgat, Okurcalar has its own group of beach hotels. Some travellers choose this side to be a little closer to Side and its ancient sights. The drive from Antalya City Center is slightly shorter for those hotels, but the character of the beach is different. Check with your hotel which beach you will be on.

In the other direction, the coast continues toward Alanya and its castle. Staying around Avsallar puts you halfway between the old town of Antalya and the castle at Alanya. It is an easy base for day trips in both directions, and the D-400 makes the link simple.

The sand is fine and pale, and the water stays shallow for a long way out. On calm days it is easy to wade out, and children can play at the edge without strong waves. The pine trees come close to the sand, so shade is easy to find. Many visitors choose a day on a sunbed, a swim, and a walk along the shore at sunset.

The stone pines behind the beach form a green belt that is one of the main reasons people like this stretch of coast. A walk among the trees is a pleasant way to escape the afternoon heat. In summer, the forest shade makes the evening cooler than at many concrete resort towns. Take care with open fire, as pine forests in the Mediterranean are dry in summer.

Guests who want more than a swim will find water sports on this coast. Some travellers come for diving, heading for the offshore reefs. If you plan to dive, book the sessions through your hotel or a local dive centre and bring your certificates. Tell us before the transfer if you carry dive bags, so the car has room.

Within a short drive you can reach Side, with its ancient theatre and the Temple of Apollo beside the sea. Manavgat Waterfall is another well-known stop on this coast. Alanya has its castle on the hill, a long beach and a busy harbour. These places are what make Incekum a convenient base, rather than a place where you need to stay inside the resort.

Evenings in Incekum are relaxed. Most hotels serve dinner on site, and many guests eat at the hotel on the first night, after a long journey. When you want a change, the area has small restaurants with Turkish dishes, grilled fish and meze. In Avsallar, local cafés and bakeries are a pleasant place to try simple Turkish breakfast food.

If you want livelier evenings, Alanya and Side are both within easy reach by car or taxi, with more bars, shops and restaurants. Plan the return trip, as the D-400 is a single road and late nights can lead to a slow morning.

Turkish restaurants fill after sunset in summer, so eat a little later than you might at home.

Incekum is one of the most family-friendly beaches on this part of the coast. The shallow water, the pale sand and the shade of the pines work well for small children. Many families return year after year.

A drive of 95 km is a long time for a small child. Plan it around nap time if you can. Tell us at booking if you need child seats, and give the ages of the children so the right seat is ready. The driver can stop for a short break if needed.

Older children often enjoy the day trips. The ancient theatre at Side, the waterfall near Manavgat and the castle at Alanya all work well for a day out. Many hotels in the area also run activities for kids, so it is worth asking at reception when you arrive.

If your flight lands late, the transfer to Incekum can run in the night. The D-400 is much calmer then, and the driving time is closer to the lower end of the estimate. Hotels in the area handle late check-in as a normal part of the season, but tell your hotel in advance so the night reception can wait for you. A driver who tracks your flight can adjust the pickup if the plane arrives early or late.

Early flights from Antalya Airport need an early start from Incekum. The trip back to Antalya is a drive of about 100 minutes, so a morning flight can mean leaving the hotel in the middle of the night. Breakfast may not be possible, and some hotels will prepare a packed breakfast on request. Ask at reception the day before.

For the journey back, we work backward from your flight. Give us your departure time and we plan the pickup at your Incekum hotel. We add a sensible buffer for the D-400, which can clog around Manavgat on market days and on summer Saturdays.

Here is a simple way to think about it:

• Start with your flight time.
• Subtract the time you want to be at the airport before departure. Many travellers allow about three hours for an international flight.
• Subtract the drive of about 100 minutes.
• Subtract a buffer for traffic, especially on a Saturday in summer.

The driver meets you at reception, loads the bags, and takes you to the correct terminal at Antalya Airport. The goal is that you arrive with time to spare, and not in a scramble. If you have a long wait before the flight, you can check in, have a coffee and relax inside the terminal.

