Kaş→Sarıgerme

This is one of those Turkish coast journeys that earns the drive. You leave Kaş, the harbour town pinned beneath the Taurus mountains, and you arrive in Sarıgerme, a quiet resort village behind umbrella pines and a long sandy beach near Dalaman. The transfer covers 101 km and takes about 106 minutes, which is roughly 1 hour 45 minutes. Most of that time is spent on the D400 coastal highway, first high above the sea, then inland across the Dalaman plain.

The two places could hardly be more different. Kaş is small, steep, whitewashed and a little bohemian. Sarıgerme is flat, green and built around its beach. Moving from one to the other is a change of pace as much as a change of address, and this guide explains what to expect at each stage, so that you can plan the day with confidence.

Most travellers on this run are couples and families who split their holiday between two very different moods. They spend the first days in Kaş, where evenings revolve around the cobbled lanes of Uzun Çarşı, the harbour and the dive boats. Then they move to Sarıgerme for a flat, shallow beach and a calmer, resort-style week.

Some guests travel the other way, from the beach in Sarıgerme to the old town and diving of Kaş. A third group uses this transfer as the last leg before a flight from Dalaman Airport (DLM), because Sarıgerme sits only a short drive from the terminal. If you stay your final night in Sarıgerme, your morning flight becomes very simple.

Whichever group you belong to, a private car removes the awkward part of the trip. You do not change vehicles with your bags. The driver collects you in Kaş and takes you to your door in Sarıgerme.

The first stretch out of Kaş is the most dramatic part of the whole journey. The D400 climbs and curls high above the Mediterranean. The Greek island of Meis, also called Kastellorizo, floats just offshore, and on a clear day it looks close enough to swim to. There are pull-in viewpoints over the bay at Kalkan, where white houses step down the hillside to a small harbour.

After Kalkan the road eases down toward the broad Eşen valley and the dunes around Patara. The sea fades from view, the mountains step back and the landscape turns to farmland. Further on, the road crosses the Dalaman plain, with greenhouses and citrus groves around Ortaca. Finally you reach the pine forest around Sarıgerme, and the smell of resin tells you that you have arrived.

It is a winding coastal road and not a motorway. That is why the journey takes 106 minutes for 101 km. The average speed is modest because the road bends constantly in the first section, and because slow farm vehicles and tourist traffic share it. A steady, unhurried pace in a comfortable car makes a real difference here. Your driver knows where the bends tighten and where overtaking is sensible.

If you are prone to travel sickness, tell the driver at pickup and sit in the front. The curves between Kaş and Kalkan are the part that affects most people. Open a window, look at the horizon and use the viewpoints for a short break.

Under normal conditions you can plan on the 106 minutes quoted for this route. Treat that as the base figure and add a margin for the season and the hour.

• Early morning: the road is quietest. Local traffic is light, the sun is low over the sea, and the views are at their clearest. This is the best time to leave if you have no fixed deadline.
• Midday in July and August: the heat rises, tour coaches and rental cars fill the road, and the viewpoints become crowded. Expect the journey to run longer than the base figure.
• Late afternoon in high summer: traffic around Kalkan and Ortaca can thicken as day visitors return to their hotels. If you can choose, leave before this period.

For a simple rule, add 20 to 30 minutes of buffer in peak summer if you have a firm commitment at the other end, such as a dinner booking or a boat departure. If your flight is the commitment, read the airport section below, because it needs a much larger margin.

The coastline between Kaş and Kalkan holds some of the best-known stops in southwest Turkey, and a private car lets you use them. You can ask the driver to make short stops when you book.

Kaputaş Beach is the small turquoise cove between Kaş and Kalkan. You reach it by a long staircase from the road down to the sand. The colour of the water is the reason people stop. Allow time for the stairs, because the climb back up is steeper than the walk down. It suits a 30 to 45 minute break better than a full beach day.

Patara is the long sandy beach beside the ruins of the ancient city of Patara. It is a longer stop, because the beach is large and the ruins deserve a walk. If you want to include it, plan to leave Kaş earlier in the day and treat the transfer as a half-day outing. Your 106 minutes of driving then become a day with two or three pauses.

Please tell us about any stop when you book. Then the driver can plan the timing and keep the rest of your day on schedule. Remember that every stop extends the total time on top of the 106 minutes of driving.

Kaş is a compact town with narrow streets, and some hotels and guesthouses in the old centre are on lanes that are hard for a car to enter. In that case the driver may wait at the nearest point reached by road, and you walk a short way with your bags. Check with your hotel if you are not sure.

Plan your pickup for a time that suits your checkout. Many guests prefer a late breakfast on the harbour and a departure in the late morning. If you want the quiet roads, ask for an early start instead. Tell us your hotel name and a mobile number that works in Turkey, so the driver can reach you if the lane is blocked or the hotel entrance is hard to find.

