Lara or Konyaaltı: Which Antalya Beach Area to Choose

Picture Antalya's bay with the old harbour of Kaleiçi in the middle. Head east along the cliffs and you reach Lara, the city's hotel coast. Head west and the shoreline drops down to Konyaaltı, the long beach that locals use as their own seafront.

Because both belong to the same city, neither is remote and neither is a village. The difference lies in what surrounds you when you step out of your room: a resort complex on the sand, or a promenade with apartments, cafés and a park behind the beach.

For many travellers, the surface of the beach decides the matter before anything else.

• Lara has a long, wide sandy beach. Small children digging, sandcastles and barefoot walks along the waterline all come naturally here.
• Konyaaltı is pebble and shingle. Some people love it because the sand does not follow them back to the room; others prefer to bring beach shoes for getting in and out of the sea.

Neither surface is right or wrong. Just be honest about what your group enjoys, especially if you are travelling with toddlers who will spend hours at the water's edge.

Lara is known for its large, themed all-inclusive resorts. Many guests barely leave the grounds, and that is the point: pools, restaurants and the beach are all a few steps apart, and the planning ends when you check in.

Konyaaltı works differently. Accommodation is mostly city-style hotels and apartments, so you tend to eat out, walk the promenade in the evening and use the beach park like a resident would. It suits travellers who want to feel part of everyday Antalya, or who like choosing a different place for dinner each night.

Our wider look at Lara, Kundu, Konyaaltı and Kaleiçi as places to stay compares these neighbourhoods with two more options.

The view is one of Konyaaltı's strongest points. From the beach you look across the bay to the mountains rising behind the western coast, a backdrop that changes with the light through the day. The Antalya Aquarium is close by, handy for a hot afternoon or a cloudy day with children. Our Konyaaltı beach guide walks through the seafront in more detail.

Lara has its own landmark at its edge: the lower Düden waterfall, where the river falls off the cliffs straight into the sea. It is a short trip from most of the Lara coast and makes an easy outing for an evening or a morning before the beach.

Whichever side you choose, the old town is never far away. Kaleiçi lies between the two areas, about 16 km and around 25 minutes from the airport, with narrow lanes and the historic harbour at its heart.

From Konyaaltı, the old town feels like part of the same city walk-and-ride routine. From Lara, it is a short hop that many resort guests save for one or two evenings out. If wandering old streets is a big part of your plans, either base gives you easy access; the question is simply whether you want the city around you all the time or only when you go looking for it.

Both areas are served from Antalya Airport (AYT), which sits on the eastern side of the city.

• Lara: about 14 km, around 20 minutes. The airport is practically next door.
• Konyaaltı: about 27 km, around 35 minutes, because the drive crosses the city from east to west.

Fifteen extra minutes rarely changes a holiday, but after a night flight with sleepy children it can feel like more. Live prices for both drives are on the route pages for Antalya Airport to Lara and Antalya Airport to Konyaaltı. For the details of each journey, see our guides to the Lara and Kundu transfer and the Konyaaltı and city centre transfer.

Lean towards Lara if you want sand, a resort that covers everything, the shortest possible airport drive and a holiday where you rarely need to plan a meal.

Lean towards Konyaaltı if you like a promenade and a beach park, mountain views, eating out in the city, and staying in a hotel or apartment rather than a large complex.

Couples who want both often split the week: a few days on Lara's sand and a few days on the western side. Since they belong to the same city, the move between them is a short drive.

Our transfers are private: the vehicle carries only your group straight to your door, with no stops at other hotels. The driver waits at arrivals with a name sign and follows your flight, so a delay simply means free extra waiting. You choose a Minivan for up to 6, a VIP Mercedes-Benz Vito for up to 7, or a Mercedes Sprinter for 8 to 16 passengers, and the fixed price is per vehicle, not per person.

There is no prepayment: you pay in the vehicle, and cancellation is free. Child seats cost nothing; just tell us the children's ages. Send your flight and hotel on WhatsApp or by e-mail and the quote comes back within a minute.