Regions of Turkey

Laid back charm

Situated around 70km from Bodrum (Milas) airport, Akbuk is located at the centre of Turkey’s favourite coast. Set between Bodrum and Didim, this is a pretty resort village with a huge emphasis on getting out and enjoying the surrounding environment. Covered with protected forests and olive trees, the area enjoys many small clean beaches and bays. Purported to have the highest oxygen ratio and the lowest humidity of Turkey, Akbuk is environmentally and aesthetically very wealthy indeed.

In contrast to its neighbour, Altinkum, Akbuk is largely untouched and unspoiled by mass tourism and strict building regulations and preservation orders will ensure that Akbuk stays that way. No serious construction work is allowed during the tourist season (May to October) and no building is allowed to be more than 2½ stories high.

Small and unpretentious, what you see is what you get in Akbuk. Value for money and quiet, laid-back holidaying is the norm here. Akbuk harbour hosts many tours and cruises to nearby islands and bays and a number of boats offer fishing trips. A weekly market is a great place to engage in the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional Turkish market and also serves as an excellent social occasion.

Akbuk enjoys a growing number of small restaurants and cafes, offering a variety of cuisines, always fresh and reasonably priced. As with everything else in Akbuk, service is discreet and unpressured, leaving you the time and space to enjoy your fantastic view of the Bodrum peninsula.

A relatively new resort town, Akbuk has all the makings of becoming a real jewel in Turkey’s crown, with its friendly locals, virtually non existent crime rate, clean fresh air and, perhaps most importantly, its determination to protect its natural beauty.

Location

Turkey’s Aegean Coast is a real one-stop-shop for all the best that the country has to offer: a beautiful climate, picturesque harbours, villages and beautiful natural sights, extensive beaches, plenty of activities and historical locations as well as first class international and local restaurants, accommodation and authentic Turkish bazaars selling an excellent range of well-produced local items, including leather goods, jewellery and carpets.

This is the setting for Bodrum, ancient Halicarnassos, a popular holiday resort with a deservedly excellent reputation for effortlessly balancing ancient and modern life. With its whitewashed houses and subtropical gardens, this is a location that has a bit of everything: Bodrum offers investors and tourists alike a distinctly successful blend of east and west, ancient and modern.

History

Famed for its beauty and historical heritage, Bodrum has many claims to fame: it is the birthplace of Herodotus, the famous Greek Historian and the location of the breathtaking tomb of King Mausolus, who successfully ruled Halicarnassos in the fourth century BC. The tomb (from which we derive the word ‘mausoleum’) was regarded as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, although much of it is now housed in London’s British Museum. The town’s centerpiece is the Castle of St Peter, built over a Selçuk fortress between 1437 and 1522 by the crusading Knights of St John. Displaying ancient coins and jewellery, classical and Hellenistic statuary, and Byzantine relics, the Carian princess hall displays the skeleton and sarcophagus of a fourth-century BC noblewoman unearthed in 1989.

Bodrum Harbour

Not just a historical melting pot, Bodrum’s stunning natural beauty and extensive range of activities will satisfy if history is not your thing. The Bodrum Cup Race is a main draw for tourists every year in October where traditional yachts known as ‘gullet’ compete with each other. Scuba diving, river rafting, snorkeling and aqua parks are on hand to help you cool down while the adrenaline junkies are kept happy with jeep safaris and horseback riding.

The St Tropez of Turkey

Only 1 hour from Istanbul and 20 minutes from Dalaman, Göcek, with its population of just 2,000, is a firm favourite with experienced yachtsmen and jetsetters alike. Known as Kalimche in antiquity, Göcek is conveniently located between Fethiye (formerly Telmessos) and Dalyan (Kaunos). According to legend, it is here that Icarus fell into the sea after his famous flight.

The marina’s first class reputation is well-deserved and frequented by the famous and wealthy. Land supply is very short here, which will position investors for steady growth. Culture and environment co-exist harmoniously and strict development laws ensure that Göcek’s very unique setting is protected.