Divers and boat-trip guests often carry extra gear. A private vehicle takes diving kit, snorkelling equipment, beach bags and full suitcases in one load. Tell us about unusual luggage when you book, such as a dive bag, a pushchair or a folding bicycle, so that the right vehicle arrives.

Sarıgerme is a resort village on the coast of the Dalaman and Ortaca area. It is flat, green and organised around its beach. Behind the sand there are pine trees, and the hotels, apartments and villas lie close to the shore. Most hotels are within a short distance of the water, so the final minutes of the drive are slow and local.

The driver takes you right to reception or to your villa gate. If your accommodation is a private villa or apartment, send us the address and the host's phone number when you book, because small residential streets are not always easy to find. If you arrive earlier than the standard check-in time, the hotel can usually store your luggage, and you can go straight to the beach.

Sarıgerme is not large, but the places to stay differ in character.

• Beachfront hotels: these suit families who want to walk from the room to the sand in a few minutes. The beach is flat and the water is shallow near the shore, so it is comfortable for younger children and for relaxed swimmers.
• Villas and apartments set back among the pines: these suit groups and larger families who want a kitchen, a garden and more privacy. The walk to the beach is a little longer, and many guests like the shade of the trees.
• The village centre: this is the area with small shops, cafés and restaurants. It suits guests who like to walk out for the evening and who do not want to depend on a car.

If the beach is the centre of your holiday, stay close to it. If you plan day trips, a villa in the pines is a good base.

The main attraction is the long sandy beach, which is a flat, swimmable shoreline backed by pines. Many visitors know it as a Blue Flag shoreline. Blue Flag status is reviewed each season, so check the current status if it matters to your choice.

The sea is calm in the summer months, and the sandy bottom makes entering the water easy. This is the main difference from Kaş, where much of the swimming happens from platforms, small pebble beaches or boats. In Sarıgerme you can simply walk into the water.

The area around Sarıgerme also belongs to a wider stretch of lake, river and coastal nature in the Dalaman and Dalyan region. Close by you will find the turtle beach at İztuzu, the river channels around Dalyan, the ruins of Kaunos and the mud baths. Sarıgerme is a comfortable base for these places, and they are described in the day-trip section below.

In Kaş the evening is the main event. People walk the harbour, eat fish at tables by the water and drink on the terraces as the light fades over the sea. The small town is alive after dark, but in a gentle way, with no big clubs and no high-rise hotels. If you spend your last evening in Kaş before the transfer, eat a late dinner by the harbour and leave the next morning.

In Sarıgerme the evening is calmer and more family-oriented. Many guests eat at their hotel, especially in resorts that include meals. Others walk into the village for a simple dinner of grilled fish, meze and fresh salads. After dark the beach is quiet and the pine trees give the air a cooler feel.

If you arrive in the afternoon, have a swim first and eat later. The change from the dramatic coast of Kaş to the gentle beach of Sarıgerme is a good moment to slow down.

This transfer works well for families, and the planning is simple.

• Child seats: these are available on request. Tell us the age and number of your children when you book, so that the right seats are in the vehicle at pickup.
• Motion on the coast road: the bends between Kaş and Kalkan can upset small children. Start with a light meal, bring water and plan a break at a viewpoint or at Kaputaş if the children need it.
• Travel time: at about 1 hour 45 minutes, the drive is manageable for most children, especially with a stop. Bring snacks, a tablet or a book.

On arrival, the flat beach of Sarıgerme is easy for families. There are no steps down to the water, and the shallow shoreline suits young swimmers. As always, watch children closely near any water.

Because Sarıgerme is a short drive from Dalaman Airport, the area is popular as a base for the end of a holiday. A common plan is to move from Kaş to Sarıgerme earlier in the stay, relax for a few days, and then take a short transfer to the airport on departure day.

If you are doing this in reverse, in other words leaving Kaş for a flight, the planning is different, and you must treat the full journey seriously. The 106 minutes from Kaş to Sarıgerme only covers the first part. For a flight from Dalaman, you must also add the time to the terminal and the check-in time.

Here is the best way to plan it.

1. Take the time of your flight.
2. Subtract the time you need at the airport for check-in and security. For an international flight, many travellers allow around three hours before departure.
3. Subtract the driving time, including a buffer for your season.
4. This gives the latest pickup time in Kaş. Then add a margin for safety.

For an early flight, pickup in Kaş can fall in the middle of the night. The coast road is quiet then, but it is dark and winding, so a rested driver who knows the road matters. For a late-night flight, you can enjoy a full last day in Kaş and leave in the afternoon. In that case, avoid the late-afternoon traffic of high summer if you can.

