Switch off by the sea: designer hilltop villas offer luxury Six Senses lifestyle on Turkey's turquoise coast

Some of the world's top architects, from Foster + Partners to Robert Stern and K Studio have created a series of sleek, contemporary homes built into the hillside.
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Kristy Gray|Cathy Hawker26 September 2019

The southwestern corner of Turkey offers long, hot summers and the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean and Aegean coastlines.

World-class five-star hotels, including Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski and Jumeirah, have opened and are attracting the global elite. And now, Six Senses brings the ultimate offering of a six-star hotel connected to branded, luxury sea view residences just a short boat ride across the bay from Bodrum.

The Kaplankaya peninsula sits along a wild stretch of the Aegean coastline. It is a holistic haven like no other, with the sprawling Six Senses hotel and spa complex at its core, surrounded by luxurious private hillside villas spread out across a coastal peninsula more than twice the size of Monaco.

But there's none of Monaco's glitz to be found here and certainly no supercars. This small, car-free community of villa owners revolves around switching off and reconnecting with nature and the outdoors. There's hiking and biking, snorkelling and kayaking and six beaches spread out along a six-kilometre coastline.

The wellness centre at Six Senses Kaplankaya is one of the biggest in Europe, with 38 treatment rooms, a meditation cave, a salt grotto and even an igloo.

"The idea behind Kaplankaya from the start was to create a modern coastal destination, because there was nothing like this on the Aegean coast before to attract people from different walks of life," says Lloyd Hughes, Communications Director at Athena Advisers, the company handling sales enquiries of the villas.

"It's all been down to word of mouth so far. It's a community of families and friends that has grown organically, which for a destination that didn't exist until recently is remarkable considering at that time when people were buying, nobody really knew about it."

Now, Kaplankaya is home to Harvest, a bi-annual gathering which attracts a global crowd from different walks of life.

For three days in October (11-13), 200 business leaders, entrepreneurs and activists join the Kaplankaya community for a long weekend of inspirational talks, workshops and networking events designed around the theme of “Wellbeing”. Visit HarvestKaplankaya.com.

What there is to buy

Some of the world's top architects, from Foster + Partners to Robert Stern and K Studio have created a series of sleek, contemporary homes built into the hillside.

Ranging in size from three to eight bedrooms, these modernist-style villas have all been built using locally sourced materials and fresh, modular designs.

These are family-sized homes, fully serviced by the Six Senses Kaplankaya hotel and professionally maintained year round.

"As people come back to experience the destination, they've become fond of it enough to call it their second home. The pace of life, the setting and the design are three pillars which contributed towards their intent to buy," says Hughes.

The first phase of 76 residences is complete and almost sold, with the second phase of 78 villas close to completion. Lots of land is also available for bespoke builds and a marina big enough for luxury yachts to dock in is under construction. Prices start at about £1,216,000 for a three-bedroom villa. Visit AthenaAdvisers.com.

The closest airport is Milas-Bodrum International Airport (BJV). Transfers take about 50 minutes by car or 25 minutes by boat.

Bodrum's popular peninsula

Easy, regular flights from the UK and a coveted laid-back lifestyle have been luring tourists and property buyers for decades, although several years of political unrest saw numbers dwindle.

Now they are returning to Turkey, lured back by that golden lifestyle and the highly publicised local currency crisis.

Holidaymakers are also returning, with visitor numbers hitting 40 million last year, close to their 2015 highs. In September last year the Turkish government reduced it’s Citizenship by Investment threshold – a “golden visa” scheme - from $1m to $250,000, helping foreign investment in Turkish property to soar 81 per cent between 2017 and 2018.

The Bodrum Peninsula, a popular destination for wealthy buyers, combines busy tourist resorts, charming seafront villages and the ancient city of Bodrum itself. Slick Sunseeker yachts and elegant wooden gulets moor in the marina beside the 15th-century castle, while in the town, nightclubs compete for attention with historic ruins.

“Bodrum is seen as a luxury location, with anywhere between 70 to 85 per cent of buyers of homes over £500,000 coming from Turkey,” says Cameron Duggan of Property Turkey. “High interest rates introduced last year to control the currency and ease inflation have increased the cost of borrowing and that has affected the local market, dampening demand. This presents another good opportunity for British buyers.”

Four Seasons is currently developing a prestigious project southeast of Bodrum town where rumoured prices will top £8 million.

Typical property prices along the Bodrum Peninsula include good, modern two-bedroom apartments with 900sqft of living space, a balcony and sea views from £110,000, and three- or four-bedroom detached houses in excellent condition with garden and pool from £350,000 to £400,000.

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