Sarıgerme→Seydikemer

Sarıgerme is a beach resort. Seydikemer is a working Anatolian district town. The 57 km between them takes you out of holiday Turkey and into the farming heartland of Muğla province, and the trip usually takes about 60 minutes. You leave the pine-backed sand of the Dalaman delta, cross a flat green plain of greenhouses and orchards, and arrive below the grey limestone wall of the Akdağ massif.

Most people who book this transfer are not looking for another resort. They want something different from the all-inclusive routine. Some are heading to a village house in Çobanisa or Kemer. Some are starting a walk on the inland sections of the Lycian Way. Some want a base close to Tlos and Saklıkent Gorge, away from the coastal crowds. Others know the district already and simply want a calm, direct ride from the coast to the door.

This guide covers the drive, the arrival, which parts of the district suit which traveller, and the return to Dalaman Airport.

Sarıgerme sits in the Ortaca district, only a few minutes from Dalaman Airport. The resort has grown around a handful of large hotels and a very long beach, not around a busy town centre. Hotel pick-ups are simple. Your driver comes to the hotel entrance, loads the luggage and leaves without any town-centre traffic to fight through.

From the resort the road runs inland past the turnings for Osmaniye and Çayhisar. This is the flat, green land of the Dalaman river delta, with fields, irrigation channels and small farm buildings. It looks very different from the beach strip you have just left.

Near Dalaman the route joins the D400, the main coastal highway of this part of Turkey. The same highway serves Dalaman Airport, which is about 8 km from Sarıgerme. Airport shuttles, rental cars, tour coaches and local trucks share the road here, and the traffic is heaviest around the airport turnings.

The route does not follow the coast all the way to Fethiye. Once past the busiest section, it turns toward the Eşen valley, also called the Xanthos valley, and the scenery changes.

The Eşen plain is the reason Seydikemer exists. It is a broad, flat, fertile basin that feeds a large share of the region. On both sides of the road you will see long rows of polytunnels and greenhouses, citrus orchards, pomegranate trees, irrigation ditches and small roadside stalls. Tractors and pick-up trucks share the road.

Ahead of you, the Akdağ massif rises like a wall. It is a big, bare, grey-white mountain, and it dominates the view for the second half of the drive. It makes the flat plain look even flatter.

This is unglamorous, working countryside, and it is beautiful in its own way, particularly in the soft light of late afternoon, when the mountain turns pink and the greenhouses catch the low sun.

The journey takes about 60 minutes for 57 km. That is a steady pace, not a fast one, and it allows for the slower farm traffic on the plain.

• Early morning is usually the quickest. The farm traffic is light and the airport area is quiet.
• Mid-morning to early afternoon is normal. You may meet tractors and delivery vehicles.
• Summer weekends and holiday changeover days can add time near the Dalaman airport turnings.
• In harvest periods slow vehicles can hold up a car for several kilometres on single carriageway sections.

Your driver knows the road and chooses the right moment to overtake. If you are connecting with another booking, such as a hotel check-in or a guide waiting at Saklıkent, add a small margin to the 60 minutes.

Seydikemer is a district, not a single resort. Addresses can be a town apartment, a hotel on the main road, a village house on a hillside or a guesthouse at the edge of an orchard. Some of these places are on narrow lanes, some are reached by a short unpaved track and some do not have a clear street number.

When you book, please give us:

• The full name and address of your accommodation.
• The village name, for example Çobanisa, Kemer or Eşen.
• A phone number that works in Turkey, if you have one.
• A map pin or a link from your host, if the place is hard to find.

A map pin is the single most useful thing. A village house with no number is easy to find if the driver has the pin, and hard to find if he has only the name of the village. If you are staying in a private house, ask your host for a location pin before you travel.

Your driver meets you by name at your hotel or address in Sarıgerme, helps with the bags and takes you straight to the door in Seydikemer. In the town itself, the main roads are wide enough for any vehicle. In the villages, some of the final lanes are narrow. Your driver will take the vehicle as close as is safe and will tell you if the last stretch needs to be walked. This is normal in village areas, and a small walk with a trolley case is easy.

If you have a lot of luggage, tell us at booking. We can then choose a larger vehicle with more space. This is helpful if you are staying for several weeks in a rented house and bringing a full set of cases.

Village houses often have no reception desk. A host or caretaker may need to meet you with the keys. Confirm the time and a phone number with your host before you travel.

Seydikemer is spread across a wide area, with the main town on the plain and many villages around it and up the slopes of the mountain. Your choice of base changes the character of your stay.

