Situated 74.6 miles southeast of the city of Antalya, the resort of Alanya sits below the Taurus Mountains on a small peninsula which stretches out into the Mediterranean Sea. Part of the Turkish Riviera, Alanya occupies around 43.5 miles of coastline and is divided east/west by a rocky peninsula which forms a distinctive feature of the resort.

East of the peninsula is located the resort's harbour, the city centre and Keykubat Beach with Damlatas Beach, famed for its dripping caves, and Kleopatra Beach to the west. Alanya's main boulevard runs parallel the the seas and also divides the southern, more touristic side of Alanya, from the northern, more native side, which extends north into the mountains. The popular tourist resort is connected to the rest of Turkey by the D400 Turkish Highway, which runs through the city centre, and is served by Antalya airport, situated 75 miles from the resort. The resort is also soon to benefit from the opening of Antalya Gazipasa airport, located just nine miles from the city, in mid-2008.

As well as great connections, Alanya is blessed with a continental Mediterranean climate, meaning summers in the resort are long, hot and dry. "In the winter months, from December to March, it averages 15 degrees and in the summer season – April until mid November – which is also one of the longest in Turkey, it has an average sea temperature of 26 degrees," says Taylan Gundes of LetsGoToTurkey. Due to the height of the Taurus Mountains, however, snow-capped peaks can be seen even on the hottest days.

More than 33 countries are already represented by property owners in 3,000 year old Alanya city and upcoming developments are likely to see the level of overseas interest increase even further. Offering some of the most stunning beaches on the Riviera, a plethora of watersports and with nine golf courses less than an hour away from the city centre, Alanya is already a popular tourist resort, being responsible for a sizeable 9 per cent of all Turkey's tourism and worth 1.1 billion euros. However, up until now the resort has been the best-kept secret to all but a few domestic visitors as well as a smattering of Scandinavian, Dutch and German guests. This is all set to change when the international airport in Gazipasa, 33 kilometres from the city, opens its doors to foreign tourists this year.

This influx of international tourists will undoubtedly have a positive effect on Alanya's property market and, although capital appreciation in the area over the past five years has averaged 13 to 15 per cent, Sean Gillic from Turkish Property Invest states that "the real growth in the Alanya property market is yet to happen." Indeed, Clair Walker from Turkish Homes states that "with the airport opening, many are anticipating that visitor numbers and property values will increase so returns on most properties and in most businesses should be good."

Unlike other parts of the Turkish coast, especially the Aegean, Alanya does not shut down during the winter months and with a permanent population of around 138,000 inhabitants, the cafes, restaurants and shops continue to remain open and busy during these warm winter months; great news for buy-to-let investors. As well as the aforementioned leisure opportunities, Alanya is also situated just 40 kilometres from some of the most challenging ski-slopes this part of the world has to offer, and the development of a new 3,000 bed resort 20 kilometres from Alanya is currently under construction.

Another area likely to see increased interest from overseas property buyers over the next few years is Mahmutlar, a small province ten minutes to the east of Alanya's centre. "Mahmutlar is an emerging hotspot on Alanya's coastline with an array of bars, cafés, restaurants, beach clubs and shops," says Mahmutlar's Mayor Alaattin Çakir. "The town is more than equipped to host and amuse international guests. This stretch of the Mediterranean has welcomed foreign visitors for over 20 years and fuses historic interest with modern living whilst paying the greatest respect to our stunning natural environment."

Although Alanya is already home to over 157,000 hotel beds, the first modern hotel in the resort built in 1958, height restrictions within the city limits most buildings to 21 feet, meaning that the resort escapes the built-up, overdeveloped feel of many other Turkish tourist spots. For those considering a more permanent move to Alanya, the city offers state-of-the-art international hospitals and dental care as well as modern colleges and universities – many of which are funded by international investment.

Article published 17 April 2008