ANTALYA / SIDE / BELEK

BUYING GUIDE by

SAIT GAYRIMENKUL REAL ESTATE &

INVESTMENT CONSULTING

SIDE

Guide to buying a property in Side

Side, 25 minutes from the Turkish golf mecca of Belek and 45 minutes from ever-expanding Antalya

airport, has become a bit of a British stronghold.

Famous for its ancient ruins, which include an amphitheatre and Apollo’s temple still used for

concerts, and its long sandy beaches, it has retained much of its fishing village charm.

Apollo’s temple

Amphitheatre

There’s a growing expat community, who like the fact it is smaller and calmer than Alanya further

east, and older Brits like the low-key development of it, the lack of an overly lively night life.

Unlike Aegean resorts such as Altinkum or Didim, Side doesn’t just appeal to British holidaymakers

and property buyers either – there are Scandinavians, Dutch and Germans buying property there too.

Due to Side’s ancient heritage listing, no high-rise residential development is allowed there – a four-

storey residential height restriction exists throughout the area.

An exception to this rule is the seafront, which is reserved for hotels and buildings used solely for

leisure purposes. This means availability of homes in Side is less than in Alanya.

Side has undergone major infrastructure upgrades in recent years, including a £10-million beachside

promenade that vastly transformed the seafront area.

Fans of Side say it offers a bit of everything: it’s a pretty town with a mountainous backdrop, golf,

ruins and lovely beaches.

The sandy beaches are superlative. Of the two that stretch either side of the old town, one is the

second longest in Turkey, providing plenty of spots for peaceful lounging or high-energy watersports.

But there is something else that sets Side apart from other resorts and that is its sense of history at

every turn, from ancient baths and temples to theatres and tombs.

The town is one of Turkey’s best-known classical sites, once an ancient Greek city occupied by

Alexander the Great and then pirates, and today an attractive living town and holiday resort dotted

with ancient Byzantine and Roman ruins.

A lot of Side’s restaurants contain scattered stonework from the original temples and its cobbled

streets, small alleyways and scatterings of ruins make for a unique atmosphere.

It’s easy to get to with Antalya, a big city with year-round life and the second busiest airport in the

Mediterranean, within a 45-minute drive. Antalya is also one of the only Turkish airports to see year-

round flights from the UK, avoiding changes in Istanbul.

It’s also only 40km west to Belek, the purpose-built resort and the fastest-growing golf destination in

Europe with 14 golf courses, six of which are championship class.

So what does your money buy in Side?

It’s cheaper than Kalkan and Bodrum, but a bit more than Altinkum/Didim generally.

Modern quality apartments start from around £45,000 for one bedroom, two bedrooms cost from

around £60,000, duplexes from around £90,000 and villas from £150,000. Side’s housing stock for

overseas buyers largely consists of apartments on good-quality new resorts with swimming pools and

other tourist facilities.

Most people want to be within 10-15 minutes drive of the town centre, on small to medium, relaxed,

family-friendly complexes where apartments cost from £60,000 to £130,000.

If you want to be a step back from the centre of Side, the areas of Ilica, Colakli and Evrenseki to the

east of town are popular, as they gradually join up with the main part of the resort. The Kemer

district, near the beach, is also popular. At the highest end of the market, you can buy a four/five

bedroom villa in the forest, set in its own 5.5 acres of grounds, for around £500k.

Kemer

Bordering Side inland is Manavgat, a bustling town with a local feel, situated on a river and with a

pretty waterfall. The surrounding countryside is a haven for nature-lovers or more frenetic pursuits.

“You can do river sports in the Manavgat river, jeep safaris and trekking through the Köprülü Canyon

National Park during the summer or cliff parachuting.

Manavgat River

Köprülü Canyon National Park

New developments are springing up on Manavgat’s fringes, suited more to resident buyers.

BELEK

Guide to buying a property in Belek

Just 15 minutes from the fringes of Antalya, and 30 minutes from the airport, is Belek, thirty years

ago a small village, now it is arguably the Med’s number one year-round golfing destination.

It’s got 14 golf courses, end to end along the south coast of Antalya, that represent the biggest

concentration of high-quality, good-value golf courses around the Mediterranean, although there are

still more being planned.

It’s also carved a name for itself as an affordable alternative to more established golf destinations

like Portugal and Spain, .

So the place is primarily a leisure holiday resort, with the average about £65 a round for the best

courses: the National, Montgomerie, Faldo, Sultan, Gloria New Course and Carya.

The Montgomerie Papillon, which opened in 2008 and is deemed one of the leading clubs, has 18

holes plus a nine-hole academy course, and the resort hosts a big tournament there every autumn

So where do all the golfers stay when coming for their sporting minibreaks and how does this impact

the property market?

Most foreigners arriving in Belek currently come on golf holidays and stay in one of the 50-plus five-

star hotels, located on the beachfront or within one of the golf clubs.

But the aim is to increase the capacity by getting more golfers to rent privately owned properties.

It’s not possible to buy frontline golf or beach property in Belek – integrated golf properties as seen

in Portugal or Spain, for example - it simply doesn’t exist.

This is due to the entire land mass adjoining the beach and sea having to be leased from the owners

– the Government, who solely reserve it for hotel and leisure use.

Consequently, all new developments are being built in rows in the strip of land immediately behind

the golf and hotel resorts in an area that extends to Kadriye.

Many of the developments look very similar to each other so whilst you wouldn’t say there is

anything authentically Turkish about it, there are some high-quality properties available.

Indeed, some might say Belek is a little soulless, but the prime appeal of property in Belek is its

proximity to the golf courses.

Investors have purchased many of the homes here specifically for onward holiday rental purposes

mainly targeting the golfing fraternity.

But bear in mind that private rental properties need to compete with the high-quality hotels that

offer good-value all-inclusive holidays – and frontline beach access.

But Belek for its choice and quality of courses does suit real golfing enthusiasts – and the Russian

market seem to love it for its modern pourpose-built luxury.

New apartments start at around £60,000 and villas from around £180,000 and mid-price quality villas

with a private pool from about £240,000.

That said, you can get the odd three-bed resale villa for around £55,000, or plenty of two-bed

apartments for this budget.

Location is key, as always. New two-bed apartments opposite the National course start at £109,000,

three-bed duplexes for around £195,000 or luxury villas with private pools cost around £335,000.

If you enjoy a few rounds but don’t need to play golf every day, you could do what many expat

residents and second homeowners do: buy in more scenic – and cheaper – locations close to Belek,

such as Side or one of the coastal developments between Belek and Side.

That way non-golfers (or golfers’ families) can enjoy the beaches and amenities of a vibrant town.