The town is the practical centre of the district. It has shops, cafés and small restaurants for the local population. It suits visitors who want to see a real working town, travellers who like shops close by, and people visiting friends or relatives. It is also a good hub for Tlos, Saklıkent and the Fethiye side. It is less suited to anyone who wants a beach on the doorstep or a lively night out. Evenings are quiet and local.

Çobanisa is a quiet, rural village. It suits couples who want a calm retreat, walkers who want to start on foot from the door, and property owners or returning visitors who already know the area. It does not have the services of a resort, so plan your shopping and meals, or use the nearby town.

Kemer and Eşen are also villages of the district. Kemer here is a village of Seydikemer, not the famous resort town of the same name on the Antalya coast. Check that your address is in the Seydikemer district of Muğla when you book. Eşen shares its name with the river and the valley, and it suits visitors who want to be among orchards and fields with the mountain close by.

The area around Tlos and the road to Saklıkent Gorge has guesthouses and restaurants that serve visitors to the sites. A stay here means short drives to the main sights, and you can arrive early, before the larger tour groups. In the evening the area is quiet and cool.

The slopes of the Akdağ massif are cooler than the plain. The plain can be very hot in July and August, while the higher villages are fresher. The roads climb and some are steep and winding. Tell us if your accommodation is high up, so the driver allows a little more time at the end of the journey.

Seydikemer is the gateway to some of the best-known sights of the Muğla interior.

Tlos is a Lycian city that clings to a rocky hill above the plain. It is known for its rock-cut tombs, carved into the cliff face, and for the remains of a Roman stadium. The setting is dramatic, because the city looks over the same flat plain you cross on the transfer. The views from the top explain why people chose the spot. Wear shoes with a good grip, because the paths are rocky and can be slippery.

Saklıkent is one of the longest canyons in Europe. The cold water runs out of the mountain and through the gorge, and in the hot months it is a welcome relief. Visitors walk on raised walkways and wade through the stream. Practical points:

• Bring water shoes or sturdy sandals that can get wet.
• Bring a change of clothes and a towel.
• Keep valuables in a waterproof bag, or leave them in the vehicle.
• Expect cold water even in midsummer.
• In spring, melt water from the mountain can make the stream stronger, so follow the instructions on site.

Many restaurants near the gorge are set beside the stream. They are a pleasant place for lunch after the walk.

Further along the valley toward the coast are the ancient Lycian sites of Xanthos and Letoon, and the beach and ruins at Patara. These are widely known, and many visitors combine them in one longer day. They are further from Seydikemer than Tlos and Saklıkent, so plan a full day and an early start.

Seydikemer is inland. You will not find a beach in the town. But the sea is not far, and many guests combine a village stay with days at the coast.

• Patara, with its very long sandy beach, is the best-known beach on this side of the valley.
• Ölüdeniz and its Blue Lagoon are on the Fethiye side, and they are popular for swimming and for watching paragliders land.
• İztuzu Beach, near Dalyan, is known as Turtle Beach because loggerhead sea turtles nest there.

If you are visiting for a beach holiday and want only one or two nights inland, it can be sensible to stay in Sarıgerme first and then move to Seydikemer for the second part of the trip, or the other way around. The transfer is a simple way to connect the two parts.

Food is one of the real pleasures of an inland stay. The region produces fruit and vegetables on a large scale, and you taste it in local cooking.

• Citrus and pomegranate from the plain, often sold at roadside stalls in season.
• Fresh vegetables from the greenhouses, used in salads and in the home-style dishes of local restaurants.
• Trout, which is often served at restaurants beside the water near Saklıkent.
• Simple village breakfasts, with tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, olives and fresh bread.

Evenings are quiet. There are no nightclubs and no beach bars. Dinner is the main event, followed by a walk or tea. If you want to see the stars, the dark skies over the plain and the mountain are a real attraction.

If you want a livelier evening, Fethiye is the nearest large town with a harbour, bars and a wider choice of restaurants. A short transfer or taxi ride can take you there and back. Tell us in advance if you would like to arrange an evening return.

Seydikemer can be a good choice for a family that wants a different kind of holiday. Children often enjoy the farms, the open space and the chance to see how local people live.

• Child seats are available on request. Tell us the age and number of children when you book.
• The journey takes about 60 minutes. A snack, a drink and a favourite toy help. Plan the transfer around a nap if you can.
• Village houses may not have a pool or a playground. Check this with your host.
• The plain is hot in summer. Bring hats, sun cream and water.
• At Saklıkent, keep a firm hold of small children. The stream is cold and the rocks are slippery.
• At Tlos, the paths are uneven and there are steep drops near the tombs.

