Most people booking an Antalya holiday for the first time are choosing between Belek, Side and Kemer without much to separate them in a brochure. They are all on the same coast, all within two hours of the same airport, and all full of large hotels. The differences are real, though, and they are mostly about landscape, what is within walking distance and how far you sit from the airport.
The three side by side
| Area | From AYT | Drive | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belek | 45 km | 35-40 min | Golf courses, five-star all-inclusive, pine and sand |
| Side | 65 km | 55-65 min | Roman ruins in the town itself, long family beaches |
| Kemer | 50 km | 40-50 min | Mountains meeting the sea, pebble bays, pine forest |
| Antalya city | 15 km | 20-30 min | Old town, museums, year-round city life |
Belek: resorts, golf and flat sand
Belek is the newest of the three and the most deliberately built: a stretch of pine forest and flat sandy beach lined with large five-star resorts, several championship golf courses and the Land of Legends theme park next door. There is no old town to wander into - the hotel is the destination, and most guests leave it only for golf, the park or a day trip. If you want a self-contained luxury week with a 35 minute airport drive, this is the easiest answer on the coast.
Side: ruins you can walk to
Side is a small peninsula town built inside a Roman site: a theatre, colonnaded street and the Temple of Apollo at the water's edge, with restaurants and shops between the columns. Hotels spread east and west along the sand towards Çolaklı and Kumköy, so the beach is long and family-friendly, and the town itself gives you somewhere to walk in the evening. The trade-off is distance - just over an hour from the airport.
Kemer: mountains and pine shade
West of Antalya the Taurus mountains come down to the sea, and Kemer sits in that landscape: pine forest, pebble and coarse-sand bays, dramatic views and a cooler feel than the flat eastern coast. Tekirova, Göynük and Beldibi belong to the same stretch, with Olympos, the Tahtalı cable car and the Lycian Way within easy reach. It suits walkers, divers and anyone who wants scenery with the beach - less so those who insist on fine sand.
Which one suits you
- Golf, big resorts, short transfer: Belek.
- Ancient sites on the doorstep and a town to stroll in: Side.
- Mountains, pine shade and hiking: Kemer.
- Small children and flat shallow sand: Belek or the Side-Çolaklı strip.
- Sightseeing in the city and museums: stay in Antalya itself.
- Longest beach promenade and a lively centre, if the two hour drive is acceptable: Alanya.
What the drive means in practice
Driving time matters most at the start and end of the holiday. A 35 minute run to Belek with a tired toddler is a different proposition from two hours to Alanya after a night flight. All of our prices are fixed per vehicle for the whole journey, with flight tracking, free child seats on request and no night surcharge, so a late arrival costs the same as a midday one - but a shorter drive is still a shorter drive.