Sarıgerme→Turunç

Sarıgerme and Turunç sit on two very different stretches of the Muğla coast. Sarıgerme is a long, pine-backed beach resort on the flat Dalaman plain, a few minutes from Dalaman Airport. Turunç is a small, steep-sided bay west of Marmaris, with one road in and one road out. This transfer links the two: 42 km, around 44 minutes in good conditions, with a car that takes you from your Sarıgerme hotel to the front of your Turunç accommodation without a change of vehicle.

People take this route for a few common reasons. Some split a holiday between the Dalaman side and the Marmaris side. Some move from a large all-inclusive resort to a quiet cove for the second week. Some simply want to see both ends of the Turquoise Coast on one trip. Whatever your reason, this page explains what the drive is like, what to expect at each end, and how to make the journey easy for adults, children and a boot full of luggage.

The journey starts on the flat ground around Sarıgerme. This is wide, open country, with the Dalaman plain behind you and the long beach on the other side of the resort. The first part of the drive is easy. The road is straight and the pace is steady, and you leave the golf and hotel area quickly.

Most of the distance follows the D400, the main road of the Turquoise Coast. The D400 is the spine that links the Dalaman area with the towns further west. It is a proper main road, with trucks, buses, local minibuses and holiday traffic all sharing it. In the early part of the day it moves well. In the middle of summer, traffic builds in the late morning and again in the late afternoon, and you will notice it most near the towns.

The last part is the part people remember. Near the end, the road narrows and starts to climb over the ridge. Then it drops towards Turunç bay in a series of tight switchbacks. From the higher bends you can see the sea far below and pine-covered hills closing around the bay. This section is slower than the main road. It is not difficult for a driver who knows it, but it is not a stretch for hurry, and it is the main reason the journey takes 44 minutes and not less.

Plan on the following:

• Allow the full 44 minutes as your normal figure for a quiet road.
• Add a small buffer in July and August, when more cars use the single road into the village.
• Add a little more if you have a booked dinner table or a boat booking in Turunç on the day you arrive.
• Do not plan the day around a tight clock. A relaxed arrival is part of the point of a private car.

Early morning is the best time to travel in summer. The air is cooler, the main road is clear, and the descent into Turunç is quiet. If you can start before the heat of the day, you will arrive in the bay with the whole day still ahead of you.

Midday in July and August is hot, and the road is busier. This is when day visitors move between the resorts, and when the bends into the bay carry their share of traffic. The drive is still very comfortable in an air-conditioned car, but do not count on the quickest end of the range.

In spring and autumn the roads are calmer, and the 44-minute figure holds easily. In winter the road is quiet. Wet weather can slow the final descent, and a good driver will simply take it a little more gently. Tell us your hotel details and your plan, and we will help you choose a sensible time.

Sarıgerme is built around a handful of large hotels rather than a town centre. That affects pickup. Each hotel has its own entrance, its own reception and its own check-out rhythm, and the busiest time at most of them is the late morning, when many guests leave at once.

We regularly drive guests from the resorts here, among them Hilton Dalaman Sarigerme Resort & Golf, Robinson Club Sarıgerme Park, TUI Blue Sarigerme Park, TUI BLUE Seno, Green Nature Sarıgerme and Cardinal Hotel. We also take guests from Deniz Hotel, Dolphin Hotel, Akvilla and TUI BLUE Tropical. Your driver comes to the agreed meeting point at your hotel and helps you load your luggage.

A few practical points for the pickup:

• Tell us the name of your hotel and, if the property is large, which entrance or reception you prefer.
• Be ready with your bags at the time you chose. Resort check-out queues can be long, so check out a little before your car arrives.
• If you have a lot of luggage, golf clubs or a pushchair, say so when you book so we send the right vehicle.
• If you need a child seat or a booster seat, ask for it at the time of booking, not on the day.

Turunç is small, and its centre is compact. The seafront is short, and the lanes behind it are narrow. Many of the hotels, apartments and guesthouses are on the slopes around the bay, so the exact drop-off point matters more here than in a larger resort.

This is where a private car helps. A public bus or a shared coach would leave you at a stop at the edge of the village, with your luggage and a walk uphill or along the seafront. A private transfer drops you at, or as near as the lane allows to, your door.

Before you travel, send us the following:

• The name of your hotel, apartment or guesthouse.
• The address or a map pin, if the place is on a side lane and not on the front.
• A contact number for the property, so the driver can reach reception if needed.
• The number of people and the number of bags.