Internationally renowned boutique hotels, private beaches, gourmet restaurants and stunning azure bays ­ sample some of the best of Turkey’s five star luxury.

Location

To the south of the Taurus Mountains, the Western Mediterranean is known as Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. The sun setting over its waters are said to highlight the clearest of turquoise seas, hence the name. Tranquil and uncommonly beautiful, the area has become a popular tourist destination with visitors often returning year after year. The pretty town of Fethiye sits on the hillside of Mount Mendos, 135 km southwest of Marmaris.

Formerly Telmessos, Fethiye is one of the most acclaimed of Turkey’s resorts and remains largely untouched by mass tourism, maintaining a healthy balance between the then and now. The sea, the mountains and surrounding small islands combine to form a truly stunning travel destination. The small town boasts a wealth of historical and cultural sights within its shady streets and tiny squares, as well as excellent venues for shopping and dining out, outstanding beaches, activities and water sports.

Popular natural attractions include Oludeniz (The Blue Lagoon), the Gemiler Islands, Katranci Bay, Gunluk, Gocek and Patara beach with its expanses of white sand and dunes. Oludeniz is also the starting point for Turkey’s one and only marked trekking route, the Lycian Way which winds along the coast almost as far as Antalya. Watersports are of unparalleled quality in and around Fethiye - wind surfing is popular in Oludeniz. Paragliding has enjoyed a surge in popularity, with brave souls leaping from the nearby Baba Dagi Mountains.

Remnants of ancient Lycian culture abound in and around Fethiye, the biggest attraction probably being the intricate rock tombs and impressive ancient theatre. There is also a fortress in the city built by the Knights of Rhodes.

A sophisticated and perennial favourite

The exquisite village of Kalkan has firmly resisted the trappings of mass tourism and, as a result, has retained its charm. Often compared favourably to Tuscany or the Dordogne, this delightful picturesque port town with its steep cobblestone streets, unique Ottoman architecture and numerous jewellers, infamous restaurants and speciality craft shops, boasts one of the highest rates of returning visitors of anywhere in Turkey. More sophisticated than the traditional resort town, Kalkan (old Phoenicus) does not seem to have been a place of settlement in antiquity, although it became an important port in the 19th century, settled around 200 years ago by people of both Greek and Turkish origin subject to the Ottoman Empire. It was then known by its Greek name of Kalamaki. Camels brought goods to Kalkan, whose cargo ships were then loaded to sail to the far reaches of the Ottoman Empire carrying charcoal, silk (you can see many mulberry trees in Kalkan today), olive oil (still produced in Kalkan) and wine, as well as grains and lumber.

By the early 20th century, Kalkan had become quite a sizeable village. Following World War I, the exchange in population between the new Turkish Republic and Greece took place in 1923 after the Turkish War of Independence. Most people of Greek origin then living in Kalkan left Turkey. As the Turkish road system improved, sea trade dwindled and people moved to larger coastal cities to find work. The arrival in the 1960s of wealthy English yachtsmen resulted in a turnaround for Kalkan and tourism became its main economy.

As a result, Kalkan’s residents put much pride and effort into keeping the town both beautiful and authentic, not least by preserving its distinctive Ottoman Greek architecture. Tightly controlled building regulations keep the town small and architecturally blended with the historic heart of the town. Narrow streets twist down to the harbour, and are lined with old whitewashed villas with shuttered windows. Overhead hang carved timber balconies, from which flow masses of brilliantly coloured plants and flowers. Good food has always been central to life in Kalkan and the village is said to have the highest number of restaurants and bars per inhabitant or square meter on the Turkish coast.

However, Kalkan isn’t a place for noisy nightlife. Rather, one comes to enjoy the view of the stars from one of the town’s numerous rooftop terrace bars or restaurants. It is worth pointing out that you won’t have to endure the usual hassle to which so many tourists are often subjected. Kalkan is hassle-free and is proud to be so.