Find beautiful homes on Turkey's Turquoise Coast
There's more to Turkey's Turquoise Coast than big developments. Ginetta Vedrickas visits the beautiful villages that escaped the concrete
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Your support makes all the difference.Turkey has everything - sun, sea, city, countryside, thermal spas, ancient ruins and natural wonders. Well, almost everything. For while you can track down any number of diversions and distractions, locating the kind of charming holiday home you dream of may not be so simple.
Since the EU began membership negotiations with Turkey in 2005, investors have flocked here and, consequently, parts of its coastline are a sprawl of faceless blocks. Yet along the Turquoise coast, from Marmaris in the north right around to Antalya, are prettier villages.
This Mediterranean coastline has two international airports (Dalaman and Antalya) and attracts the most tourists, but the shore is rugged, with bays and coves that make it easy to get off the beaten track.
In the village of Dalyan, Turkish Homes (0845 331 2644, turkish-homes.com) is selling a large six-bedroom villa with a guesthouse, just 20 minutes from the famous Turtle Beach, for £382,000. Other pretty resorts include Kas, a picturesque town set within the Taurus Mountains.
Kalkan attracts a more sophisticated buyer looking for smart restaurants in a traditional setting. "All three villages are still very pretty. People come here and fall in love with them and then nowhere else on the coast will do," says Clair Walker, of the agency Turkish Homes.
Thanks to its secluded position, Kalkan has escaped the ravages of mass tourism, but has plenty of amenities. Turkish Homes is selling a beach-view townhouse with three bedrooms and two bathrooms just a few minutes' walk from the harbour and beach, partially furnished, for £145,000.
On the edge of the old village, the pink customs house is in one of the resort's best positions and has four bedrooms. Its two balconies have uninterrupted views of the harbour and beach. It is on sale for £430,000.
While some buyers are seeking one-off period properties, anyone wanting on-site amenities and the security that comes with an up-market gated complex may enjoy LaVanta, a development of 158 homes set on a hilltop overlooking the bay of Kalkan.
Modelled on Kemer Country, an up-market development near Istanbul which boasts the most expensive prices in Turkey, the developer hopes to continue those standards. Prices at LaVanta start from £69,000 for one-bedroom apartments, up to £400,000 for five-bedroom villas with Bridgehouse (020-7478 9254; bridge houseinternational.com). There is a boutique hotel, spa, restaurants and sporting facilities. For those who wish to explore, a free shuttle service will take owners to various beaches.
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