Popular spots in Turkey

Mountainside villages within a short drive of the beach are emerging as popular spots for second homes in Turkey, said Spot Blue International Property in March, adding that many older foreign buyers prefer to be based away from the busier coastal resorts.

“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 set around a large pool and boasting sea, mountain and forest views.

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.”

The Stanczyks’ semi-detached villa includes balconies facing the sea, a large basement room that could be a third bedroom and a small terraced garden. There are also communal garden areas which, like the pool, are maintained to a high standard by a management firm.

The centre of Beycik is within walking distance, where there are two stores, and a handful of restaurants and bars. However, for a better choice of amenities, the small resort of Tekirova is a 15-minute drive and the larger town of Kemer is 30 minutes away.

“We usually go out to Beycik twice a year, in the spring and autumn, when we spend a lot of time by the pool,” continued Danuta. “We do go to the beach too and one of our favourites is Adrasan, but closer ones include Tekirova, Phaselis and Cirali, from where you can also visit the ruins of Olympos and the amazing eternal fires of Chimaera. And we enjoy a visit to Ulupinar, where there are restaurants on the wooded riverbanks that serve fresh trout!”

Semi-detached villas at Beykent start at £75,000, available through Spot Blue International Property.