Getting to know the Turkish Riviera

The Aegean and Mediterranean coastlines of Turkey are now on the British property buyer’s map.

For one thing, Turkey is a bridge between Europe and Asia. Its Islamic culture might have made British property investors hesitant to cross over into another culture. Furthermore, the southern Turkish Riviera is difficult to get cheaply. But that’s all about to change with the Easyjet, which is expected to herald low-cost air access to the coastal resorts. With EU membership looking more certain within the next ten years, investment therefore appears less risky in the eyes of prospective buyers. In the past three years, the number of Brits buying property on the Turkish Riviera has grown from hundreds to thousands. These owners have discovered that it is not plainly Eastern, but more like the established resorts on the Med – just with minarets thrown in for good measure.

Last year 1.8 million Brits visited the country; in total, Turkey welcomed 21.1 million visitors. Turkey though is not resting on its laurels. The government has set a target of generating 15 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product from tourism by 2016. Last year it was 5 per cent. In order to achieve this, the Turkish government is thinking ahead. Robert Nixon of Nirvana International explains, “The infrastructure in the Riviera is already in place, miles before property is being built. This shows how seriously the Turkish government takes tourism.”

The bulk of this infrastructure is concentrated on a stretch of the Turkish coastline that runs for several hundred kilometres from the resorts of the central Aegean to the Mediterranean resort of Alanya, collectively known as the ‘Turkish Riviera’. Here, although the summer temperatures can be relied upon to touch or even exceed 30°C and winter temperatures rarely drop below 15°C, both the colour of the sea and the quality of the resorts vary considerably. While the sea laps ashore in a whole paint chart of blues, from cobalt to azure and especially turquoise. The resorts run the full spectrum, from the good to the bad and the downright ugly.

The central and southern Aegean coast was the birthplace of foreign tourism in Turkey. Visitors are drawn to its attractive combination of pine-green forests marching down to quiet coves washed by turquoise waters and its civilised smattering of Ancient Greek archaeological sites.

Cesme, the westernmost town in Turkey, has clocked up a century of tourism. It is just a pebbles throw from Hios in Greece. This proximity to Greece has certainly had an influence on the town, which is built around two streets of old Greek houses. But evidence of other influences is abundant – such as Ottoman-era fountains and a Genoese castle. For Brits looking to buy property, Cesme’s value is as a low-key resort, so it would suit those who would like to have a reasonable number of resort facilities without feeling that they are contributing to the overdevelopment of the Aegean coast. Although Cesme’s beaches are not in this classic category, the coves at Altinkum (’Golden Sand’ in Turkish), nine kilometres south of the town, are both attractive and relatively free of big buildings. One property currently available is a three-bedroom semi-detached duplex villa a few minutes from Cesme’s town beaches. The property is on the market through Holiday Homes in Turkey for approximately £61,000.

In contrast, the other Altinkum – 100 kilometres directly south-east of Cesme and 50 kilometres south of the bustling resort of Kusadasi – has a considerably wider choice of property; 3,000 of which are already owned by Brits. The main attraction is a kilometre of golden sand abutting a calm sea. Although in the high season it is standing room only, the resort has by no means reached its final form. For example, Nadir Nuritidinov of ASEM Construction explains that the company is involved in 12 different projects in Altinkum, with more to come. The company particularly values the resort because it is very attractive as it has the cheapest land prices keeping the cost for a property to a minimum, although the prices are constantly increasing. According to Nuritidinov, one of ASEM Construction’s most popular developments in Altinkum is Sunrise Apartments, which are near to the town centre and beach. Here, a completed two-bedroom apartment with a view of the swimming pool is available for £41,382.

Another of the Aegean coast’s most popular resorts is Bodrum, an attractive low-rise resort where the magenta hues of the bougainvillea contrast with the whitewashed walls. Yet the resort, which has its own international airport, is not just for wallflowers. It is renowned for its pounding nightlife. Nonetheless, Bodrum has managed the difficult task of developing but not destroying its appeal through strict building regulation. Although the peninsula on which it is located has suffered as a result and is, in part, a vast sprawl of villas.

ASEM Construction is currently marketing the Rose Garden apartments in Bodrum-Gulluk, where a new marina is being built. Nuritidinov explains that the properties are 60 metres from the sea, 15 minutes from Bodrum airport by car, and 20 minutes from proposed new golf course. The price for two-bedroom apartments is around £62,532.

For those who are taken with Bodrum but would like relative tranquility, the village of Gumusluk on the western edge of the peninsula is worth considering. Featuring a shingly beach, a small fishing harbour and great seafood, Gumusluk is too close to an ancient site to expand exponentially. Nonetheless, new-builds are appearing around the village, like the three-bedroom, two-storey villa in a community complex 50 metres from the sea priced at approximately £65,000 (95,000 euros) and available from Avatar International.

Across the Gulf of Gokova from Bodrum, and past the giant yachting-orientated resort of Marmaris, lies Turkey’s Mediterranean coast. The stretch from Ekincik in the west to the doorstep of Antalya in the east is known as the ‘Turquoise Coast’, where inviting waters lap against fine beaches divided by the rocky fingers of pine-clad mountain ranges. This twisting coastline harbours more than just human residents. The low-rise resort of Dalyan, where traditional Turkish architecture prevails, is near to a protected beach where loggerhead turtles nest, as is the inland resort of Gelemis near Patara beach some 100 kilometres further to the east.

Roughly halfway between the two resorts, sandwiched between mountains and sea, sits Fethiye. Although modern architecture now dominates the town, Fethiye’s Turkish character, attractive location, sweeping sea views and easy UK access via Dalaman airport make it one of the favourite destinations with Brits in Turkey. It also helps that Oludeniz, a quite sensational curve of white sand set in a blue-green lagoon, is just a few kilometres away. Offering a full range of property, Fethiye has homes within reach of those with £50,000 to spend, while a villa with a swimming pool will set you back about three times this amount.

Between Fethiye and Antalya, the Turquoise Coast is dotted with attractive resorts such as Kalkan - with its old stone buildings and wooden balconies - and Kas, snug against mountains and spread along a beach that curves like a cutlass. The stretch of coast that runs from Antalya, a sprawling yet pleasant city of some 500,000 people, 500 kilometres to the border with Syria is less developed than the Turquoise Coast although Side is drowning in a dense sea of developments. But the advantage of this stretch of the coast, as explained by Nixon is that there are year-round flights into Antalya, whereas Bodrum and Dalaman are effectively shut down in winter. Nirvana International is currently marketing Augustus Village, which is 35 minutes from Antalya International Airport. Nearby is the resort of Belek, where six golf courses snake between pine forests and run alongside beaches of fine white sand. Unsurprisingly, this is Turkey’s golfing capital. “We decided to build in a traditional style, with timber frames, terracotta tiles on the roofs and mod cons like air conditioning tucked away out of sight,” Nixon adds. Prices at the development start from £52,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, while a detached three-bedroom villa will set you back £130,000.

Seventy kilometres further east is Alanya, a year-round resort wrapped around a citadel perched on a rocky outcrop. From here, and indeed, from many vantage points in town, Alanya offers great views over its so-so beaches and the coast beyond. However, with better beaches further east, property experts are predicting that property interest will soon hot up there. When considering that there is indeed much more coastline for property developers to play with, the imminent arrival of Easyjet, the launch of a mortgage product by Nirvana International in September and EU membership waiting in the wings, Turkey’s property market has much more mileage in it. Moreover, these factors should help sustain annual double-digit percentage increases of Turkey’s property prices for several years to come. All this means that, soon, there will be more Riviera to review.

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