Revealed: turkey’s ‘hidden jewel’

An ‘undiscovered’ town on the Turkish Coast is starting to entice investors, claims one author...

Located on a beautiful, unspoilt stretch of Coast between the better-known Turkish resorts of Cesme and Kusadasi, Ozdere is virtually undiscovered by foreign tourists and property buyers, and is a popular holiday destination for middle-class Turkish families.

A small and friendly place with a permanent population of just 13,500, the town is backed by rugged pine-forested mountains and fringed by citrus orchards; but it is the excellent local beaches and hidden coves – there are over 24 miles (40 km) of sand to choose from in the area and several beaches have won the coveted Blue Flag award - that attract domestic holidaymakers in summer.

Fantastic beaches

Dominic Whiting, editor of the Buying in Turkey Guide enthused: “Only a few foreign buyers have discovered the area, which is one of the hidden jewels of the Turkish Coast. The resort has fantastic beaches but is very laid-back even in the height of summer and never gets too busy.

”Property prices are some of the lowest on the entire Turkish Coast. It is still possible to buy a well built new apartment with good facilities within 5 minutes walk of the beach for as little as £36,500.”

Without the attention of foreign buyers property prices have risen more slowly, and are currently 15-20% lower, than nearby resorts like Altinkum and Kusadasi. However, there is strong and growing domestic demand for property in the area, which is popular with families from Izmir, a city of over 4 million people which is Turkey’s third largest, located only 37 miles (60 km) away.

Excellent investment opportunity

Izmir international airport, which is served by year-round British Airways flights from the UK, is only 30 miles (50 km) or 35 minutes drive from the town. The tourist attractions of Efesus, an ancient city and Turkey’s most extensive archaeological site, and the House of the Virgin Mary are 15 miles (25 km) from the town. There are many other fascinating ancient sites dotting the countryside around Ozdere.

Mr Whiting concluded: “Ozdere is an excellent investment opportunity with good potential for capital growth. The local rental market is buoyant with good quality apartments in demand for long lets by Turkish families during the summer”.