If your accommodation is on a steep or very narrow lane, the driver will stop at the nearest point a car can reach and help you with the last few metres. That is normal in a village of this kind. Check-in times in small family properties are often flexible but not always, so a message ahead to your host about your arrival time is a kind thing to do.

Sarıgerme sits in the Ortaca district of Muğla province. It is known for a very long beach of pine-backed sand, warm shallow water and a quiet pace. There is no row of nightclubs and no crowded old town. The resort has grown around its hotels, which suits families and couples who want an all-inclusive base without noise.

The beach runs close to where the Dalaman River meets the sea. The shoreline is wide and slopes gently, and the surroundings are green for a beach resort. Early walkers often have long stretches of sand to themselves.

If you are finishing a stay here, a few things are worth doing on your last morning:

• Check the hotel's check-out time, and tell reception when your car is coming.
• Keep your passport, phone and any documents in your hand luggage, not in the boot.

Turunç lies in the Marmaris district, in a bay with pine-covered hills on three sides. It has no airport of its own and no major highway. The road down is the one way in, and that is part of the character. The village stays calm because it is not on the way to anywhere.

The bay can be understood in three parts.

The seafront

The seafront is the heart of the village. It has the beach, the small promenade and a cluster of cafes and restaurants. If you want to step out of your door and be at the water in a minute, stay here. It suits couples, families with young children, and anyone who does not want to use a car during the stay. It is also the liveliest part in the evening, though by resort standards it is still gentle.

The slopes

The lanes that climb the hillsides hold many small hotels, apartments and guesthouses. The views over the bay are often the reward. The trade-off is the climb: you walk down to the beach and back up again. This part suits travellers who like a quiet balcony, who are comfortable with steps, and who do not mind a short walk to dinner. For arrivals with heavy bags, tell us exactly where the property is, so the driver can plan the approach.

The beach in Turunç is the centre of the holiday. It is a small bay beach, sheltered by the hills, and the sea is calm in most weather. For many guests this is the main attraction. It is a different experience from the very long, open sand of Sarıgerme: shorter, more enclosed and closer to the cafes behind it.

There is no large old town in the village itself. The village is a place to slow down, to swim, to eat well and to walk along the seafront. For history and sightseeing, people look to the area around it. On the hills above the bay are the remains of the ancient city of Amos, for those who like a short outing with a view. Marmaris, the larger town nearby, has its castle above the old harbour, its marina and its bazaar streets, and it is the usual choice for a shopping or sightseeing afternoon.

Boat trips are part of life in this part of Muğla. In summer, small boats and water taxis link the bays of the coast, and a day on the water is a popular way to see the shoreline from the sea. Ask at your hotel or on the seafront about current departures, as they vary with the season and the weather.

Evenings in Turunç are relaxed. The seafront restaurants set their tables near the water, and most guests eat late, after the heat has gone. Fish, grilled meat, fresh salads, meze, and Turkish breakfast dishes are the kind of food you will find in a bay village of this type. Many places are small and run by local families, and menus often reflect what the day's market brought.

If you arrive on the evening of your transfer, plan your first dinner with some care:

• If you are tired, a seafront table within a short walk of your hotel is the easy choice.
• If you want a particular restaurant, book ahead in July and August, when the bay is at its fullest.
• If you arrive late, ask your host in advance about food options, as small kitchens may close earlier than you expect.

Nightlife is not the point here. Some bars play music late in high summer, but this is a place for a drink with a view and then an early night. If you want late bars and clubs, you can go to nearby Marmaris and return by taxi. That is another trip you can arrange in advance.

The transfer is easy for families if you prepare. The main road is smooth, and the air-conditioned cabin keeps children comfortable in the summer heat. The part that needs attention is the descent into Turunç, where the bends can upset a child who is prone to travel sickness.

Some simple steps help:

• Ask for a child seat or booster seat when you book, so the correct one is in the car.
• Seat a child who feels unwell near a window, and ask the driver to slow down or stop if needed.
• Time the trip around naps. Many families choose an early start so that the children sleep on the main road and wake up at the beach.

Once you arrive, Turunç is a good place for small children. The beach is sheltered, the seafront is short, and you can reach the water, a cafe and your room without crossing busy roads. Older children can swim, take a boat trip and explore the paths above the bay.

Not every transfer happens in daylight. If you are travelling after a late flight or before an early one, the road needs more thought.

If you need to be collected very early from Sarıgerme, perhaps to reach a connection, tell us the exact time you need to leave. If you are arriving in Turunç at night, tell your accommodation when to expect you. The descent into the bay is a road you will want to take slowly in the dark, and our drivers do. The village is quiet at night, and some properties have a reception that closes early, so confirm access and key arrangements before you go.

