Plans for the Aegean's newest $50 million marina, which is set to change the face of the Turkish coastline at Didim, have been unveiled.
Three Government ministers will attend an offical ground-breaking ceremony at the 87,000 m2 site, between Altinkum's Third Beach and the Parlementerler Sitesi. The Didim D-Marina is scheduled to be open in late summer 2009, and promises a new 'hub of life' on the 70 acre site.
The marina will have a yacht club, heliport for the rich and famous to land helicopters direct on the site, berths for 623 yachts afloat and space for 600 yachts ashore, yacht lifts for 300 and 100 tonnes, and a swimming pool.
The marina aims to serve yachts of all sizes, including vessels 75 - 150 metres long, the mega-yachts which are increasing in numbers on the Aegean and east Mediterannean seaboard.
There will be also shopping centre, supermarkets, yacht equipment shops, a fitness centre and sports facilities, banks, a petrol station, restaurants and a cultural centre.
The marina will also have ferry links to the Greek islands of Kalimnos, Kos and Leros, as well a customs post, port authority facilities, and passport control.
Didim D-Marina is being built on a build-operate-transfer for 25 years by Doğuş Group, one of Turkey's leading construction companies.
Didim is proving popular with the increasing number of people, notably foreign nationals, buying property on Turkey's Aegean coast.
More than 5,000 homes have been bought in the Aydin district, under which Didim and Altinkum fall, according to the Land Registry.
Overall German residents show the greatest interest in real estate in Turkey but they are closely followed by the British who take the second place and , perhaps surprisingly, the Greeks close behind in third.
Doğuş Group is hoping that the marina development will lead to increased demand for property in the area, as well as increased tourism revenue.
It says: “Property in the Didim area, close to the marina is currently very affordable. A simple two bedroom apartment can be purchased £30-45,000, but the growth trend in property prices means that you should expect to double your investment within the first five years, perhaps even sooner. This area will provide serious long term gains in property values for is a perfect location for investors. There has never been a better time to invest in Didim property.”
