Buyers of turkish property head away from the beach

"Turkey has built a name for itself as a quality beach resort destination," said Julian Walker, director at Spot Blue International Property.

"However, buyers searching for more peaceful, scenic surroundings are heading a few miles inland, where they can choose between a house or plot with permission to build. Once a few foreign people have homes in these spots, more likeminded buyers follow."

The village of Beycik near Kemer in Antalya province has attracted a small group of international homeowners, thanks to its tranquil setting 700 metres up the pine-clad foothills of Mount Olympos within a national park. The village is home to Beykent Villas, a small development of predominantly semi-detached villas.

More than half of the owners at Beykent Villas are Turkish, with the remainder being English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German and Russian. One couple who have owned a two-bedroom villa there since 2007, after buying through Spot Blue International Property, are Danuta and Jan Stanczyk from Buckinghamshire.

"We knew the area from family holidays and find the coastline around Kemer where the mountains run down to the sea stunning," said Danuta.

"We were looking for a place near the Coast but not on it, as we prefer calm, natural surroundings, and Beykent Villas offered exactly what we were looking for, as well as great value for money. It's also less humid than down by the sea, which helps you to stay cool in the summer months, and you can smell the pine trees. Eight years later we have befriended other British owners, some of whom are resident there all year."