If you want to see the city before you fly, ask the driver to stop in Antalya City Center. Some guests choose a last lunch in Kaleiçi, near the old marina, before the airport. In that case, plan extra time and tell us in advance.

Because the trip begins or ends in the city, many guests use a few hours there. Antalya City Center is two cities in one: the layered history of Kaleiçi, and the daily life of a modern Mediterranean city with beaches, parks and a working harbour.

• Kaleiçi. The old walled town has Ottoman wooden houses, narrow cobbled lanes and quiet courtyards. Hadrian's Gate is a triple-arched marble gate, built for the emperor's visit in AD 130. The Yivli Minaret, a brick minaret, has become the symbol of Antalya. The old harbour is lined with fish restaurants and is the start point for boat tours around the bay.
• Karaalioğlu Park. This park sits on the cliff above the old town, with palm-lined paths and views onto the harbour and sea.
• Konyaaltı and Lara. Konyaaltı is a long pebble beach with the mountains behind it. Lara is a sandier stretch with beach clubs and hotels.
• Museums. The Antalya Archaeological Museum holds statues and mosaics from the ancient cities of Perge, Side and Aspendos.
• Tünektepe cable car. It climbs to a viewing terrace above the city and the bay.

Incekum is a good base because the main sights of the eastern Riviera lie in both directions along the D-400.

Side lies back toward Antalya, a short drive away. It has an ancient theatre, a harbour and the Temple of Apollo on the water's edge. Manavgat Waterfall is a short ride away and is popular with families. A boat trip on the Manavgat River is another easy outing. Combine Side and Manavgat into one day, and plan lunch in one of the riverside restaurants.

Alanya has a castle on a rocky peninsula, a long beach and a busy harbour. Cable cars and boat trips operate in the season. Visit in the morning, when the air is cooler, and plan the way back before the evening traffic builds.

If you want to see Perge and Aspendos, remember that both lie near the Antalya side of the coast. They are better visited on a day when you plan to travel toward Antalya, or as a stop on the way to or from the airport. Tell us at booking if you want to include a stop. Aspendos is known for its Roman theatre, which is among the best preserved in the region. Perge has a long colonnaded street and the remains of a stadium.

April and May are mild and green. The sea is still cool, but the sun is warm, and the hills are at their best. The beach is quiet and the roads are calm. Spring is a good time for walking, day trips and sightseeing. The transfer is usually quick.

June to September is the high season. The days are hot, often above 35°C, and the sea is warm. The beach is busy, the D-400 is busy, and the transfer time moves toward the upper end of the estimate. Book your pickup times with extra care, and plan outdoor activities early or late in the day.

September and October are an excellent time for a beach holiday. The sea stays warm into the autumn, and the crowds thin. Many regular guests choose these months for calm water and easier roads. The sea season on this coast runs from April to November.

Winters are mild, around 15°C in the day, and many resort businesses close or reduce their hours. The beach is empty. Winter suits quiet walks and long-stay visitors, but check that your hotel and restaurants are open before you book. The drive is easy, and the D-400 is calm.

Plan on around 100 minutes for the 95 km. It can stretch in peak summer traffic near Manavgat and Side, which is why we build a buffer into airport-bound trips.

Yes. Our drivers know the Incekum and Avsallar beachfront well, including the smaller side roads off the D-400. Share your hotel name when you book, and you will be taken to the door, not dropped at a junction.

Yes. Child seats are available on request. Tell us the ages of your children when you book, so the right seat is ready in the car.

Give us your flight number. We track the flight, and the driver adjusts the pickup to the real arrival time.

Work backward from your departure time. Allow the drive of about 100 minutes, a buffer for the D-400, and the time you want at the airport. On summer Saturdays and Manavgat market days, add more buffer.

Yes. A short stop for a break, food or a photo is possible. Tell the driver at pickup so the trip can be planned around it.