Dalaman Airport to Akyaka and Datça: Transfer and Getting There

Akyaka sits at the head of the Gökova Gulf, with a cold spring-fed river and a kitesurfing beach. Datça is at the end of a long, narrow peninsula, with an old stone village and the ruins of Knidos near its western tip. Both are well off the usual Dalaman coach routes, so the journey needs more planning than a run to Göcek or Dalyan. This guide covers every way to get there, what each costs, and what to see once you arrive.

Akyaka and Datça at a Glance

Road times are without hold-ups; allow more in July and August. Transfer prices are per vehicle (Mercedes Vito, up to 6 passengers), and the exact price for your date and pickup time is shown before you pay. Taxi list fares and public transport fares were checked on 25 October 2026 and can change.

Private Transfer From Dalaman Airport

Our driver tracks your flight, so there is no extra charge for traffic or flight delays. The driver waits just outside the arrivals exit, and once you have landed sends you the exact meeting point and a short video on WhatsApp. Our drivers speak English. Prices are per vehicle, not per person: from €72 to Akyaka and from €163 to Datça. The car takes you to your door, whether that is a house in Akyaka or a villa on the Datça peninsula. Child seats are available on request. We also have a V-Class VIP, and a Sprinter for larger groups.

Send your exact address or a map pin when you book, so the driver goes to the right entrance. You can book the return to the airport at the same time. On a drive as long as Datça, ask us on WhatsApp before booking if you need a comfort stop planned in advance. Compare all routes on our transfer prices page, or book on our Dalaman Airport Transfer page.

Airport Taxi

Taxis wait at the rank to the left of the terminal exit around the clock. The Dalaman Airport Taxi Cooperative publishes a list fare of ₺3,500 per car to "Gökova–Akyaka" and ₺8,000 per car to Datça in 2026, with no night rate. The same list gives Palamutbükü, on the Datça peninsula, at ₺9,000. Agree the price and your exact address before you set off, and ask whether the list fare covers your village or only the main centre. After a wave of charter flights the rank can have a queue, which is the main reason to pre-book.

Getting to Akyaka by Coach and Bus

Akyaka has no direct coach from the airport. The practical route uses the MUTTAŞ airport coach to Marmaris (line 48-26), which stops at the Gökova junction on the main road.

• Coach to the Gökova junction: ₺300 per person in 2026. The Marmaris line also calls at Ortaca (₺220) and Köyceğiz (₺270). Coaches leave the airport when domestic flights land rather than to a timetable, so after an international flight you may have to wait. Our Dalaman Airport guide to Fethiye and Marmaris explains how the coaches work.
• The last stretch: the junction is on the main road, about 5 km by road from Akyaka, so you need a local taxi or a lift for that stretch. Sort this out before you leave, particularly with luggage or after dark.
• Dalaman bus station to the junction: if you miss the coach, minibus 8-11 runs from the airport to Dalaman town for ≈€0.75 (₺42). From Dalaman bus station, MUTTAŞ line 48-12 to Muğla runs every 10 to 30 minutes in the daytime via Ortaca, Köyceğiz and the Gökova junction. Dalaman to the Akyaka junction is ₺228 on the two-ride card (₺179 on the personal card).

Once you are in the region, buses are better. Line 12-5 runs between Muğla bus station and Akyaka every 30 to 60 minutes, from about 07:50 to midnight from Muğla and 07:00 to 23:00 from Akyaka, for ₺115 on the two-ride card. Line 12-12 links Ula and Akyaka three times a day. Line 12-6 runs between Akyaka and Marmaris in summer only. Fares quoted are for the two-ride Muğla Kart, which is the realistic fare for visitors; the personal card pays less.

For a family with suitcases, the coach plus a taxi is awkward and the saving over a private transfer is small. The public route works best for one or two people with a backpack, travelling in the daytime.

Getting to Datça by Coach and Bus

There is no direct coach to Datça either, but the connection through Marmaris is straightforward on paper.

1. Airport coach to Marmaris bus station: ≈€7.50 (₺420) per person, about 1 h 30. It leaves when domestic flights land.
2. MUTTAŞ bus 48-16, Marmaris to Datça: the road is 72 km. The fare is ₺293 on the two-ride card (₺229 on the personal card). Buses run about hourly, from Marmaris Terminal between 09:00 and 21:00, and from Datça between 07:00 and 19:00, with an extra departure at 06:00 on weekdays.

The timing is the weak point. If you land in the afternoon, the coach waits for a domestic flight and then the bus to Datça has to fit around it. A late arrival can miss the last Marmaris–Datça bus at 21:00, and then you are looking for a taxi on a road with little traffic. Check the current timetable on the MUTTAŞ site before you rely on this route. There is also a once-a-day bus between Datça and Muğla (line 48-15), but its timetable page was last updated in 2025, so treat it with caution.

The Datça peninsula is long, and bus lines to the villages along it, such as Palamutbükü (line 9-5), are thinner than the town services. If your accommodation is outside Datça town, the extra journey adds up quickly. That is the main reason many visitors treat Datça as a transfer or taxi destination.

