Altinkum / Didim Turkey - property and information
Situated
in one of the richest historic areas of Turkey, the town of Didim and the
beach resort of Altinkum, just five kilometres down the road, can offer
visitors and holiday
home owners a great Turkish experience.
Didim has some of the best Roman and pre-Roman remains in the area, and a shrine of some sort has existed here since long before the arrival of the Ionians in the 11th century BC.
Altinkum, by contrast, is a bustling beach resort, boasting a superb beach (Altinkum means “golden sand” in Turkish), and a multitude of hotels, bars and restaurants.
Property here can be significantly cheaper than in other coastal areas. Basic two-bedroom apartments can be found for as little as £20,000, with highly specified three-bedroom detached villas going for £100,000 to £125,000.
The area is expanding fairly rapidly so there is a lot of new-build activity, but as yet there is not a huge price gap between new-build and resale properties.
A nice example of the area’s rich history can be seen in some of the older village houses around Didim, where some of the locals used masonry from the former Roman temple – which was destroyed by the twin onslaughts of earthquakes and Christianity – to construct their own houses.
Tourism
Altinkum’s main tourist season runs from May to October, but the abundance of historical sites in the region, particularly in Didim, means that there is a steady trickle of archaeologically-minded tourists all year round. That said, a rental occupancy of around 20 to 25 weeks per year is a realistic prospect.
Transport
Milas-Bodrum aiport is the nearest, although Izmir and even Dalaman are within reasonable driving distance. Bodrum is served by scheduled flights from London Heathrow and Manchester with Turkish Airways.
There are also hundreds of charter flights during the tourist season from airlines such as Air 2000, JMC, Monarch and Avro.
Didim and Bodrum are only 35 kilometres apart as the crow flies, but the road journey is windy and fairly torturous. With this is mind, it’s worth noting that during high season (May to October) a ferry service runs between Altinkum and Bodrum.
Facilities/Amenities
The ancient site at Didim is studded with highlights including a Medusa head, a statue of Apollo, 108 Ionic columns and a well.
Altinkum’s beach is gently shelving and safe for children. It offers boat trips, fishing trips, diving, windsurfing and pedaloes.
Shops, a bank and a tourist information office can all be found in Yenihasar, a kilometre north-east of Didim.
Lifestyle
Altinkum is very popular with British visitors and this has led to an abundance of establishments offering English breakfasts, roast beef and the like.
Yenihasar is the best bet for authentic Turkish food.
The nightlife is largely confined to bars with small dancefloors, but an
overnight trip to Bodrum is
feasible for the hardcore partiers.
