Antalya City Center→Lara

Most visitors spend their first days in Antalya among the lanes of Kaleiçi, the harbour and the cafés of the city centre. Then the beach calls. Lara lies just east of the centre, and the move between the two feels almost like changing holiday. One morning you wake up among Ottoman houses and Roman walls. By lunchtime you are looking at a long sandy shoreline and a row of very large resort hotels.

With Turkey Transfer, a private car takes you from your city hotel or address to the entrance in Lara. The distance is about 8 km. In normal traffic the drive takes about 8 minutes. That is one of the shortest transfers we run in the region, and it is also one of the most requested. This page explains how the ride goes, what Lara is like when you arrive, and how to plan the days around it.

Your driver meets you at the address you gave, at the time you chose. If you stay in a hotel in the centre, he or she waits at the entrance. The driver helps with the bags and puts them in the boot. You sit down in a cool car and the journey starts.

The route heads east out of the centre. The coastal road known as the D400 is the main artery on this side of the city, and it carries most of the traffic between the centre and the Lara and Kundu hotel zones. The city streets fall away, the buildings become newer and wider, and the sea appears on your side of the car.

Eight minutes is the normal time on a calm day. Antalya traffic does not always behave, though. These are the times when it is worth allowing extra minutes:

• Late afternoon, when people return from work and from the beaches.
• Summer weekends, when day visitors drive out to the Lara coast.
• The evening hours in high season, when guests leave the resorts for dinner in town.

If you have a booking at the other end, such as a spa appointment, a dinner reservation or a boat trip, leave a small buffer. Ten extra minutes cost you nothing and take away the stress. Your driver knows the side streets and chooses the quickest way on the day. You do not need to watch the road or the clock.

Eight kilometres looks like a taxi ride. A pre-booked transfer is often simpler. The driver comes to your exact address, so you do not search for a taxi rank with suitcases. There is no meter to watch while the traffic moves slowly. The whole car is yours, so you do not wait for a shuttle to fill or stop at other hotels. For a family with two suitcases, a pushchair and a bag of beach toys, that is a real difference on a hot afternoon.

Your driver brings you to the entrance of your hotel or apartment. Most large Lara resorts have a long approach road, a guarded gate and a reception building with a covered drop-off area. The driver follows the signs, stops where the porters wait and helps you unload. If your hotel is a quieter beachfront stay or a private apartment, give the driver the exact address or a map pin when you book. Lara is a big district, and several streets look alike.

A few practical points help the arrival go smoothly:

• Keep your booking confirmation on your phone. Resort reception staff may ask for the name on the reservation.
• Check the check-in time of your hotel. Many resorts allow rooms from the afternoon. If you arrive in the morning, the luggage room is usually available, and you can use the pool and beach while the room is prepared.
• If you move from a city hotel on the day of checkout, plan the pickup after a relaxed breakfast. The ride itself is short, so you lose very little of the morning.
• Tell us before the journey if you carry large items, such as golf clubs, a bicycle or sports equipment. We choose a vehicle with enough space.

We match the vehicle to your group. A saloon car fits a couple with normal luggage. A van gives a family or a group of friends more space for suitcases and beach gear. A larger minibus, such as a Sprinter, is the right choice for a bigger party.

Lara is a family destination, and many of our passengers on this route travel with young children. Child and infant seats are available on request. When you book, tell us the ages of the children, and the right seat is fitted before the pickup. That saves you from carrying a seat across the city.

The short journey is also easy on small travellers. There is no long motorway stretch and no long wait in a hot car. Children who are tired from a morning of sightseeing in Kaleiçi can rest for a few minutes and wake up at the hotel. If your child sleeps in the car, tell the driver. He or she can take the last part of the route gently and stop close to the entrance.

Plans change on holiday. You may stay in the old town for a long dinner and move to Lara the next morning. Or you may check out early to catch a boat trip from the coast. Because the ride takes only about 8 minutes, you have a lot of freedom on both sides.

For a late-evening move, tell us the exact time you want to leave and the name of the place. Lara resorts keep their reception open late, and a night arrival is normal. The roads are quieter after dark, and the drive is usually at the short end of its range. Our team can be reached if your plans shift, so a late dinner that runs long does not leave you waiting on the pavement.

For an early start, remember that a resort breakfast area often opens at a set hour, and a day trip bus often leaves from the hotel lobby. Ask your driver to arrive a little early, and you will not miss either one.

