Kemer or Alanya: Which to Choose for Your Turkey Holiday

Neither resort wins on every count, and people who love one are often lukewarm about the other. Before comparing details, it helps to answer three simple questions about your own trip:

• Sand or scenery? If soft sand under your feet matters more than anything, lean towards Alanya. If you would trade sand for a backdrop of pine-covered peaks rising straight out of the sea, Kemer will appeal.
• Lively or low-key evenings? Alanya has a busier after-dark feel. Along the Kemer coast, nights are calmer once you leave Kemer town itself.
• How long do you want to sit in a vehicle on arrival day? From Antalya Airport, Kemer is the shorter run. Alanya is a long drive from Antalya but a short one from Gazipaşa, if your flight lands there.

If your answers point in different directions, read on: the sections below fill in the picture.

On the Kemer side, the Taurus mountains come right down to the water. Pine forest covers the slopes behind the hotels, and the beaches are mostly pebble or shingle. That gives the coast a fresh, almost alpine look, and many visitors like the way the pebbles keep the sea looking clear close to the shore. Pack water shoes if you find stones uncomfortable.

Alanya is built around a castle on a rocky peninsula, with long sandy beaches running away on both sides. A well-known stretch is Cleopatra Beach, on the western side of the castle rock. Sandy shores tend to suit families with toddlers who want to dig, and anyone who simply prefers lying on sand to lying on a sunbed over stones.

"Kemer" in holiday talk usually means the whole coastal strip, not just the town. Travelling from north to south you pass Beldibi, Göynük, Kemer town, Kiriş, Çamyuva and finally Tekirova. Kemer town has the marina and most of the evening activity; the villages either side are mainly hotel areas with a quieter feel after dinner.

Things to do within easy reach include the Tahtalı cable car, the pine-shaded ruins of ancient Phaselis and Göynük canyon. If you are torn between the villages, our Kemer villages guide compares them one by one, and the Kemer region travel guide covers sights and day trips.

Alanya feels more like a proper town than a resort strip. The castle on its peninsula dominates the skyline, the Red Tower (Kızıl Kule) stands by the harbour, and Damlataş cave lies near the beach on the west side. Boat trips leave from the harbour and run along the rocky shore around the peninsula, which is one of the easiest half-days out you can plan here.

Beyond the town, a long coast of resort villages stretches in both directions, so "Alanya" can also mean a hotel some way out of the centre. The Alanya areas guide explains how those villages differ, and the Alanya travel guide lists what to see in town.

Daytime in both places revolves around the beach and the hotel pool, so the real difference shows after sunset. Alanya's centre and harbour stay busy into the evening, with plenty of places to walk, eat and people-watch. Couples or friends who like to go out without taking a long ride tend to enjoy that.

Kemer town has its own evening scene around the marina, but in Beldibi, Göynük, Çamyuva or Tekirova the nights are noticeably calmer. That suits families with young children, walkers who want an early start in the mountains, and anyone who came to unwind rather than stay up late.

Here the two resorts really differ. Kemer is reached from Antalya Airport (AYT) only: the drive to Kemer town is about 58 km and takes around 70 minutes, and Tekirova at the southern end is about 75 km, roughly 85 minutes.

Alanya can be reached from two airports:

• From Antalya Airport: about 125 km, around two hours.
• From Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP): about 40 km, around 50 minutes.

So the airport your flight uses matters. If you can only find flights into Antalya, Kemer saves close to an hour each way. If you can fly into Gazipaşa, Alanya becomes the shorter trip. Live prices for each journey are on the route pages: Antalya Airport to Kemer, Antalya Airport to Alanya and Gazipaşa to Alanya.

• Hikers, nature lovers and photographers: Kemer, with mountains, forest and the cable car on the doorstep.
• Sand-loving families: Alanya's long sandy beaches are the natural pick.
• History on foot: both work. Phaselis near Kemer is a peaceful ruin among the trees; Alanya has its castle, tower and cave right in town.
• Evenings out: Alanya, or Kemer town itself rather than the outer villages.
• Short arrival from Antalya: Kemer.
• Flights into Gazipaşa: Alanya.

Whichever you choose, our transfers are private: the vehicle carries only your group and drives straight to your hotel without stopping at others. The price is fixed per vehicle rather than per person, there is no night surcharge or luggage fee, and you pay in the vehicle with nothing up front. Your driver tracks the flight and waits at arrivals with a name sign, at no extra charge if you land late. Free child seats are available if you tell us the children's ages. See the Kemer transfer page or the Alanya transfer page to get started.