Kızılağaç Holiday Guide: A Quiet Resort Week East of Manavgat
Kızılağaç is the kind of place you choose when the plan is to do very little, very well. Hotels line a quiet stretch of coast east of Manavgat, and the main decisions of the day are pool or sea. Here is an honest picture of a holiday in Kızılağaç, the outings worth making, and how to get there from either airport.
A Coast Made for Switching Off
There is no old town here and no seafront promenade of bars. Kızılağaç is a hotel area, built around holiday-village resorts along a quiet stretch of shore about 12 km east of Manavgat town. For guests that means two things. First, the setting is peaceful: evenings are spent at the hotel, and the loudest sound at night is likely to be your own resort's entertainment. Second, almost everything you need is inside the hotel gates, from meals to sunbeds. If you are travelling with children, or simply want a week where nobody has to plan anything, that is a real advantage. If you need streets to wander after dinner, it is worth knowing before you book that town life here means a trip to Manavgat.
Beaches and Days by the Sea
Most guests use the beach in front of their own resort, and the sea is the centre of the day. For a change of scenery there is the public beach, Kızılağaç Halk Plajı, which is also handy if you are staying in a flat rather than a hotel. Neighbouring Kızılot carries on along the same shore, so a long morning walk on the sand is an easy way to see the next resort along. Hotel water sports vary from place to place, so check what your own hotel offers rather than assuming. Shade matters in high summer, so pack a good hat and plenty of sun cream, and plan beach time for the morning and late afternoon in July and August, when the middle of the day is very hot.
Outings: Manavgat, Side and the Seljuk Coast
Manavgat town is about 12 km away and is the natural first outing: a working Turkish town on its river, with shops, cafés and a busy, everyday atmosphere very different from the resorts. Just north of the town, the Manavgat Waterfall is a broad, low cascade on the same river that makes a pleasant short stop. Further west, Side mixes Roman ruins with an old-town harbour and is good for an evening. Heading the other way along the D400, towards Alanya, you reach Alarahan, a Seljuk caravanserai dated to 1232, with Alara Castle on the crag above it. Organised trips from the area also include rafting in the Köprülü Canyon, inland from Side and Manavgat. A taxi or a booked excursion is the practical way to reach all of these.
Who Kızılağaç Suits and When to Go
Kızılağaç works well for families with young children, couples on a rest-and-recharge holiday, and anyone who wants a resort stay without the bustle of the bigger centres. It is less suited to travellers who like to eat in a different restaurant every night or walk into town after dark, because there is very little town to walk into. Like the rest of this coast, the main beach season runs from late spring into autumn. May, June, September and October bring warm sea and more comfortable temperatures for outings, while July and August are the hottest and busiest months. Many resort hotels on this coast work to a summer season, so if you are thinking of a winter visit, check that your hotel is open before you book flights.
Getting There From Either Airport
Kızılağaç sits in a useful spot between the two airports. Antalya Airport (AYT) is 80 km away by road, just under an hour, and Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP) is 93 km away, about 1 hour 5 minutes, so you can choose your flights on timing rather than on the drive. Both routes use the D400 coastal highway. With so many resorts along this part of the coast, a private transfer saves you the stop-start route of a shared shuttle: the vehicle is reserved for your party and goes directly to your hotel. Your driver meets you in arrivals with a name sign, we track your flight, and child seats are free when you ask. Many hotels here have Side or Manavgat in their names, so give us the full hotel name.