Lara is Antalya's upscale beach district. It is known for its long, sandy beach, which carries Blue Flag status, and for the skyline of large themed five-star resorts along the Lara and Kundu strip. These are the showpiece hotels that draw visitors from many countries. Several well-known names sit along this coast, including Mardan Palace, Royal Wings, Titanic Beach, Asteria, Spice, Limak and Delphin. Our drivers know the entrances of these resorts and the quickest approach to each one.

The sand is the main reason people choose Lara over the pebble shoreline west of the centre. The beach is long and wide, and the water enters the sea gently. Many resorts run their own beach sections with sunbeds and shade. Beach clubs along the public parts offer food, drinks and loungers. Go early on summer days. The sun is strong from late morning, and the best beach spots fill quickly.

The Lara beach park promenade runs along the sea and suits an evening walk. Families come out as the heat drops. You can sit at a café with a view and watch the sunset over the water. It is a calm way to end a beach day, and it takes no planning. You walk out of the hotel, follow the sea and turn back when you are tired.

Near Lara, the Lower Düden Waterfall drops straight off the cliffs into the Mediterranean. It is one of the most striking sights on this coast and a favourite photo stop. A boat trip from the sea gives a different view of the falls. The Upper Düden Waterfall is a separate place further inland, with forest around the falls and a picnic atmosphere. Together they make an easy half-day outing from a Lara hotel. Your driver can take you to either one, or you can ask the hotel desk for a boat trip.

Lara is not one small beach town. It is a long stretch of coast with different characters.

• The resort strip along Lara and Kundu. This is for guests who want an all-in-one holiday. The big hotels have pools, restaurants, entertainment and beach access in one place. You can arrive, unpack and not leave the grounds for a week. Families with children and couples who want to relax choose this area.
• Quieter beachfront stays. Smaller hotels and apartments near the shore suit visitors who prefer a calmer base. You walk to the beach and the promenade, and you eat in local restaurants instead of a resort buffet.
• Places closer to the city side. If you want quick access to the old town and the bazaars, stay at the western end of Lara. You are near the centre, and you can still reach the sand in a short ride.

Think about what you want from the days. If you want a pool, a kids' club and a beach in one gate, choose a resort. If you want to explore and eat in different places, choose a smaller stay and plan on short rides.

Resort guests often eat at the hotel, but Lara has more to offer. Along the coast you find fish restaurants, grill houses and cafés where the evening starts late. Turkish breakfast spreads, fresh seafood and grilled meat are all easy to find. The promenade has places to sit with tea or coffee and watch the sea.

For a bigger night out, many visitors go back to the centre. The old Roman harbour, with its fish restaurants and its view of the yachts, is the classic place for a sunset drink. The distance is short, so a dinner in the old town and a return to Lara is very practical. Plan the return ride in advance, and the driver can be at the harbour when you finish. That avoids a search for a taxi after midnight.

One of Lara's strengths is the short distance to the city. You can take a morning for the old town and the museums, and return for the afternoon on the beach. These are good outings from a Lara base:

1. Kaleiçi. Walk through Hadrian's Gate, the triple-arched marble gate built for Emperor Hadrian's visit, and follow the lanes to the Yivli Minaret, the brick minaret that has become the symbol of Antalya. Finish at the harbour.
2. Karaalioğlu Park. The palm-lined park sits on the cliff edge above the old town, with views of the harbour and the sea.
3. Antalya Archaeological Museum. It holds statues and mosaics from the ancient cities nearby, such as Perge, Side and Aspendos. It is a good rainy-day or hot-afternoon choice.
4. Tünektepe cable car. The ride climbs for a wide view over the city and the bay.
5. Shopping. The old town lanes have small shops, and larger centres such as TerraCity and Mark Antalya serve a day of shopping.

A popular plan is to split the holiday. You spend the first nights in a city hotel, close to the old town, and the last nights at a beach resort. The transfer between the two is exactly this route. On the day of the move, check out, enjoy a last coffee in the centre and leave when you want. The short journey means you do not waste a half-day on travel.

When the holiday ends, plan the airport ride with a margin. From a city hotel or from Lara, the journey is a normal city-and-coast drive. Traffic on the main roads can be heavy in the morning and evening. Our advice is to book the pickup earlier than you think you need, and to allow time for check-in and passport control. Tell us your flight time and number when you book the return, and we choose the pickup time with you.