If your flight departs from Dalaman and you are staying in Sarıgerme, the airport transfer is short, and the longer part of the day is the journey from Kaş. Tell us your flight number and the pickup place when you book. We track flights for arrivals, and a late landing does not leave you without a driver.

Many guests travel from Sarıgerme back toward Kaş or on to another coastal base later in their holiday. The same 101 km and 106 minutes apply in the other direction, and the same seasonal advice holds.

For the end of your holiday, the key point is the distance from your final hotel to Dalaman Airport. From Sarıgerme this is a short run, well within half an hour in normal conditions. From Kaş it is a far longer journey, with a drive time of several hours. That difference should shape your last night. If your flight is early and you stay in Kaş, you leave in the dark. If you stay in Sarıgerme, you can sleep in.

Our advice is simple. Put your last night close to the airport, and put your more distant stays at the start of the holiday. This gives your last morning a margin.

Sarıgerme is a good base for a quieter kind of sightseeing.

• İztuzu Beach: the long sand spit between the sea and the Dalyan delta is known as a nesting place for sea turtles. The beach is protected, so follow the rules posted on site.
• Dalyan and the river: boat trips run along the channels through the reed beds, past the rock tombs cut into the cliff face and toward the ruins of the ancient city of Kaunos. The mud baths are another well-known stop in the Dalyan area.
• Ölüdeniz and the blue lagoon: this is further along the coast, and it is famous for its sheltered turquoise water.
• Butterfly Valley, Saklıkent Gorge and Kayaköy: these places lie in the Fethiye area and suit travellers who want a mix of nature and history. Kayaköy is the abandoned village with rows of stone houses on the hillside.

Because these trips need a car, many guests ask the same driver to take them on an agreed day. Your driver can also suggest which trip fits the weather.

If you spend time in Kaş before the transfer, three trips are worth the effort.

• Kekova: daily boat tours leave from the marina for the sunken city of Kekova, the Byzantine castle above Kaleköy, which was ancient Simena, and the fishing village of Üçağız.
• Meis (Kastellorizo): the Greek island sits just offshore, and day-trip boats cross from the harbour. Take your passport.
• Antiphellos: the Lycian rock-cut tombs and the Doric King's Tomb stand within the town itself. The Hellenistic-Roman amphitheatre on the western edge of town looks out over the sea and is a popular place at sunset.

On Fridays, the local market fills with produce, honey and handicrafts from the villages nearby. If your transfer day is a Friday, the market is a good reason to start later and walk the stalls first.

Kaş and Sarıgerme are most active from May to October. The sea is warmest from June to September, and August brings the highest sea temperatures, up to about 28 degrees Celsius. Summers are long and hot, and winters are short and mild.

• May and June: the countryside is green, the sea is cooler, and the road is calm. This is a good time for the drive and for the stops at Kaputaş and Patara.
• July and August: the hottest and busiest weeks. Leave early, bring water, and allow extra time on the road.
• September and October: the sea is still warm, the crowds thin out, and the light is soft. Many experienced visitors prefer these months.
• Winter and early spring: many tourist businesses run on reduced hours or close, and the sea is too cold for most swimmers. The coast is quiet, so check what is open before you plan.

There is no direct public bus that links Kaş to Sarıgerme cleanly. The dolmuş minibus route would mean changing at Kalkan and again near Ortaca, with luggage, in the heat. For a 101 km coastal hop with bags, children or diving kit, a private car is the easier and calmer option.

A private car also gives you control of the schedule. You choose the pickup time, you decide whether to stop, and you travel with your own group and not with strangers. The service includes a driver who knows the road, child seats on request and flight tracking for airport pickups.

The route is 101 km and takes around 106 minutes, which is about 1 hour 45 minutes. In summer, traffic through Kalkan and Ortaca can add to this. The winding D400 sections set the pace more than the distance does, so plan a margin if you have a fixed commitment at the end.

Yes. Both lie close to the route and make a pleasant break. Tell us when you book, so that the driver can plan the timing. Every stop adds to the total time on top of the 106 minutes of driving.

When you book with Turkey Transfer, tell us the following, so that the right vehicle and the right driver arrive on time:

• Your pickup address in Kaş, and the exact name of your hotel or villa in Sarıgerme.
• The number of passengers, and the number of large bags and special items such as dive gear or pushchairs.
• The age and number of children who need seats.
• Any planned stop, such as Kaputaş or Patara.
• Your flight number if the journey connects with Dalaman Airport.
• A mobile number that works in Turkey.

With these details in place, the journey from Kaş to Sarıgerme is easy. You leave the white lanes and harbour of Kaş in the morning, watch Meis fade behind the mountains, cross the green plain, and arrive among the pines of Sarıgerme with time to walk to the sea.