Dalaman Airport→Mahmutlar

You land at Dalaman on the western Turquoise Coast, and your holiday address is Mahmutlar, a long beach neighbourhood on the eastern side of Alanya. Between the two lie about 295 km of coastal road and roughly 311 minutes of driving, a little over five hours before any stops. This is one of the longest transfers we run, and it is better to say so now than to let it surprise you at the arrivals hall.

Most guests who book this route have a good reason for it. A long private drive can also be a calm and scenic start to a holiday, if the car, the driver and the plan are right. This page explains what the day looks like, so you can decide how to pace it, what to eat before you go and when to expect your first view of the Mahmutlar seafront.

The nearest airport to Mahmutlar is not Dalaman. Antalya Airport (AYT) is about 140 km away, usually 1.5 to 2 hours by road depending on season and traffic. Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP) is closer still, around 35 to 40 minutes from Mahmutlar. If your flight can land at either, those are the shorter options.

Guests still choose Dalaman for several practical reasons:

• A direct or well-timed flight to Dalaman exists when the Antalya or Gazipaşa options do not fit your dates or your departure city.
• You have spent the first part of your trip around Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, Dalyan or Marmaris, and you are now moving east to Alanya for the second half.
• You are travelling as a family or in a group and want one private car with one driver and one set of luggage handling, instead of a bus, a connecting flight or a train of taxis.
• You own or rent an apartment in Mahmutlar and prefer a single continuous journey on arrival day.

Whatever the reason, the aim is the same. You walk out of the terminal, meet one person with a sign, and sit down in one car that takes you to your door.

Dalaman Airport (DLM) is the gateway to the Turquoise Coast, with a single terminal and a straightforward arrivals area. After you clear passport control and collect your bags, your driver waits in the arrivals hall with a board showing your name. You do not have to find a taxi rank, compare vehicles or explain your destination.

We track your flight number. If your plane lands early, the driver adjusts. If it lands late, the driver adjusts again. This matters more on a long route than on a short one, because a delayed arrival at Dalaman pushes your arrival at Mahmutlar into the evening, and you will want a driver who already knows that.

A few things help the pickup run smoothly:

• Give us your flight number and your exact Mahmutlar address when you book. A hotel name, apartment block name or street name all help.
• Tell us how many people and how many suitcases are travelling, so we send the right size of vehicle.
• Mention child seats or special luggage, such as prams, golf bags or sports equipment, in advance.

The journey follows the Mediterranean coast eastwards for most of its length. Leaving Dalaman, you travel through a landscape of pine-covered hills, river plains and turquoise bays. The Lycian coastline that follows is among the most dramatic in Turkey, with mountains that fall almost straight into the sea, small coves and long stretches of road that curve high above the water.

The Taurus Mountains stay close on your left for much of the way, and the sea stays on your right. Each hour gives you a different scene. First comes forest and fishing-village country, then rocky headlands, then the wider plains and orange groves around Antalya, and finally the long, flatter coastal stretch toward Side, Manavgat and Alanya.

The given duration of 311 minutes assumes normal driving conditions without long stops. In practice, a family transfer of this length usually takes longer once you add a coffee break, a bathroom stop and a short walk. Plan on five and a half hours or more door to door, and treat any time saved as a bonus.

The first leg: Dalaman toward the Lycian coast

The early part of the drive is the most scenic. The road climbs, bends and drops back toward the water. If you have never seen this coast, keep your camera ready. Passengers who feel travel sickness on bends should sit near a front window and tell the driver before departure.

The middle leg: around Antalya

Past the mountain section, the road opens out and the traffic changes character. Antalya is a large city with a busy airport, and the ring roads around it carry a lot of traffic, especially at the start and end of the working day and in high season. If you pass this area during a summer afternoon, expect slower going than at night or early in the morning.

The last leg: toward Alanya and Mahmutlar

After Antalya, the D400 coastal road carries you east past the resort areas around Side and Manavgat, then on toward Alanya. The skyline of Alanya, with its castle on the headland, tells you that you are close. Mahmutlar lies to the east of Alanya's centre, so the last part of the trip runs along the seafront road beyond the town. Antalya Airport to Mahmutlar is itself around 140 km, so the final stretch of your day follows the same road that most Antalya arrivals take.

The 311-minute figure describes a normal run. Real journeys vary with the season, the hour and the day.

• Early morning and night: Roads are quiet, and the drive is at its quickest. If your flight lands late, the road is calm, though you will arrive at Mahmutlar very late.
• Mid-morning and early afternoon: Traffic builds around the larger towns and around Antalya. Summer weekends can add noticeable time.
• Late afternoon in July and August: This is the busiest part of the year. Holiday traffic, tour coaches and road works can all slow the drive, so allow extra time on top of the standard duration.
• Winter and early spring: The road is generally calm, though rain and mountain weather can affect conditions, and some roadside cafés close for the season.

Your driver knows which sections slow down and picks rest stops accordingly.

