Antalya City Center→Okurcalar

Okurcalar is not an old fishing village that grew into a resort town. It was laid out almost from scratch as a holiday settlement on the Antalya–Alanya coast, and that shows in its character: wide boulevards, a dense cluster of large all-inclusive hotels, and a long, flat beach backed by the Taurus foothills. If you are leaving the buzz of central Antalya for a week here, you are most likely heading to a big seafront resort for pool, sea and buffet. The last thing you want at the end of a city stay is to argue over a meter or wrestle a suitcase onto a public bus. A private car from the centre of Antalya removes all of that in one step.

This page covers the whole journey, from the moment the driver meets you at your hotel in the centre to the moment you reach reception in Okurcalar. It also covers what to do once you are there and how to plan the return trip. The drive is about 90 km and takes about 95 minutes in normal conditions. That is long enough to be worth planning, but short enough that you arrive in time for a late lunch by the pool.

You leave Antalya city centre and join the D400, the coastal highway that runs east along the Turkish Riviera. The first part of the journey takes you out through the eastern districts of the city. The busy streets of the centre give way to the long hotel frontage of the Lara and Kundu areas, where the big resorts line the cliffs above the sea. Beyond that the road passes Aksu and then crosses the flat Pamphylian plain towards Serik.

This plain is the most distinctive stretch of the drive. The Taurus mountains rise to your left, often with snow on the highest peaks well into spring. Greenhouses and orange groves fill the flat land between the road and the hills. To your right, pine woods and glimpses of the sea appear in the gaps between hotel complexes. Because the road is mostly dual carriageway, the drive feels smooth and easy, and most passengers relax within the first half hour.

After Serik the road continues past the Belek and Boğazkent turn-offs. Then it reaches the area around Side and Manavgat, which is the busiest part of the journey. Okurcalar sits just beyond Side, between Türkler and Avsallar, before the road climbs towards Alanya. So the last stretch is short and clearly signed. Your driver leaves the highway at the right junction for your resort and follows the access road to the gate.

For this route, count on about 95 minutes of driving. That is the figure for normal conditions, and in the quieter months it is usually realistic from door to door. The journey changes with the season and the time of day.

• Early morning and late evening: the coast road is at its easiest. If you can choose, a morning start gets you to your hotel for a late lunch.
• Midday in high summer: traffic builds around the Side and Manavgat junctions, where holiday coaches and local traffic share the same stretch of highway.
• Weekends in July and August: arrival and departure days are busy at every resort on this coast. Allow a small buffer if you have a fixed commitment at the other end.

Your driver watches conditions and chooses the best moment to leave the highway if there is a hold-up. You do not need to plan the route yourself.

Antalya city centre is a large area, and hotels in Kaleiçi, Konyaaltı, Lara and the inner districts all have different pickup arrangements. Narrow lanes in the old town can be difficult for a car to enter. If your hotel is inside Kaleiçi, tell us in advance. We can then agree a meeting point at the nearest accessible street, and your driver will help with the bags for the short walk.

For hotels on the main boulevards or on the Konyaaltı and Lara seafronts, the driver can usually collect you from the entrance. Give us your hotel name and exact address when you book.

There is no train down this coast. The public bus network is cheap, but it drops you on the main highway rather than at your hotel door, leaving a hot walk or a second taxi with your luggage. Dolmuş minibuses run along the coast, but they are built for local passengers, not for two large suitcases and a pushchair.

A shared shuttle waits until it is full. It then calls at a string of resorts in Belek, Side and Avsallar before yours. That turns a 95-minute drive into a long afternoon. This is the main reason that private transfers are so popular on this stretch of coast, especially for families and for anyone arriving after a flight.

With a private car you travel directly. The driver knows the individual resort gates in Okurcalar, so you are not left at a roadside entrance with a long walk to the lobby. You arrive at reception with your bags handed down for you, and the journey starts and ends on your schedule.

Every Turkey Transfer vehicle is clean and air-conditioned, with space for luggage. Child seats are available on request, and you should state the ages of your children when you book. Choose a larger vehicle if you are a bigger group or if you have a lot of luggage, such as golf clubs, sports equipment or several large cases. Your driver tracks your timing and waits at the agreed place with a name sign.

The fare is confirmed when you book, so you know the amount before you travel. It does not change if the coast road is busy. If your plans change, contact us as early as possible so that we can adjust the booking. If your journey actually starts at Antalya Airport rather than the city, we cover that leg too. For guests already in central Antalya heading out to their Okurcalar hotel, this is the most direct and relaxed option on the corridor.

