Turquoise Coast News

Turkey is set to be one of the best performing property markets of 2010. With an extensive coastline, long beaches, rich culture and superb climate, it’s no surprise that Britons are flocking here to buy.

The Turkish Riviera (also known popularly as the Turquoise Coast) is a term used to define an area of Southwest Turkey encompassing Antalya , Muğla and to a lesser extent the provinces of Aydin , Southern İzmir and Western Mersin .

The combination of a favorable climate, warm sea, more than a thousand kilometers of shoreline along the Aegean and Mediterranean waters, and abundant natural and archeological points of interest makes this stretch of Turkey’s coastline a popular national and international tourist destination and a fabulous place to invest in property.

While Turkey is often associated with the cheaper end of the market, with apartments advertised for £25,000 to £50,000 in the major resorts, Turkey has slowly been attracting more interest from the wealthier buyer.

Property prices are very competitive in this area and it’s a great place to own a lettable holiday home or live permanently. There’s a distinctly British feel to the atmosphere, with Hisarönü being packed full of tourist bars, shops and restaurants. Here good value four-bedroom, five-bathroom villas would start from £140,000 and two-bed apartments generally start at £60,000.

For permanent relocation, though, the town of Fethiye itself is by far the best bet. A popular area is Calis (pronounced Challish) beach, a low-key but heavily developed resort area behind a long, sheltered bay and a pedestrianised boulevard, five kilometres west of Fethiye . There’s a mix of new and old(ish) properties available, off-plan three-bed villas from around £150,000, resales from £90,000-plus, and apartments from £45,000. The most prestigious residential areas are either overlooking the marina where apartments start at £100,000-£125,000, or on Sovalye Island , the closest island to the harbour.

Being only 15 minutes from Dalaman airport, the exclusive playground of Göcek is perfect for weekenders, but expect to pay a premium for the location. Choice (and privacy) is relatively limited, meaning townhouses sell for £500,000 and apartments start at £150,000.

Brief Descriptions of some of beautiful areas in this region where property is available:-

OLU DENIZ
For those feeling adventurous Turkey has become the number one destination for paragliding enthusiasts and Oludeniz on the Turquoise Coast is the resort most head for. Tandem flights are offered at Oludeniz , so you don't need to be a paraglider pilot to enjoy this unique experience.

If you want proof as to why ‘Turquoise Coast’ is no idle boast, Olu Deniz may well be the conclusive evidence.

Recently voted one of the top 5 beaches in the world.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4685747.stm

Belcekiz Beach is one of those seemingly endless crescents of sand that are photographed from a thousand angles in holiday brochures, while the Blue Lagoon (a predictable but far from inaccurate moniker) is a separate body of water with its own beach, cut off from the sea by a small spit of land.

FETHIYE
Five miles from Olu Deniz , Fethiye is a small city of definite charm – although the word ‘city’ is deeply misleading.
It perches on the site of Telmessos, a key settlement of the ancient Lycian civilisation that flourished in the 5th century BC – and its rich history is apparent in the ruins (including an amphitheatre) that sit randomly on street corners, and the tombs cut into the hillsides above.
The Fethiye Museum also has artefacts galore. Of course there are modern attractions too.

KAYAKOY
You can find rather more recent – but no less powerful – history ten miles from Olu Deniz , in the form of the ghost town of Kayakoy .

This was a thriving Greek farming community until 1923, when it was abandoned as part of the population exchanges between Greece and Turkey that followed the First World War.

Nowadays its 3000 or so buildings, including two huge churches, are largely ruined and roofless. Louis de Bernières, the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, set his 2004 novel Birds Without Wings here – and you can understand why.

Kayakoy is hugely atmospheric, not least at sunset, when the shadows lengthen on the olive trees growing in its fractured houses.

ANTALYA
The largest city on the Turquoise Coast, around a 90-minute drive from the airport, Antalya is about as far removed in spirit from Kayakoy as you can get. And while it enjoys an impressive mountain backdrop, it is also a distinctly different beast than Olu Deniz . Here, if you so choose, is noise, bustle, energy and dance-until-dawn nightlife.
There are malls where you can stretch the credit card, and numerous seafood restaurants where you can indulge your tastebuds.

Sun-worship services are also held every day on the long strip of Konyaalti Beach.

It’s a popular holiday destination with no building height restrictions and varied price ranges. Property prices here are generally about 15 per cent lower than those in Side , with modern quality apartments starting at about £40,000 and villas from £130,000.

DALYAN
If cities like Antalya show one side of the tourist industry – big, brash development, and often excitingly so – the likes of Dalyan play a different game.

This sleepy town, easily reached from Fethiye , is most famous for Iztuzu Beach – and the survival of it.