A private transfer lets you set the rhythm. You are not bound to a bus timetable.

Sensible habits for a long transfer:

• Eat a proper meal before you board your flight or in the terminal, because roadside food varies in quality.
• Carry water, light snacks and wipes in the cabin so you do not need to stop every time someone is thirsty.
• Plan one longer break roughly in the middle of the journey, with a coffee, a toilet visit and a short walk.
• Ask your driver for a short photo stop at a good viewpoint. The coast offers many places where the road pulls over above the sea.

The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters in summer, and the cabin has room for luggage. For a group of mixed ages, a larger vehicle often makes more sense than squeezing into a sedan for five hours. Tell us the group size and we will recommend the right type.

Five hours is a long time for a toddler and not a short time for a teenager either. Families do this route successfully, and a few simple choices make it easier.

Child seats are available on request, and they are important on a drive of this length. Ask for them when you book and tell us the ages and weights, so the right seat is fitted before you arrive.

Time the journey around your children where you can. If your flight lands at lunchtime, a stop for a proper meal helps. If it lands in the evening, the children may sleep for much of the drive, but the late arrival at Mahmutlar means a tired household, so make sure your apartment or hotel knows you are coming.

If anyone feels unwell, tell the driver straight away. A short stop in fresh air solves most problems.

Your driver takes you to your exact address. In a coastal neighbourhood with many apartment blocks, this is a real advantage. Mahmutlar has grown quickly, and many buildings sit on side streets that are not easy to find without a name or a pin on the map. Send us the building name, the street and, where possible, a map location from your host or hotel.

Check-in times vary, and a late-evening arrival often means someone must wait with the keys. If you rent a private apartment, tell the owner or agent your expected arrival window and share your flight number. The driver can update you by message if the road is slower than expected.

A few practical points for arrival:

• Keep your booking confirmation on your phone for the driver and for the building reception.
• Have the property phone number ready in case the entrance is locked.
• If you need groceries, ask the driver to pass a supermarket on the way, because a stop is easy to arrange on a private transfer and Mahmutlar has plenty of supermarkets.

Mahmutlar is a coastal neighbourhood of Alanya, strung along roughly 12 kilometres of Mediterranean shoreline in Turkey's Antalya province. It is one of the busiest resort districts on this part of the Turkish Riviera, yet it feels less like a tourist strip and more like a real town that happens to sit on a beach.

The seafront and the beach

The beach is long and mixes sand and pebbles, with Blue Flag status in parts. A wide seafront walking and cycling path runs behind it, lined with cafés, fish restaurants and ice-cream stands. It is a flat, easy walk from most hotel areas, and at sunset it fills with families and long-term residents out for their evening stroll. This is the part of Mahmutlar that suits first-time visitors, couples and families who want the sea at the end of the street.

The main road and the town centre

The main road behind the seafront holds the supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies, clothes shops and everyday services. This is the busier zone, with traffic, shop signs in several languages and a constant sense of activity. It suits long-stay visitors and people who prefer to shop and eat like residents, not just like holidaymakers.

Kargıcak and the quieter inland side

Inland from the coast road, Mahmutlar blends into Kargıcak, its quieter and more residential neighbour. If you want calmer nights and a more local feel, this side suits you well. You will walk further to the beach, but you gain space and peace.

Konaklı and Demirtaş toward Gazipaşa

Further east, Konaklı and Demirtaş continue the coastline toward Gazipaşa. These areas are generally less crowded and suit visitors who want to step away from the busier centre of Mahmutlar while still keeping the sea close.

An international, year-round community

Thousands of Norwegians, Germans, Russians, Ukrainians and Britons own apartments here or return every winter. Shop signs appear in four or five languages, and the promenade stays lively even in January. This gives Mahmutlar a year-round character that you rarely find in purely seasonal resorts. For visitors in the cooler months, this is a real advantage, because cafés and shops stay open.

Hotels and apartment complexes across the Mahmutlar and Kargıcak belt receive our airport guests. Names such as Calista, Senza Grand Santana and Club Hotel Ulashlar are familiar addresses to our drivers, though any hotel or apartment in the area is a normal drop-off for us.

Mahmutlar's strongest asset is how much sits within a short taxi ride.

• Alanya old town: Around 20 to 25 minutes west along the coast road. Here you find Alanya Castle (Alanya Kalesi) on its headland, the Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) beside the harbour, Damlataş Cave and the well-known Cleopatra Beach.
• Dim Çayı and Dim Cave (Dim Mağarası): Roughly 15 to 20 minutes inland. The river is popular for riverside restaurants, cool swimming spots and gentle rafting, and the cave offers a break from the summer heat.
• Sapadere Canyon: Around 45 to 50 minutes away. It is known for turquoise pools and wooden walkways, and it makes a worthwhile day out.

The weekly market in Mahmutlar draws shoppers from beyond the neighbourhood, with fresh produce, textiles, spices and household goods. Ask your host or hotel for the current market day, and go early before the heat builds.

