Skip to content

A property buyer’s guide to Dalaman, Turkey

Close to a million British tourists pass through the award-winning terminal on their way to the Turkish coastal resorts each year, although comparatively few stay. However, this is gradually changing as the area's tourist facilities and attractions are developed as part of a government-led plan to promote the area.

Dalaman itself is a work-a-day provincial town, its bustling main street lined with shops and restaurants. Tourism is very low-key and it retains the friendliness and authenticity of a normal Turkish town. Best of the area's restaurants is the Toprakana (Mother Earth), Tel 0252 282 9385, located just off the main highway between Dalaman and Ortaca, which serves traditional dishes made from organic local produce and freshly squeezed fruit juices at wooden tables scattered around a large garden. The freshly baked bread is reason enough to visit!

Sarigerme, 8 miles south of Dalaman, has a fantastic Blue-flag awarded beach, which is popular with nesting sea turtles as well as tourists. The beach is one of the few in the area with life-guards and the gently sloping sand is ideal for kids. Chill out on a sun-lounger or there is sailing, windsurfing and kite boarding if you are feeling energetic. Hilton Hotels are opening a €100 million golf and spa resort in Sarigerme in 2009, with the 18-hole golf course adding to the area's appeal for visitors, holiday home buyers and investors. Many of the area's properties have stunning views along the beach and are within 350 yards of the new golf course.

A short 15-minute drive from Dalaman, the Akkaya valley is a beautiful area of pinewoods and olive groves, which overlooks several breathtaking emerald green lakes. The location is secluded and unspoilt, the ideal spot for the residential and holiday community being created there by a local developer, Curbanoglu (Tel: 0845 3555625). Strict planning and land use restrictions limit building in the area and the half-dozen villa and apartment developments are widely scattered across the 100,000-acre valley.

At the heart of the valley, the Waterfall Restaurant (Tel +90 545 5088738) has tables on the banks of a rushing mountain stream, or alternatively you can dine in one of the huge "bird's nests" – circular tables built into the trees. The menu offers Turkish and European dishes, including the house speciality – the Akkaya Kebab, which is a tasty local variation on the kebab theme, with tender strips of grilled lamb, aubergines, sweet peppers and tomatoes with a yoghurt and tomato sauce.

After a meal you can walk down to the lake for a spot of fishing or take a boat trip through an impressive gorge. Upriver the soaring limestone walls open out into a hidden valley with storks, herons and brightly coloured kingfishers darting along the banks and eagles spiralling overhead.

The upmarket resort of Gocek is one of Turkey's main yachting centres and a popular port of call for international names such as Demi Moore. If your budget won't stretch to a private yacht, do not despair as there are boat trips from the waterfront that take in the 11 islands offshore with frequent stops for swimming in the crystal clear turquoise water and lunch on-board. Property prices in Gocek are double those in Dalaman, but thanks to the new road tunnel, completed in 2006, the resort can be reached in just 15 minutes.

The unfolding development plans for the Dalaman area have caused intense interest from property buyers and investors. The resulting increases in land and property values have been dramatic, even by recent Turkish standards. Despite this, prices remain well below neighbouring resorts, and annual increases of 15-20% are likely for the next few years.

The area's rental market has also been boosted by the start of low-cost flights from the UK, with Easyjet operating four times weekly from Gatwick and budget operator Flyglobespan starting flights from Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh in April 2009.

The first of a series of guides to the most popular areas to buy property on the Turkish coast by Dominic Whiting, editor of the Buying in Turkey guide.

Areas to come in this series:
Side
Bodrum
Kusadasi
Kas & Kalkan

Related