Okurcalar is a compact resort village, and its layout makes arrival simple. The main road through the village runs parallel to the beach, and most of the large hotels are set along it or just behind it. Many of them have long entrance driveways, with a security barrier and a separate reception building. Your driver knows which gate each hotel uses and takes you to the reception door, not to the highway.

Check-in times at all-inclusive resorts are usually in the early afternoon. Because the drive from Antalya is about 95 minutes, an early morning departure can mean that you arrive before your room is ready. This is normal. Most hotels will store your bags and give you access to the pool, beach and restaurant while you wait. If you want to avoid the wait, plan a mid-morning departure so that you arrive when rooms are being released.

When you arrive:

• Have your passports ready for registration.
• Ask reception about the wristband system, as many all-inclusive hotels give you a band on arrival.
• • Agree the time of your return transfer with your driver before you get out of the car.

Okurcalar is small enough to understand quickly. The village is built along one main stretch of coast, and the choice is mostly about how far you want to be from the beach and from the centre of the village.

The big seafront resorts sit directly on the sand. They suit families, couples and anyone who wants to step from the room to the water in a few minutes. Many have pools, children's clubs, water slides and entertainment programmes. The advantage is simplicity: you can spend a full week without leaving the grounds. The trade-off is that evenings revolve around the hotel.

Hotels set a little back from the beach are usually calmer and sometimes have larger gardens. They suit guests who prefer quiet evenings and a slower pace. A short walk or a hotel shuttle takes you to the sand. If you are travelling with older relatives, this can be a gentle option.

The hotel zone continues towards the neighbouring villages. On one side lies Türkler, and on the other Avsallar. These areas have a slightly more local feel, with small shops, supermarkets and restaurants. They suit guests who want to walk out for dinner or to buy a few supplies. If you choose a hotel near the village edges, tell your driver when you book so that the drop-off is accurate.

The beach at Okurcalar is long and flat, with a gentle slope into the water. That makes it a good choice for families with young children, and for swimmers who prefer a gradual entry. The Taurus foothills form the backdrop, and in the morning light the mountains look especially clear from the sea.

The sea season runs from April to November, according to the usual pattern on this coast. The water is cool in April and May, warm and pleasant by June, and at its warmest from late summer into early autumn. In October and November, the sea can still be comfortable on sunny days, though the evenings are cooler. Hotels set up loungers and umbrellas on their own stretch of sand, and most offer a beach bar and water sports in summer.

Summers on this coast are hot, with temperatures above 35°C. Midday is best spent in the shade, with swimming saved for the morning and late afternoon.

Dining in Okurcalar is built around the hotels. Most resorts run a main buffet restaurant with Turkish and international dishes, plus several à la carte restaurants that guests can book during their stay. Expect grilled meat and fish, fresh salads, mezes, olive oil dishes and desserts such as baklava. Many hotels also serve a Turkish breakfast with cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs and fresh bread.

Evenings tend to be relaxed. Hotels organise live music, shows and themed nights, and there are often cocktail bars on the beach terrace. If you want to eat outside the hotel, the village has a handful of independent restaurants, and a short drive takes you to larger restaurant areas in Side and Alanya. Ask your hotel reception for a taxi, or arrange a private car for a late evening out.

Okurcalar is quiet after dark, and that is the point for many guests. Livelier nightlife is found in Alanya, further east, or in Side, to the west.

Okurcalar is well suited to families. The flat beach and gentle water are comfortable for small children. Many hotels have supervised kids' clubs, shallow pools and playgrounds, and some have large aquapark areas. All-inclusive meals mean there is no need to plan a restaurant each evening.

For the transfer itself, a few tips help:

• Tell us the ages of your children so that we can fit the right child seats.
• Carry snacks and drinks for the 95-minute drive, especially with younger children.
• Ask your driver to stop if a child feels unwell. A short break on the highway is possible.

Many guests do not travel at convenient hours. If you are leaving Antalya after dinner or after a late check-out, the D400 is quiet at night, and the drive can be quicker than the daytime figure. Even so, plan around the 95-minute estimate and tell your hotel in Okurcalar that you will arrive late. The reception will then keep the desk open and have your room ready.

For early-morning departures from Okurcalar, the road is calm. Your driver collects you from the hotel lobby at the agreed time, so you do not need to look for a taxi at dawn. If you need breakfast before you leave, many hotels will prepare a packed breakfast box if you ask the evening before.

For the return, the timing logic flips. We collect you from your hotel lobby in Okurcalar, load the cases, and drive back along the D400 towards Antalya. The route is the same, but you now start at the far end, and the busiest section around Side and Manavgat comes early in the journey.

If your onward journey is a flight from Antalya Airport, the airport is on the eastern side of Antalya, about 13 km from the city centre. That means you reach it before the centre when you drive back from Okurcalar. The drive from the centre to the airport is roughly 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic. If you stay in the city for a final night, the order is reversed, and you leave the centre for the airport on departure day.