For a late arrival, a short rest before leaving can help. It is better to start your drive with a clear head than to rush from a long day of travel. Our drivers are used to adjusting to your plan, and a message with your timing is all that we need.

Many guests use this page for the way in, and then need the way back as well. If your holiday ends in Turunç and you fly from Dalaman, treat the return with the same care as the outward journey.

Dalaman Airport is about 8 km from Sarıgerme, and the drive there from the resort takes around 15 to 20 minutes. From Turunç, you start on the winding road up and out of the bay, and then join the main coastal road. Because the climb out of the bay is slow and the main road can be busy, leave earlier than you think you need to. Do not use the Sarıgerme figures for this journey, since they refer only to the short distance from the resort to the airport.

A sensible plan for a departure:

• Work back from your flight time. Allow time for check-in and security at the airport.
• Add a generous margin for the road out of the bay and for summer traffic on the main road.
• Tell us your flight time and terminal, and we will help you set a pickup time.
• Pay your hotel bill and return keys the evening before, so the morning is calm.

If your flight is early in the morning, the road is usually clear, but you will need to start in the dark. If your flight is in the afternoon or evening, you may enjoy a last swim and a slow breakfast before leaving. Either way, the most useful thing you can give your driver is a clear flight time and a pickup time that you have agreed in advance.

If you spend extra days in Sarıgerme before moving on, the area around it offers some of the best-known sights in Muğla. A taxi makes these easy without a rental car.

• Dalyan is about 30 to 35 minutes away. It has Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliff, the ancient city of Kaunos and the mud baths. The same road leads to İztuzu Beach, known as Turtle Beach for the loggerhead sea turtles that nest there.
• Köyceğiz Lake and the Sultaniye thermal springs lie a little further along the Dalyan road. Many boat trips from Dalyan wind through the reed beds of the lake before they reach İztuzu.
• Göcek, the yacht-filled marina town where Blue Voyage gulets set off, is about 25 to 30 minutes away.
• Fethiye is about 50 to 55 minutes away, with its fish market and a trailhead of the Lycian Way.
• Ölüdeniz and its Blue Lagoon are roughly 60 to 65 minutes away. This is where paragliders land after a flight from Babadağ mountain.
• Saklıkent Gorge, with its cold running water, is a similar distance and a good escape from the midsummer heat.
• Ortaca, about 15 minutes away, is the place for the weekly market and everyday errands.

Once you are in Turunç, the next outings are on the Marmaris side.

• İçmeler, the next bay along the coast, is the area the road passes on the way to Turunç. It has a longer promenade, more restaurants and a livelier evening scene. In summer it can be reached by sea as well as by road.
• Marmaris has the castle above the old harbour, the marina, the bazaar streets and a wide choice of restaurants and bars. It is the usual base for a shopping day or a night out.
• Boat excursions leave from the coast in summer. These are a pleasant way to see quiet coves and swim from the deck. Ask locally about the current trips and times.
• Ancient Amos on the hills above the bay is a short outing for those who like ruins, quiet and a view.

A taxi can take you to any of these and bring you back in the evening. It is worth agreeing the timings with your driver in advance, so that you do not hurry your day.

The Dalaman and Marmaris coast has long, hot summers and short, mild winters. The sea reaches around 28°C in August. Sailing and beach holidays work best from May to October.

Spring and early summer. The countryside is green, the roads are quiet, and by June the sea is warm enough for easy swimming. This is one of the most comfortable times for the transfer.

High summer (July and August). Hottest weather, warmest sea and fullest villages. The road is busier, and so are the restaurants. Book your transfer ahead of time, travel early in the day if you can, and keep water in the car.

Autumn (September and October). The sea holds its warmth, the crowds fall away, and the light is soft. Many guests regard this as the best time of year for a bay village like Turunç. Some small businesses begin to close towards the end of the season, so check that your hotel and restaurants are open.

Winter. Mild but quiet. Many seasonal businesses in a small bay are closed, so confirm that your accommodation is open before you plan a winter stay. Rain can slow the descent into the bay, and the drive then needs a little extra time.

The trip from Sarıgerme to Turunç is short on the map and rich in contrast. You leave a wide, flat beach resort and arrive in a small bay where the hills run down to the water. With an early start, a relaxed driver, and a clear plan for your arrival, the 42 km passes comfortably, and you step out of the car at the bay with the holiday properly begun. Turkey Transfer arranges the car, the child seat if you need one, and the timing, so that you can spend your effort on the beach and the evening.