Dalaman Airport→Evrenseki

You land at Dalaman Airport (DLM), and your hotel stands on the beach strip of Evrenseki, next to the ancient town of Side. This is a long transfer. The distance is 237 kilometres, and the drive takes about 249 minutes, which is a little over four hours. It is one of the longer airport runs that holidaymakers book in Turkey, so it helps to know what the day looks like before you fly.

With Turkey Transfer, a driver waits for you in the arrivals hall with a sign that shows your name. He takes your bags and walks you to a private, air-conditioned car. He then drives you straight to your Evrenseki hotel. You do not change vehicles, you do not wait for other passengers, and you do not stop at other hotels on the way. The car is yours for the whole journey, and that matters on a ride of this length.

Antalya Airport (AYT) is the nearest gateway to Evrenseki. It lies roughly 62 kilometres away, and the transfer takes about 60 to 70 minutes. Many travellers still choose Dalaman, and the reasons are usually simple:

• The flight to Dalaman can be cheaper or has a better departure time from your home airport.
• You spent the first part of your holiday in Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Dalyan or Göcek, and now you move east to the Side coast.
• You travel as a family or a group and prefer one car from the Dalaman terminal to the hotel door.
• You combine two coastal regions in one trip and want to see both without a rental car.

If you belong to the second group, this transfer is a convenient way to change coast. You check out of your hotel in the west, sit in the car, and wake up on a different part of the Mediterranean. If you belong to the first group, consider the time. The drive is long, so a flight that lands in the morning or at midday gives you the best chance to reach your hotel in daylight.

The trip starts at the single terminal of Dalaman Airport, which serves the Turquoise Coast resorts of Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Marmaris and Dalyan. Arrivals are well organised. Your driver meets you inside, and the car waits close to the terminal building.

From Dalaman the route heads east along the Mediterranean. The first part of the journey crosses Muğla province. Here the road runs through pine forests and past mountain slopes that fall steeply towards a sea of deep turquoise. You see small coves between the trees, and in some places the road climbs high above the water so that you can look down on boats at anchor. The coast of this region is Lycian coast. It is rugged, green and quiet, and it is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Turkey.

As the hours pass, the province changes. You leave Muğla and enter Antalya province. The mountains of the Taurus range stay on your left, and the Mediterranean stays on your right for much of the way. After the long mountain section the landscape opens into the broad Antalya plain. Greenhouses, orange groves and flat farmland replace the pine slopes. Later you reach the Manavgat district, where the citrus trees and the river valley signal that you are close to the end of the trip.

Your driver chooses the most comfortable way for the day and the traffic. We do not claim an exact road for every trip, because roadworks, weather and traffic change the best choice. What does not change is the plan: a steady drive, a calm driver, and a hotel at the end.

The duration of 249 minutes is a sensible average for a driver who does not stop. In practice the real time depends on the day.

• Early morning and late evening are usually the smoothest. The mountain sections are quiet, and the coastal towns are not busy.
• Mid-morning to late afternoon in July and August can be slower. Holiday traffic, tour coaches and slow lorries on the climbs add minutes.
• Weekends in high season bring more cars on the coast roads, especially around the larger towns and near the Antalya urban area.
• Rest stops add time. A ten-minute coffee stop and a longer meal stop change the total by a clear margin.

Plan for a trip of about four hours and a quarter from the moment you leave the airport car park, and add the time you need for stops. If you want a precise arrival time for a family dinner or a late check-in, tell your driver at the start of the trip.

On a drive of more than four hours you will want a break. This is the main advantage of a private transfer. The car stops where you ask, so you do not depend on a coach schedule.

Service stations on the main road have toilets, drinks and simple snacks. Many have a small restaurant or a shaded terrace with views of the hills. A coffee and a simple sandwich make a big difference on a journey of this length. If you travel with young children, tell the driver before you leave, and agree a plan for one or two stops. If someone in the group suffers from car sickness, ask for the front seat and for a stop at a quiet place where you can get some fresh air.

You can also stop for a swim or a photograph if the timing allows it. Tell your driver what you want to see, and he will say if the day has enough time.

When the car leaves the main highway and turns towards the coast, you are close. Evrenseki sits in the Manavgat district, and its hotels stand in a long row along the beach. The driver takes you to the entrance of your hotel and does not leave you at a roundabout or a bus stop.

A few practical points help the arrival go smoothly:

• Send your hotel name when you book. Hotels in the area look similar from the road, and the exact name avoids a wrong turn.
• Check your check-in time. After a long drive you may arrive earlier than the room is ready. Ask the reception to keep your bags and use the pool or the beach while you wait.
• Keep your voucher and passport easy to reach. Reception needs both at check-in.
• Tell the driver about late arrival. A hotel with a night reception desk will still open the door, but a message to the hotel in advance prevents delay.