Use these simple rules to plan the return:

• Work backwards from your flight time. For an international flight, aim to reach the terminal with ample time for check-in, bag drop and security.
• Add the 95-minute drive from the resort area to the city side of the route, and then the short final leg to the airport if you are flying.
• Add a buffer in July and August, and on weekends, when the Side and Manavgat junctions are busier.
• Tell your hotel reception the check-out time you plan, so that your luggage is ready.

Tell us your flight time and we set the pickup accordingly, rather than you guessing at a taxi rank. This is especially important for early-morning flights, where the pickup may be in the middle of the night. If your flight is late in the evening, you may have a free day after check-out. Many hotels allow you to keep your luggage at reception while you use the beach and the pool until the afternoon.

Many guests on this route spend time in Antalya before or after their stay in Okurcalar. The city offers a strong contrast with the resort life of the coast, and it is worth a day if you can fit it in.

The old walled town of Kaleiçi is the best place to start. Its Ottoman-era wooden houses, narrow cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards sit inside what were once the Roman and Byzantine city walls. The grand entrance is Hadrian's Gate, a triple-arched marble gate built for the visit of Emperor Hadrian in AD 130, and it still stands almost intact. A short walk away is the Yivli Minaret, the fluted brick minaret that has become the unofficial symbol of Antalya.

Down at the old Roman harbour, the marina is lined with fish restaurants and is the departure point for most of the boat trips around the bay. A sunset drink here, overlooking the yachts, is a classic Antalya evening. The Clock Tower and the Kesik Minaret are two more landmarks that fit easily into a walk through the old town.

Karaalioğlu Park sits on the cliff edge above Kaleiçi, with views down onto the harbour. Konyaaltı Beach runs west of the centre, and Lara Beach lies to the east. The Antalya Archaeological Museum holds finds from the nearby ancient cities of Perge, Side and Aspendos.

Okurcalar makes a good base for the eastern half of the Riviera. Several of the best sights are within an easy drive, and a private car with a driver turns each into a comfortable half-day or full-day trip.

Side is the nearest major attraction to the west. It is a small town on a peninsula, with a Roman theatre, the Temple of Apollo on the seafront, and a harbour lined with restaurants. The ruins stand among the modern streets, so you can walk from the theatre to a café in a few minutes. Side is a good place for an evening walk and dinner at sunset.

Manavgat lies a little beyond Side. It is known for its river, its waterfall and its busy market. A boat trip on the Manavgat River combines well with a visit to Side on the same day.

Alanya lies to the east, beyond Okurcalar, at the end of the same coastal road. Its castle stands on a headland above the town, and the old shipyard and the Red Tower are close to the harbour. The view from the castle hill over the bay is one of the best on this coast. The town also has lively streets, a long beach and plenty of cafés for the evening.

On your way to or from Antalya, you can stop at the ancient cities of Perge and Aspendos. Perge has a stadium and a colonnaded street. Aspendos is known for its Roman theatre, one of the best preserved in the Mediterranean. Ask us if you want to add a stop.

Antalya and Okurcalar have a Mediterranean climate, with more than 300 sunny days a year. The seasons shape how you plan the transfer.

April and May bring mild days and green hills. The sea is still cool, and the hotels are less busy. The ruins at Perge, Aspendos and Side are comfortable to walk around.

June to August is the main season. Summers are hot, with temperatures above 35°C, and the sea is warm. Traffic is heaviest on weekends and around the Side and Manavgat junctions. Plan early starts for sightseeing, and keep afternoons for the beach and the pool. Air-conditioned transport is a real benefit on a 95-minute journey in this heat.

September and October suit guests who want warm sea and lighter crowds. The coast road is calmer than in July and August, and the evenings are cooler.

Winters are mild, with daytime temperatures around 15°C. Some resorts reduce their services, so check your hotel's opening dates before you travel. The road is quiet, and the transfer often takes less time than in summer.

Roughly 95 minutes for the 90 km along the D400 coastal highway in normal traffic. In peak summer, especially near Side and Manavgat, allow a little extra. Your driver monitors conditions and plans around them.

Yes. Okurcalar is a compact resort village, and our drivers know the individual hotel entrances. You are dropped at your reception, not on the highway, with luggage assistance.

Yes, but the old town has narrow lanes. Tell us your hotel name when you book. We agree the nearest accessible meeting point, and your driver helps with your bags.

Yes, on request. Tell us the ages of your children when you book.

Work backwards from your flight time and add the 95-minute drive. Add a buffer in summer and at weekends. Tell us your flight time, and we set the pickup for you.