Mahmutlar's food scene follows its residents. You find fish restaurants along the seafront, simple Turkish grills and kebab places on the main road, and cafés that serve everything from Turkish breakfast to international comfort food, because so many nationalities live here.

For a first evening after a long transfer, keep things simple. Walk to the nearest seafront café, order something light and go to bed early. The promenade is a pleasant place for an after-dinner stroll, and it stays active well into the night in summer.

Flights into Dalaman can land at awkward hours, including after midnight. With a drive of about 311 minutes, a late landing means you reach Mahmutlar in the small hours or near dawn. A pre-booked transfer removes the problem of finding a taxi desk at 2 am, and your driver tracks the flight so that a delay does not leave you stranded.

If you arrive very late with children, consider one of these options:

• Drive straight through and let the children sleep in the car. Make sure your accommodation knows to expect you.
• Break the journey with a night near Dalaman, Fethiye or elsewhere on the coast, and continue in daylight. This suits guests who value the scenery, because the best parts of the road are much more enjoyable in daylight.

Whichever you choose, tell us at booking. We can adapt the pickup, and the driver can plan rest stops with the time of night in mind.

If you go home from Dalaman, the same long road runs in reverse, and the timing needs care. A drive of 295 km and about 311 minutes, plus rest stops, takes well over five hours.

Work backwards from your flight:

1. Decide when you want to be at the airport. For an international flight, most travellers aim to arrive well ahead of check-in closing, often around three hours before departure.
2. Add the full driving time of about five and a half hours, which includes at least one rest stop.
3. Add a margin for traffic, especially in July and August.

For an afternoon flight, this means leaving Mahmutlar early in the morning. For a morning flight, a very early start or an overnight stay nearer Dalaman is the sensible plan. Many guests choose to spend the last night in Fethiye, Dalyan or Dalaman, which turns the final morning into a short, calm drive.

Tell us your flight time when you book, and we will help you choose a pickup time that works. Please be ready at the agreed hour, because a long route leaves little room for a late departure.

Once you have settled in, Mahmutlar makes a good base for short excursions.

• Alanya old town and castle: A half-day outing for history, views and the harbour area. Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the heat is lower.
• Dim River and Dim Cave: A relaxed half-day with lunch beside the water.
• Sapadere Canyon: A full-day or long half-day trip for nature, pools and walking.

We run one-way transfers and half-day return trips to these places on request. Tell your driver or contact us with what you want to see, and we will arrange the timing and confirm the arrangements before you travel.

Many guests arrive at Dalaman with a day in hand and wonder whether to start the drive at once or spend a few hours nearby. The region around Dalaman has plenty to offer:

• Ölüdeniz and its Blue Lagoon, a sheltered turquoise bay known across Turkey
• Butterfly Valley, a secluded cove reached by boat
• Saklıkent Gorge, a deep canyon where visitors wade through cold water
• Kayaköy, the abandoned village of stone houses above Fethiye
• Dalyan, with its river, mud baths and the Kaunos ruins
• İztuzu turtle beach, a long sandy beach on a protected stretch of coast

If you are connecting two parts of a holiday, a morning at one of these places before you travel east is a pleasant way to ease into the long drive. The sea is warm in summer, reaching about 28°C in August, so a short swim before the car is a good idea.

Mahmutlar has long, hot summers and mild winters. The beach season runs from May to October, with the hottest and most humid weather in July and August.

• Spring (April to May): Pleasant temperatures, green countryside and quieter roads. The sea is still cool.
• Early summer (June): Warm, sunny days and a lively promenade, with the busiest weeks still ahead.
• High summer (July and August): Hot and humid, with the heaviest traffic. Book your transfer early, avoid the middle of the day for long walks and keep the car well supplied with water.
• Autumn (September and October): Warm sea, comfortable days and fewer crowds. Many regular visitors consider this the best time of year.
• Winter (November to March): Mild, with occasional rain. Because Mahmutlar has a large resident community, cafés, shops and the promenade remain active, which suits long-stay visitors.

For the long drive from Dalaman, shoulder seasons are the easiest: the road is calmer, the temperatures in the car are comfortable and the scenery is at its best.

Booking takes a few minutes. Please provide:

1. Your flight number and arrival date
2. The number of passengers, including children, and their ages
3. The number of suitcases and any special luggage
4. Your exact address in Mahmutlar, with a map location if you have one
5. A phone number you can use on arrival, ideally with WhatsApp

With this information, your driver can track your flight, plan the route and be ready at the arrivals hall with your name on a board.

Turkey Transfer is a family business based in Antalya. We know the coastal road, the busy junctions and the best places to pause, and we would rather give you an honest travel time than promise something the road cannot deliver. Your long journey from Dalaman to Mahmutlar becomes the first chapter of your holiday, with one car, one driver and a clear plan from the arrivals hall to your front door.