We regularly bring guests to hotels in Evrenseki, among them Amara Family Resort, J'Adore Deluxe Hotel & Spa, Lake & River Side and Hotel Andria. We know where the drop-off point is at each of these properties. Families who book Amara Family Resort or J'Adore Deluxe Hotel & Spa usually look for a resort with plenty for children to do. Guests who book Lake & River Side or Hotel Andria often want a quieter stay near the sand. Your hotel may be a different one, and that is fine. Give us the name and the address, and we handle the rest.

Evrenseki is a quiet stretch of coast in the Manavgat district. It is next door to Side, but it feels different. Side's old town has narrow lanes, souvenir shops and a livelier night scene. Evrenseki is more spread out and more family-oriented. Its roads are lined mostly with all-inclusive resort hotels and not with bars. The best way to describe it is a calmer, more residential neighbour of Side.

The area is flat, green and open. Citrus groves lie on one side of the main strip, and the Sorgun pine forest lies on the other. There is one of the longest sandy beaches in the region, and the sand is pale gold. Further south, the coast continues into Çolaklı and Kızılağaç. Side's old town centre is about four to five kilometres north.

• Families with young children like the wide beach with shallow water and the resort hotels that offer pools, clubs and activities on site. You can stay within one property for most of the day.
• Couples like the calm. You can walk on the sand in the early morning, spend the day on a sunbed, and take a short taxi ride to Side for dinner.
• Travellers who want nature like the pine forest and the lagoon of Titreyengöl, which lies just south of the main strip.
• Guests who move on from Fethiye or Ölüdeniz often want a rest. A long beach and an all-inclusive hotel are a good way to relax after a long transfer.

The beach of Evrenseki has Blue Flag status. The water shelves gently, and it is shallow for a good distance from the shore. This is a comfortable choice for families with small children and for people who are not strong swimmers.

Most sunbed areas belong to the hotels directly behind them. Public access points exist along the strip, so you can reach the sand even if you do not stay on the beachfront. In season, operators set up watersports along the shore, with banana boats, parasailing and similar activities. Mornings are usually calm and flat. A light breeze often rises in the afternoon, and the water becomes a little livelier.

In August the sea temperature reaches about 28°C on this part of the Mediterranean. That is warm enough for long swims, and it is also warm enough for children to stay in the water for a long time. Late spring and early autumn feel gentler, and many guests prefer them for the beach.

Ancient Side lies about a ten-minute taxi ride from Evrenseki. It is the main reason many guests choose this part of the coast. The Temple of Apollo stands close to the water, and at sunset the columns appear as silhouettes against the sky. The ancient theatre and the Side Museum are also worth a visit. The old town has cobbled lanes, small shops and open-air restaurants. Walk slowly and take a bottle of water, because the stone paths hold the heat.

Most hotels in Evrenseki work on an all-inclusive basis, so many guests eat at the hotel for most of their stay. Buffets, snack bars and à la carte restaurants are common. After a long travel day, a hotel dinner is an easy choice. You arrive, you shower, and you eat without any planning.

When you want a change, you have two simple options:

• Eat in Side. The old town has many restaurants, from simple grills to places with sea views. This is the most popular choice for an evening out.
• Eat in Manavgat. The town centre and the river bank have restaurants where local families eat.

Evrenseki itself is quiet after dark. This is a benefit for families with children, and for guests who value sleep. If you want nightlife, you go to Side. If you want a calm night, you stay in your hotel.

Evrenseki is a good fit for a family holiday, and a long transfer needs some thought when children travel with you.

• Child seats are available on request. Tell us the age and weight of each child when you book, so that we prepare the correct seat.
• Pack a small bag for the car. Water, snacks, a tablet with downloaded films, a jumper for the air conditioning and wet wipes help a lot.
• Plan the stops. One break at about the middle of the journey is a sensible plan for small children. You decide the time, and the driver follows.
• Pick the right flight. A flight that arrives in the morning gives a family the most relaxed day. A flight that arrives late in the evening means the children reach the hotel after bedtime.

The beach is shallow and sandy, and many hotels have children's pools and mini clubs. These features make the first day easier after a long travel day.

Some flights to Dalaman land late in the evening or after midnight. On this route the effect is large, because the drive takes more than four hours. A landing at 23:00 means an arrival in Evrenseki in the early hours of the morning. That can be tiring, but it can also be quiet, because the roads are empty.

