Need advice on lodging along Turquoise Coast after gulet

We are taking a 3N gulet from Fethiye to Demre in mid-September 2024. There are a few places we would like to see near Demre and along the coastline on the way to Antalya (our next stop), so we'd like to stay in the area a couple of nights. I've been searching along the coast for a place to stay and mostly find collections of cabanas offered (basically groups of tiny houses). While we're not looking for luxury, it would be nice to have a bit more space and easy access to the beaches. I don't see rental cars offered in Demre or anywhere nearby via Kayak.com (we are a bit leery about just walking into a place to rent a car), so our ability to get around will be limited to either buses or taxis. We originallly had hoped to stay near Kaş as there are many lovely places shown there and it looks nicer than Demre, but it would mean backtracking and would take us away from the places near Demre we'd like to see. The huge resort near Demre - Andriake Beach Club - just seems like both overkill and a blight on the landscape, so we're reluctant to patronize them. Azur Hotel looks nice in Çıralı, further around toward Antalya, but getting there will be a bear. If any of you have experience staying in the area and/or getting around, I would love your input. This is one of the last places we have to book and it's not clear how best to balance sightseeing, transport, and lodging for those couple of nights. THANK YOU!