What to See in Akyaka

Akyaka is a coastal neighbourhood of Ula district, at the head of the Gökova Gulf. The area lies inside the Gökova Special Environmental Protection Area, declared in 1988. Akyaka is also listed under Türkiye on the official Cittaslow network list, the international slow-city movement. Datça is not on that list.

The Azmak River

The Azmak is a short river fed by very cold, clear spring water. Sources give different lengths, so treat it as a short stretch, not a long trek. Small boats run short trips of about 25 to 30 minutes. Fares are not published officially, so check the price at the landing before you board.

Kitesurfing at Akçapınar

The beach at Akçapınar, known as Kite Beach, is Akyaka's kitesurfing spot. Kitesurfing guides describe a thermal wind that builds from about 11:00 and lasts until 18:00 or 19:00, usually 15 to 25 knots in the afternoon, with shallow sandy water close to shore. The best season is May to October. Several schools work on the beach. Ask them about lessons, equipment hire and any beach entry charge for this season.

What to See in Datça

Datça Town and Old Datça

Datça town is the base for the peninsula. Old Datça (Eski Datça) is the stone village about 3 km inland. MUTTAŞ line 9-1 runs between Datça and Eski Datça about hourly from 07:50 to 22:30 on weekdays, with fewer runs on Sundays, for ₺59 on the two-ride card. Because it is so close, you can stay in the town and visit the village for lunch.

Knidos

Knidos is an ancient city on Cape Tekir, at the western tip of the peninsula, where the Aegean and the Mediterranean meet. It was a "double city", with a mainland part and an island part, and the lower theatre seated about 5,000 people. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism lists it open daily from 08:30 to 18:00, with the ticket office closing at 17:30. The ministry's visitor portal shows different seasonal hours, and winter hours are usually shorter, so check the official site before you go.

Admission for foreign visitors is 5 euros in 2026, rising to 6 euros from 1 April 2027 under the published 2027 tariff. Museum Pass The Aegean (€95 in 2026, 105 euros from 1 April 2027) covers Knidos, among other sites in the region.

The site is about 35 km from Datça by road, and the ministry's visitor page describes the last 8 km as gravel. The site was landscaped in June 2026, with a larger car park and new visitor routes, so conditions may have changed. There is no public bus to the ruins. Bus 9-5 runs from Datça towards Palamutbükü, Yazıköy and Belen, but it does not reach Knidos. Without a car you need a taxi or an organised trip. Ask us on WhatsApp if you want to discuss a day with our driver before booking.

The Datça–Bodrum Ferry

A car ferry runs between Datça and Bodrum, run by Bodrum Feribot. It is seasonal and weather-dependent, so it is worth knowing about if you plan to continue across the water.

• Ports: Datça departures leave from Kairos Marina on the north coast, about 9 to 10 km from the town. Bodrum departures leave from Bodrum Kale Limanı. MUTTAŞ line 9-8 has a stop named for the ferry, roughly every 2 hours from 08:15 to 18:00. Check the departure point on your ticket.
• Timetable: in peak season (15 July to 20 August) there were four sailings a day each way in 2026. In October there were two, at 09:00 and 16:00. In November the service thins out to one a day and then a few days a week. Check the operator's site for your date.
• Fares: reported in July 2026 at ₺875 one way, ₺1,565 return, and ₺2,950 for a car. The crossing takes about 1 h 45.
• Booking: online sales close 2 hours before sailing. Sailings are cancelled in strong wind, so leave slack in your plans.

Tips for Arriving and Leaving

• Late flights: the last Marmaris–Datça bus leaves Marmaris around 21:00, and the junction for Akyaka needs onward transport. A private transfer or the airport taxi is the safer choice after dark.
• Early flights home: Datça is almost three hours from the airport, so book the pickup at your accommodation the day before and allow a generous margin.
• Moving on: bus 12-6 links Akyaka and Marmaris in summer only. Marmaris is the hub for Datça, and our Fethiye and Marmaris guide covers the coach routes.
• Nearer alternatives: if the distance is too much for a short stay, Dalyan is about 30 km from the airport, and our Dalaman Airport guide compares all the resorts.
• Cash: bring lira for small boat fares, beach charges and village cafés.

Sources — checked on 25 October 2026: Knidos, Ministry of Culture and Tourism · Knidos, turkishmuseums.com · Cittaslow, Akyaka · MUTTAŞ airport coach 48-26 · MUTTAŞ bus 48-16 · MUTTAŞ bus 12-5 · MUTTAŞ bus 48-12 · MUTTAŞ bus 9-1 · MUTTAŞ bus 9-8 · Bodrum Feribot · Dalaman Airport Taxi price list · Ministry of Environment, Akyaka report · Feribot Seferleri, 2026 ferry season · Kitejungle, Gökova · DHA, Knidos landscaping
Euro amounts at €1 = ₺55.6.

Related guides: Dalaman Airport (DLM) · Dalaman Airport to Fethiye & Marmaris · Dalaman Airport to Dalyan · Dalaman Airport to Göcek · Where to Stay Near Dalaman · Ölüdeniz Blue Lagoon guide · Bodrum Airport (BJV) · Bodrum Airport to Bodrum Town and Gümbet · Bodrum Airport to Yalıkavak & Türkbükü · Bodrum Airport to Turgutreis and Gümüşlük

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