If your flight is late, consider these points:

• Tell your hotel. The reception must know that you arrive at night, so that the room is ready and the door is open.
• Rest during the drive. The car is comfortable, and you may sleep. Tell the driver if you prefer quiet.
• Think about a first night in the Dalaman area. If the flight lands very late and you do not have to be in Evrenseki on a certain day, a short stay near the airport and a morning transfer may be easier. This is your choice, and we can arrange the transfer for the morning.

Flight tracking helps in all of these cases. We follow your flight, so your driver reaches the terminal at the right time even when the landing time changes. If your flight is delayed, you do not need to call anyone. The driver waits for you.

The return journey needs more planning than the outward trip, because you must reach the airport on time. The duration is again about 249 minutes. For an international flight, airports usually ask passengers to arrive two to three hours before departure. Add the drive, the check-out time and the breaks, and you find the real start time.

A simple method works well:

1. Take the departure time of your flight.
2. Subtract about two and a half hours for check-in and security.
3. Subtract about four hours and a quarter for the drive.
4. Subtract a safety margin of at least 30 to 45 minutes for traffic and a rest stop.

The result is the time to leave the hotel. For many flights this is early in the morning or even in the night. A flight at midday normally means a departure from the hotel in the early morning. A flight at 06:00 means a departure in the evening of the previous day, so for such a flight many guests prefer to spend the last night near Dalaman and not in Evrenseki.

Some practical advice for the return day:

• Eat breakfast early or ask the hotel for a packed breakfast. Many hotels prepare a take-away box when you ask the evening before.
• Confirm the pickup time with us. Send a message on WhatsApp one day before, with the hotel name and the room number.
• Do not plan a tour on the last day. The drive uses the entire day, and a delay in the morning has a direct effect on the airport arrival.

If your return flight leaves from Antalya Airport and not from Dalaman, the drive is only about an hour. Tell us when you book, because the journey, the timing and the plan for the day change completely.

Evrenseki is close to some of the best historic and natural sites on the Mediterranean coast. A private taxi or car from your hotel is more flexible than a tour coach. You set the schedule, you do not share the vehicle with strangers, and you do not rush on the way back.

• Side's ancient centre. The Temple of Apollo, the ancient theatre and the museum are about ten minutes from Evrenseki by taxi.
• Manavgat Waterfall and river boat trips. They are near the town centre, about 15 to 20 minutes by taxi. Boats leave from the same stretch of river.
• Manavgat Thursday market. It is the liveliest local market in the region, and it is a good place for fresh produce, spices and handmade goods.
• Aspendos Roman Theatre. This is one of the best-preserved Roman theatres on the Mediterranean, and it is still used for concerts and festivals. It lies about 35 to 40 minutes from Evrenseki.
• Köprülü Canyon. It offers rafting and zip-lining, and it is roughly 45 to 50 minutes away by taxi.
• Green Canyon and Oymapınar Dam. Boat trips on the lake make a scenic day out, about 40 minutes from Evrenseki.
• Titreyengöl. It is right next to Evrenseki, a short walk or a very quick taxi ride.

Choose one or two big excursions for a week-long stay and leave the other days for the beach. The distances are short, but the heat in summer makes a full day outside tiring.

The Turquoise Coast has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. The beach season is long, and it runs from late spring into autumn.

• May and June. The sea is still fresh, the days are warm, and the hotels are less crowded. The roads are calm, so the transfer is usually smooth.
• July and August. These are the hottest and busiest months. The sea is at its warmest, with about 28°C in August. The roads carry more traffic, so allow extra time and keep water in the car.
• September and October. The sea stays warm, and the heat of the day is gentler. Many guests find these months the best balance between weather, price and crowds.
• November to April. Winter is mild, but many hotels reduce services or close. Check that your hotel is open before you book a transfer. The mountain sections of the road can be wet after rain, and a careful driver slows down.

Whichever month you choose, drink water during the drive, wear light clothes, and keep a jumper for the air conditioning. The temperature inside the car stays comfortable, but it is hot when you step outside at a rest stop.

Booking is simple, and it takes a few minutes.

1. Send your flight number, the date and the time of arrival.
2. Send the name and the address of your Evrenseki hotel.
3. Tell us the number of adults and children, and the number of suitcases.
4. Ask for a child seat if you need one.
5. Add the return transfer if you want it, with the date and the time of your departure flight.

After this, your car is ready for your landing time. The driver waits in the terminal with a name sign and takes you straight to the hotel. Our drivers know the region well. They choose the most comfortable way for this long journey,. If you have a question before or during your travel, you can send a message on WhatsApp.

The transfer from Dalaman Airport to Evrenseki is long, but it shows you two sides of the Mediterranean coast: the wooded mountains and hidden coves of the west, and the open plains and long sandy beaches of the east. With a private car and a clear plan for stops, you arrive ready for the sunbed, the sea and the ancient streets of Side.