Ancient Halicarnassus is now Turkey's most sophiticated resort,with a wide range of property and its own airport
BODRUM IS ONE OF TURKEY'S most established and cosmopolitan coastal resorts.Originally a small fishing centre built in the shadow of a magnificent Crusader castle,Bodrum has a history streching back 2,000 years,when it was the capital of the tyrant Mausolus and home to his tomb,one of the 'Seven Wonders of the World' more recently the town was a boheminan retreat for Turkish artists an intellectuals.In the last two decades it has grown massively,becoming a destination for package holidaymakers and domestic tourists,but also the elite of Turkish society.Renowned for its bars and nightlife ,the town also boats good retaurants and a museum housed in the retored Castle of St John.There is a large harbour and fully equipped marina,with ferries to the Greek island of kos.Beyond the town itself,the 700 km2 Bodrum peninsular is ringed by a series of smaller,quite distinct resorts.
Local healtcare provisions are excellent with several well-equipped private hospitals.Shopping in Bodrum is also good with a choice of large supermarkets and a weekly market for fresh produce.Shoppin facilities are more limited in the smaller resorts.
The Bodrum peninsular is very popular with Turkish second home owners. This means that there is considerable competition for desirable properties and prices are high in areas that are favoured by the Turkish jet set. It also means that there is an excellent choice of property. Local restrictions limit buildings to three stories across the entile peninsular,
Bodrum town is dominated by resale houses, which typically sell tor upwards of 130,000gbp. The top-end villas, in scenic positions overlooking the castle, sell for millions of pounds. Mostly owned by Turkish families, Bodrum's more modest houses are often sold by word-of-mouth and are difficult to find. Two-bedroom apartments typically sell from 50,000gbp.
PROPERTY LOWDOWN TYPICAL PRICESApartment (2-bed): 55,000gbp Villa (3-bed): 95,000gbp Rental Potential: Good
Advantages:Easy access from the UK in summer. Good restaurants, nightlife and facilities. Wide variety of property
Several kilometres west of the centre, Gumbet developed as an overflow, but is now a resort in its own right. Favoured by British package tourists, property prices are lower than Bodrum, with a two-bedroom apartment selling from 45,000gbp, and a three-bedroom house from 55 -100gbp. Many areas are noisy in the season and most local businesses shut in winter.
Large parts of Turgutreis, at the west end of the peninsular, are off-limits to foreign buyers due to its status as a military zone. However, the town has a new marina and is popular with package holiday makers, particularly from Britain.
The area around Gumusluk has become popular in recent years. The village itself is several kilometres inland from a small bay, with a row of excellent fish restaurants and a pretty beach. Property in the village is all resale, with some renovated stone cottages and larger villas starting from 100,000 gbp. Development in the beach area is strictly controlled due to the archaeological remains of ancient Mindos, and property is hard to come by. However, there is large-scale development along the coast towards Yalikavak. The area lacks infrastructure and access is poor, but there is a good choice of villa developments, with prices typically starting from 55,000 gbp for a small three-bedroom semi-detached villa on a complex.
On the north coast, Yalikavak has a wide cross-section of property from apartments and small villa complexes, to luxury mansions. The village itself has a new marina and waterfront promenade. Similar to Gumusluk, some property sold as being in "Yalikavak" may be a long way from the centre, with no public transport.Golturkbuku is the place to be for wealthy and aspiring Turks. Favoured by the high society of Istanbul and Ankara, local property prices have rocketed. Despite this, the local infrastructure is poorly developed and shopping is limited. There are fewer foreign buyers in this area.Rental potential is good in Bodrum and the larger resorts of the peninsular. Weekly holiday lets start from 250-300gbp per week for a two-bed apartment and 5gpb(X) for a villa. There is also demand for longer-term lets from domestic tourists.