Plans to build a sizeable luxury hotel here in the mid-Eighties ultimately came to nothing because the beach is an important breeding ground for loggerhead sea turtles, who come here to lay their eggs – one of nature’s most endearing sights.

Nor is this Dalyan’s sole appeal – see also its location on the Dalyan Cayi River, the nearby ruins of the ancient city of Kaunos , and the feathered wildlife of the lush surrounding wetlands.

KAS
Kas has become one of the most sought after locations on the south coast of Turkey to buy property, with its protected areas and beautiful bays and islands. It seems to have a magical quality that people return to again and again. The crystal-clear turquoise Mediterreanean sea is purified by local currents and most properties along the Kas peninsula have direct access to the sea. Villas in Kas are either traditional stone clad or modern minimalist in design and are sympathetic to the surrounding landscape. Many areas along the peninsula are protected green areas and therefore development has been strictly limited to a select few areas.

Kaş is a quaint harbour town with alot of character and charm. It has not undergone any form of development explosion and both the local and the foreign ex-pat populations are appreciative of the need to protect the environment. You never feel the crush of a crowd and even in the busiest months, there is seldom a congested tourist activity.

It has become known as the premier Mediterranean destination for diving. Scuba divers and snorkelers are mesmerised by Kaş’s waters and its unusual shore formations, ancient and modern wrecks, reefs, canyons and large caves.

Turkey’s golden coastline is already a haven for sailors and yacht owners but now with the addition of a new marina in Kas , the experience will become even more memorable. When the new marina is completed later in 2010 there will be space for over 450 yachts with lifting capacity of up to 70 tonnes. Marina berths will be available to yacht owners for rent or for sale later in 2010. Kas will also become a stop off location for boats from the world famous Blue Cruises.

Belek
Belek is a newly developed man-made area boasting 13 beautiful championship standard golf courses facing the sea and there is also a new beach park. Investors have purchased many of the homes within Belek , targeting the golfing fraternity for rentals. Apartments start at around £60,000 and villas from around £180,000 and those with a private pool from £240,000.

Side
A 45-minute drive east of the airport is Side (pronounced seeday), a small ancient town with a close and strong community. Side is a friendly place, which started as a fishing village on a small peninsula that extends north-south into the sea. There’s a varied choice of property here and in the surrounding area with restrictions on high-rise development due to the ancient heritage listing. Modern quality apartments start from £50,000, duplexes from around £90,000 and villas from £150,000.

The ancient settlement of Side , located in the Mediterranean city of Antalya's Manavgat district, is being turned into a 'museum city' with the establishment of five new museums. Statues of people who have made contributions to Side throughout history are also being erected around town
Five new museums are being established around the ancient settlement of Side as part of efforts to make the area’s cultural attractions as big of a draw as its sea, sun and sand.

Besides the physical change in Side , there will be many big changes in the field of culture and arts. We will make the ancient site a cultural center,” said Side Mayor Abdülkadir Uçar, announcing plans to turn the historical town in Antalya’s Manavgat district into a “museum city.”

“In addition to the current archaeological museum, work continues to turn places such as the Side Turkish Bath and the Side Port Bath into themed museums,” Uçar said. “Five museums will be established in the best spots and in the fastest way.”
The work is being carried out in collaboration with the Culture and Tourism Ministry, the Union of Historical Towns, the Foundation for the Promotion and the Protection of the Environment and Cultural Heritage, or ÇEKÜL, and other relevant institutes, the mayor added.

“The Öğretmenevi [Teacher’s House] will become the City Museum. This museum will feature the life stories of people and families who migrated to the city from Crete, their troubles, problems and social life,” the mayor said, adding that work on the museum, which will bear the name of Professor Arif Müfit Mansel, would start within a short time.
“Mansel, who was a lecturer at Istanbul University in the 1950s, made great contributions to the archaeology of Turkey , the world and Side . This is why the museum will bear his name,” Uçar said.

Random Turkey
Another way to explore Turkey's unspoilt south coast is by traditional wooden gulet.

Don’t mistake this holiday as one only suitable for keen sailors. The Turkish gulet is a kind of comfortable floating apartment complete with a crew to both safely navigate you to a magical Turkey afloat, but also to wait on you hand and foot. Superbly comfortable and providing a unique holiday experience, one of the gulet cruises will take you to beautiful secluded bays and idyllic anchorages, many not accessible by road. You’ll visit blue lagoons, ruins of ancient baths, traditional Turkish villages and historical sites in real style.

Whether you are looking for investment opportunities, a holiday home or a place in the sun to retire or relocate to, visit this stunning area of Turkey to see for yourself.