Mahmutlar Beach, Alanya
The verdict
- Best for: Slow travellers, long stay visitors and walkers who want a quiet, clear water swim and a long promenade under the mountains rather than a busy town beach.
- Best spot: An early or evening walk along the promenade towards Kestel, with a swim where the pebble shore opens out and the crowd thins.
- Know this: It is pebble and coarse sand, not soft sand, so pack beach shoes; the reward is clear water and room to breathe well away from the centre.
Published 30 January 2026. Last reviewed 11 May 2026
Mahmutlar runs east of Alanya, beyond Tosmur and Kestel, where the coast road threads below the Taurus mountains and a long town has grown along the sea. The beach is its quiet strength, a shore of pebble and coarse sand stretching roughly five kilometres, backed by a wide modern promenade that links one neighbourhood to the next. The stony seabed keeps the water clear on a calm day, the mountains rise green and grey behind, and the whole place moves at a slower, more lived in pace than the resort centre.
The appeal is space and quiet. Because the shore is so long and the town residential, you can walk a few minutes from the busiest steps and have a stretch of pebble largely to yourself, even in high summer. The naturalist in me walks the promenade early, when the light is soft and the air still cool, swims in clear water over the stones, and lets the day open slowly. The honest catch is underfoot. This is pebble and coarse sand, not the silk of Incekum, so without beach shoes the entry can be hard going, and there is little natural shade beyond what the cafes and hire umbrellas provide.
It suits slow travellers, walkers and long stay visitors who want a real town by a clear, quiet sea, and anyone happy to trade soft sand for room and calm. Who should skip it is the family after a soft, shallow, sandy bay for small children, or the visitor set on a polished resort beach. For those, the fine sand of Cleopatra sits in the centre, the gentle pine backed shallows of Incekum lie out west, and the long Blue Flag sweep of Keykubat runs east of the headland.
Clubs on this beach
Mahmutlar is an open town beach of cafes and seasonal sunbed hire rather than a gated club strip. For a full club day with daybeds, see our Alanya beach clubs directory.
Promenade cafes and sunbed hire
The promenade behind Mahmutlar Beach is a long run of cafes, snack bars and seasonal sunbed hire serving the town and the shore. Operators, opening hours and any charges vary by season and are to be confirmed. It is relaxed local service and a quiet lounger rather than a structured beach club.
No flagship club on the sand
Mahmutlar keeps the feel of an open town beach, so there is no single gated club fencing off the shore. The draw is the long quiet shore, the clear water and the promenade walk under the mountains. For cabanas and table service on the water, look to the wider Alanya scene.
Mahmutlar lies about ten kilometres east of central Alanya along the coast road, past Tosmur and Kestel, below the Taurus mountains. The city is roughly two hours by road from Antalya airport and about forty five minutes from Gazipasa Alanya airport, and dolmus minibuses run the coast road into the centre frequently, with taxis an easy alternative for a direct trip.
Parking is generally easier here than in the crowded centre, and the promenade gives plenty of access points to the shore. Bring water, sun cream, beach shoes for the pebbles and your own shade if you want it, since natural shade is limited. The weekly market and the cafes behind the beach make it simple to settle in for a long, slow day.
Reserve a day at Mahmutlar
Tell us the date and party and we will match you to a club or sunbed terrace on or near Mahmutlar Beach and pass on your request. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
Is Mahmutlar Beach sandy or pebbly?
Mahmutlar is mostly a pebble and coarse sand shore rather than soft sand, so beach shoes make the entry and the walk into the water much kinder on the feet. The trade is clarity, since the stony seabed keeps the water clear on a calm day. If you want fine sand underfoot, the central Cleopatra beach is the better choice; for clear water and quiet, Mahmutlar wins.
Where is Mahmutlar and how far is it from central Alanya?
Mahmutlar is a coastal town about ten kilometres east of central Alanya, beyond Tosmur and Kestel, set below the Taurus mountains. It has grown into a large resident and long stay community, so it feels more like a real town than a resort strip. Dolmus minibuses run the coast road into the centre regularly, and taxis are easy.
Is Mahmutlar Beach good for a quiet day?
Yes, that is its strength. The shore runs for about five kilometres backed by a long modern promenade, so even in summer you can walk a short way and find space away from the busiest stretches. It is calmer and more local than the central beaches, which suits slow travellers, walkers and long stay visitors who want room to breathe by the sea.
Is there a promenade at Mahmutlar Beach?
There is, and it is one of the best things about the place. A wide modern promenade and path run the length of the shore and link Mahmutlar with neighbouring Kestel and Tosmur, which makes for a long, scenic walk or cycle under the mountains, especially in the soft light of early morning or evening when the heat eases.
When is the best time to swim at Mahmutlar Beach?
The swimming season typically runs from May or June into November, with the sea warmest in July and August when it can feel like a bath. For warm water with lighter crowds, May, June, September and October are the kindest months. Mornings are calmest before any afternoon breeze, and conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
