antalya (1)
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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.