Antalya is the gateway to Turkey’s Mediterranean coast — a stretch of turquoise water, pine-covered mountains and ancient ruins that locals simply call the Turkish Riviera. It pulls in millions of visitors every year, and for good reason: you can swim in the morning, wander a Roman old town in the afternoon, and watch the sun drop behind the Taurus Mountains by evening. If it’s your first trip, here’s how to land smoothly, choose the right base, and make the most of the region.

Landing at Antalya Airport (AYT)

Antalya Airport is one of the busiest in Turkey, sitting roughly 13 kilometres east of the city centre. It runs multiple terminals — a domestic terminal and two international ones — and in peak summer it handles a constant flow of charter and scheduled flights from across Europe and the Gulf.

The arrivals hall moves quickly, but the moment you step outside is where most first-timers lose time. Public buses run into the city but are slow and awkward with luggage, airport taxis don’t always run on the meter for tourists, and the “helpful” guys near the exit are rarely the deal they promise.

The simplest fix is to book your ride before you fly. A pre-arranged private Antalya airport transfer means a driver is waiting with your name, the price is fixed in advance, and you’re moving toward your hotel within minutes of clearing customs — no haggling, no surge pricing, no standing in a taxi queue at 2 a.m. Services like Transfelo cover the whole coastline from a single booking, which matters when your resort is an hour outside the city.

Choosing where to stay

Antalya isn’t a single destination — it’s a string of very different bases along the coast, and where you sleep shapes your whole trip.

Antalya city / Lara is the choice if you want a real city alongside your beach: the old town of Kaleiçi, restaurants, nightlife, and the long sandy stretch of Lara Beach lined with big resorts.

Konyaaltı sits on the other side of the city, a pebble beach backed by mountains, more relaxed and popular with families.

Belek, about 35 kilometres east, is the polished luxury end of the coast.

Side and Alanya, further east again, mix beach resorts with genuinely impressive ancient ruins.

For most first-timers, a few nights in or near the city plus a few nights at a resort gives you the best of both worlds.

Belek: golf, big resorts and the luxury end of the coast

If your idea of a holiday is an all-inclusive resort, a spa, and a tee time, Belek is where you want to be. It’s earned a reputation as Turkey’s golf capital, with a cluster of championship courses set among the pines, and the hotels here lean firmly toward the five-star, family-friendly end of the market. The Land of Legends theme park is right on its doorstep, and the ancient theatre of Aspendos — one of the best-preserved in the world — is a short drive inland.

The one catch is distance. Belek is far enough from the airport that arriving without a plan is a hassle, so a direct Belek airport transfer is the easiest way in — you go straight from arrivals to your resort lobby without changing vehicles or guessing at taxi fares.

When comfort is worth paying for

There are trips where you don’t want to think about logistics at all — a honeymoon, a milestone birthday, a family arriving with kids and a mountain of suitcases, or simply a long-haul flight that’s left you with no patience for negotiation. For those, a step up makes sense.

An Antalya VIP transfer gets you a premium vehicle — think Mercedes V-Class or a Maybach for the full treatment — with water on board, child seats if you need them, and a driver who handles the bags. Antalya airport transfers costs more than a standard car, but for groups or special occasions the difference is often small per person and the arrival experience is on another level.

What to actually do once you’re there

Antalya rewards visitors who get out of the resort at least once or twice.

Kaleiçi (the Old Town) is the heart of historic Antalya — a maze of Ottoman houses, boutique hotels, and cafés tumbling down to a picturesque Roman harbour. Walk through Hadrian’s Gate, a triple-arched monument built for the emperor’s visit in the 2nd century, and you’re stepping through nearly two thousand years of history.

The Düden Waterfalls drop dramatically — the lower falls actually pour straight off a cliff into the sea, best seen from a boat.

Ancient Side combines a beach resort with the ruins of a Greco-Roman city, including a temple of Apollo right on the water that’s unforgettable at sunset.

Aspendos and Perge give you world-class Roman archaeology within easy reach of the eastern resorts.

And if you simply want sea and sand, Konyaaltı and Lara are the two main beaches, with countless smaller coves along the coast.

When to go

The Turkish Riviera has a long season. April to early June and September to October are the sweet spots — warm, swimmable, and without the punishing heat or crowds of high summer. July and August are hot and busy but deliver guaranteed sunshine and a buzzing resort atmosphere. Even winter has its fans: it’s mild by European standards, prices drop, and the ruins and old town are yours almost alone.

The bottom line

Antalya is one of those places that’s easy to enjoy and just as easy to overcomplicate. Sort out two things in advance — where you’re staying and how you’re getting there from the airport — and the rest of the trip tends to take care of itself. Book your transfer before you fly, pick a base that matches the holiday you actually want, and leave room to step out and see why this coast has been drawing travellers for thousands of years.