If your flight leaves early in the morning, the roads are quiet, but the hotel breakfast is not yet open. Ask the hotel for a packed breakfast the evening before. If your flight leaves late at night, you can use the day: keep the room if the hotel allows, or leave your bags at reception and spend a final afternoon at the beach. Then the driver collects you from the lobby at the planned time.

The summer months bring hot, sunny days and warm sea, and Lara is at its busiest. Book early for this season, because transfers and hotels fill quickly. The shoulder seasons are calmer. The weather is mild, the beach is quieter and the promenade is pleasant for long walks. Winter is quiet, and many seasonal places close, but the city centre stays alive and the old town is lovely without the crowds.

Whatever the season, the transfer works the same way. Your driver is at the address, the bags go in the car and you are at the hotel entrance in Lara in a short time. The short trip is the easy part of the holiday, and it leaves you more hours for the beach.

Booking takes a couple of minutes on antalyatransfer.taxi. Enter your pickup and drop-off, choose the vehicle, add child seats if you need them and confirm. Give the exact hotel name or address and the time you want to leave. If you travel with more bags than usual, say so in the notes. You receive your confirmation and driver details before the journey, and the driver is at the door when you come out.

Lara works well as a base for the wider Antalya region. The main roads out of the city start close by, so a day out does not begin with a long crawl through the centre. Three ancient sites are the classic choices, and the Archaeological Museum in town tells you what to look for before you go.

• Perge. A Roman-era city with a long colonnaded street and a large stadium. Go in the morning, because there is little shade among the ruins.
• Aspendos. Famous for its Roman theatre, among the best preserved in the Mediterranean world.
• Side. A seaside town where temple columns stand almost on the water. It combines ruins, a small harbour and a beach, so it suits a full day.

Bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes for all three. Start early and plan the return for the afternoon, so you reach Lara before the evening traffic. The ground is uneven and the sun is strong from late morning.

For a lighter day, the boat tours that leave from the old Roman harbour sail around the bay. Golf players should know that the well-known courses of Belek lie further east along the coast, beyond the airport side of the city. Tell us how many bags of clubs you carry, and we choose the right vehicle.

For any longer excursion, a private car can collect you at the end of the day. Give us the name of the site and your planned finish time, and we agree the pickup together.

Lara has the sand, but the city has a second beach. Konyaaltı lies on the west side of the centre. Its shoreline is long and pebbly, and the Beydağları mountains rise behind the water. A promenade runs along it, and beach cafés line the front. Many visitors enjoy both: sand in Lara on one day, mountain views at Konyaaltı on the next. Families can also add the Antalya Aquarium, a useful option on a very hot afternoon.

You do not need to eat at your resort every night. Antalya has its own table, and these are worth asking for:

• Piyaz. A cool bean salad with a tahini dressing, a speciality of the Antalya region and a good starter before grilled meat.
• Fresh fish. The restaurants around the old harbour serve fish, and a table with a view of the yachts makes a long dinner.
• Citrus. The orchards around Antalya give the region its oranges, and fresh juice is easy to find.

Cumhuriyet Square and the streets around it are a good place to walk after dinner. The lanes of Kaleiçi also hold small shops, so a last gift for the family is easy to find before you return to the beach. The malls TerraCity and Mark Antalya suit a rainy day.

Two practical subjects come up often on this route: large parties and the old town itself.

A saloon car takes three passengers with three bags. A Vito van takes seven passengers with seven bags. A Sprinter minibus is the answer for larger groups. Count your suitcases honestly before you book. Beach gear, a pushchair and a golf bag all need room.

If your group splits across two hotels in Lara, say so when you book. Large resorts in this district have long entrance roads, so name the exact hotel. Some travellers also combine the airport arrival, a city stay, a Lara resort and the return flight into one plan. Tell us the dates and hotels in advance so the pickups line up.

Not every old town hotel has a door that a car can reach. Parts of Kaleiçi are pedestrian lanes with cobbles and steps. In these cases the driver meets you at a nearby point where cars can stop. The usual points are the parking area by Hadrian's Gate, Karaalioğlu Park and the Mermerli area. Porter assistance helps with the walk to the car.

For a smooth pickup, ask your hotel which street is nearest for a car, and send us that point with a map pin. Leave the room a few minutes early, because suitcase wheels are slow on old stones. After this short walk, the rest of the trip is easy.