05 October 2011

FETHIYE, Turkey: The tranquil vacation town of Fethiye rests in the center of what is known as the “turquoise coast” where the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas meet. This gem of the Turkish Riviera may be overlooked by Lebanese visitors for its club-going neighbor, Bodrum, but Fethiye is not to be missed, offering pristine, natural beauty perfect for the beach bum or outdoor adventure-seeker.

Fethiye, located 50 km from Dalaman international airport, features numerous bays and coastal areas, dramatically framed by the pine tree-covered Taurus Mountains. The combination of terrain may have encouraged the popularity of paragliding in the area – a free-flying sport using just a parachute and air currents. Tourists can take flight from the mountains to enjoy this thrilling ride with the help of experienced pilots.

The resort village ?lüdeniz – home to the breathtaking Blue Lagoon and a world-renowned beach – is about 8 km from the center of Fethiye and a popular location for paragliding. With its crystal clear water and panoramic views of the mountains, ?lüdeniz is used as the iconic beach in Turkey’s tourism campaign. Look up while walking along the pebble beach to see scores of colorful parachutes in the sky with their paragliding passengers.

If heights do not appeal to you, a range of different activities are on offer in Fethiye, from water sports to visiting cultural heritage sites by jeep safari.

The areas surrounding Fethiye are crowded with ancient ruins from the Lycian civilization – a pre-Greek people of Anatolia who have left behind monumental tombs carved out of mountainsides. Records of Lycian towns go back as far as the 5th century B.C.E. in Anatolia.

Fethiye is the starting point for the Lycian Way, a long-distance trekking path over 500 km of the coast of ancient Lycia – ending in the current-day city of Antalya. Jeep safari tours that set out daily from Fethiye during the high season visit the ancient Lycian cities of Tlos, Patara and Xanthos which are along the route, and accessible as a day trip by car from Fethiye.

Lycian ruins are also found on the 12 islands accessible from Fethiye bay. Daily boat trips leave from Fethiye harbor to tour the islands. Different island cruises are set up specifically for ruin visits, snorkeling or diving and often include lunch.

In addition to the Blue Lagoon and beach in ?lüdeniz, Fethiye also offers the centrally located Calis Beach. Resorts and restaurants line Calis’ promenade and small beach clubs with chairs, umbrellas and snack service are set up at the water’s edge. Calis Beach is a short distance (either by foot or water taxi) from the center of Fethiye which features open-air shopping and a fine selection of restaurants that are open year-round.

For its beauty and easy lifestyle, visitors are increasingly viewing Fethiye not only as a tourist destination, but increasingly as an appealing place to live and invest in property.

“If you’re looking for a holiday home, Fethiye is the place to invest,” says Kadir ?ztürk, co-director and owner of the family-owned design and construction company, Deska Global.

Deska Global is the largest construction group in Fethiye, with numerous developments in Calis Beach as well as Hisar?nü Village – a short ride from ?lüdeniz and a nightlife, restaurant hub of its own right. In these locations, and others in the countryside, Deska Global builds and manages apartments as well as complexes of five-bedroom, luxury villas with individual swimming pools and indoor saunas.

?ztürk, who directs Deska Global with his sister Selda ??retmen, explains that Fethiye, unlike some of the other areas of the Turkish Riviera, has the perfect lifestyle appeal and now is the time to strike early for investments. He says that many people who visit repeatedly end up settling or investing in a second home or apartment, because they see the potential of Fethiye’s tourism and property sectors.

Especially today, Turkey looks prime for investment with steady GDP growth rates and booming tourism which neither the financial crisis nor the neighboring Arab Spring have significantly dented. The opposite has occurred as tourists and investors are taking advantage of Turkey’s comparative financial and political stability, as well as relatively cheap property prices.

“I had a client who was thinking to buy in Greece, but he said he doesn’t feel safe or secure there anymore,” says ??retmen. “Spain and Portugal are the same, so he turned to Turkey for the first time instead.”

The price per square meter in Fethiye ranges from about $1,000-$1,500, which Deska Global’s International GM, Rammah Taan, describes as just “ridiculous” since the area is a magnet for tourists and brands.”

Turkey’s tourism industry, due to heavy government promotion, has grown overall from about 5 million people in 1990 to 30 million in 2010 – and the Turkish Riviera had 23 million visitors in 2010, with a million visiting just the town of Fethiye.

The constant stream of tourists means that Deska Global can guarantee a small percentage of returns to property owners on holiday rentals. The company, in particular, stands out among other construction companies in Fethiye for its after sales services, which include technical maintenance, rental management and partnerships with local tourism groups as well as tourism agencies abroad – such as Nakhal in Lebanon.

Turkey lifted restrictions on foreigners owning property in 2003 and Lebanese have been allowed to buy property in Turkey since Lebanon and Turkey dropped visa requirements in 2007. So not only is Turkey an accessible place for Lebanese to travel, it also shares similar cultural characteristics to Lebanon compared to other destinations, ??retmen contends, adding that Fethiye, despite its tourism numbers retains its culture and Turkish traditions.

“You can feel the Turkish touch everywhere,” says ??retmen, a Fethiye native.

Despite the rise of new developments, Fethiye does not feel overrun or over-developed. This is largely due to government regulations – such as limits on the percent that a plot can be built on and the number of stories on a building – have ensured that the area’s natural beauty and tranquility are preserved despite the tourism boom.

Deska Global is capitalizing on the potential of the area and expanding the scope of its projects beyond Fethiye. New projects include apartment and villa developments in Calis and Hisar?nü, as well as a country club project in Kerem – a self-contained resort located in the countryside at the halfway point between the center of Fethiye and the Seki Ski resort.

The country club, currently under construction, will offer property owners and visitors to visit the sea and snow in the same day (a familiar concept to Lebanese).

“Here, you come, and you start dreaming,” says Taan, indicating the possibilities in store for Fethiye.

Copyright The Daily Star 2011.