The roads on the plain are mostly straight and gentle. The curves are on the approach to the villages and on the mountain roads.

The road to Seydikemer is quiet at night, but the countryside is dark and the final village lanes may be unlit. Tell us your flight number. We monitor the flight, so if it is delayed the driver adjusts and you do not need to phone anyone.

For a late arrival at a village house, tell your host the new time. Do not expect a caretaker to wait without notice. For a guest who arrives after midnight, a hotel in the town or on the main road is usually simpler than a remote house.

An early flight from Dalaman Airport means leaving Seydikemer in the dark. The road across the plain is usually quiet at that hour. Tell your host that you are leaving early, so keys and checkout are ready the night before.

The driver takes you from Seydikemer back across the Eşen plain, joins the D400 and drives toward Dalaman and the airport.

Allow about the same 60 minutes as on this route, although the exact time depends on your address. For a village house up a hillside, add time for the lane or the mountain road. For an international flight, plan to reach the terminal with plenty of time for check-in, bag drop and security. A good plan is:

• Work out the time you want to be at the terminal.
• Add the driving time of about an hour.
• Add a safety margin for farm traffic on the plain and for the busy airport turnings in peak season.
• Add a few minutes for loading luggage.

On summer changeover days the airport area is busier, so we prefer to leave early and not cut it fine. Waiting in the terminal with a coffee is a better end to a holiday than watching the clock in a traffic queue.

Tell us your flight number. We follow the flight, so if the departure time moves, we talk to you about the best pick-up time.

If the house is down a narrow lane, please be at the nearest point that a vehicle can reach, with your bags ready.

A base in Seydikemer opens up many day trips. Distances are short enough for a comfortable day.

• Tlos and Saklıkent Gorge are the classic pair, and many visitors combine them on one day.
• Fethiye has a harbour, a market and rock tombs above the town.
• Ölüdeniz and the Blue Lagoon are good for swimming. Paragliders land here after drifting down from Babadağ mountain.
• Kayaköy is the abandoned village of stone houses on the hillside, quiet and atmospheric.
• Göcek is a yacht marina town where Blue Voyage gulet trips start.
• Dalyan has Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliff, the ancient city of Kaunos and the mud baths. The same road leads to İztuzu Beach.
• Patara, Xanthos and Letoon offer ruins and a long beach, toward the coast.
• Kalkan and Kaş are harbour towns for a full day on the coast.

A private driver can take you door to door for any of these, and wait for you or collect you later by arrangement. Tell us the places you want to visit, so we can suggest the order that makes the best use of your day.

The plain is green, the mountain may still have snow, the air is mild and the gorge carries melt water. Walks on the Lycian Way sections are pleasant. The sea is still cool, so beach days are shorter.

Summer is hot on the plain, so plan sightseeing for early morning or late afternoon. Saklıkent is most welcome in this season, because the water is cold. Higher villages are cooler. The sea around Sarıgerme stays warm enough for swimming from around June to October, and July and August are the busiest months. The airport area is busy too, so leave extra time for departures.

The heat fades, the light is soft and the orchards are full of fruit. Pomegranate and citrus time brings colour to the plain. It is a good season for walking and photography.

Winter is mild on the plain compared with northern Europe, but it can be wet, and the mountain often carries snow. Some small guesthouses and restaurants near the sites may have shorter opening patterns, so check ahead with your host. The roads are quiet and the district is at its most local.

When you book your Sarıgerme to Seydikemer transfer, have this information ready:

• Your hotel or pick-up address in Sarıgerme, or the Dalaman Airport terminal if you are coming straight from your flight.
• The full address and village name in Seydikemer, with a map pin if possible.
• The number of passengers, the number of bags and any child seats.
• Your flight number, if the trip is linked to a flight.

We confirm your booking in advance with a named driver and a tracked vehicle. If your plans change, contact us as early as you can. If you are arriving at Dalaman Airport first and not at Sarıgerme itself, tell us, and we adjust the pick-up point.

The distance is 57 km, and the journey takes about 60 minutes. This allows for slower farm traffic on the Eşen plain. Early mornings are usually quickest.

Yes. Seydikemer is the gateway to Çobanisa, Kemer, Eşen and many other villages. Give us the exact address and, if you can, a map pin. For narrow lanes, the driver takes the vehicle as close as is safe.

No. The Kemer in this district is a village in Muğla province. The resort town of Kemer is a different place on the Antalya coast. Always check the full address with your host.

Allow about an hour of driving, and add your check-in time and a safety margin for farm traffic and for the busy airport turnings in summer. If you tell us the flight number, we help you choose a sensible pick-up time.