Dalaman is an area of outstanding natural beauty, located on a fertile plain between the sea and mountains and benefiting from its proximity to many areas of interest both historical and geographical. The town is ideally situated for visiting the nearby resorts of Dalyan, Gocek, Sarigerme and Fethiye.

The nearby Golgeli Mountains present a great opportunity for those who enjoy trekking. The mountains are full of lakes and high plateau villages. There are two main beaches in the area: protected Iztuzu Beach, world's 6th most famous beach (because of the turtle Careta Careta which lay their eggs there) and blue flagged Sarigerme Beach just 15 minutes away. The area is a sanctuary for sea turtles.

Recent investments to the Airport, improvements in the roads and the continuous development of the area are making Dalaman more accessible. Over-development and exploitation of the area has been prevented by the protection afforded to the rare loggerhead turtles that frequent the river and beach. This ensures that Dalaman will continue the trend of development in harmony with its surroundings and retain its natural beauty.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT DALAMAN

In January 2005 the government designated Dalaman to be a cultural and tourism development centre. This means government funded investment in the area to develop four golf courses, a yacht marina off the Dalaman coast and increased hotel bed capacity. The region is also a centre of thermal and eco-tourism.

A newly completed tunnel between Gocek and Dalaman shortens the distance to Dalaman from other resorts. There are two excellent sandy beaches, the protected Iztuzu and Sarigerme beach as well as the undeveloped Dalaman beach where a yacht marina is planned to be built.

Only 15 minutes from Dalaman, Dalyan is classified as a conservation area because of its natural beauty and ancient ruins. There are number of historical sights and places of interest around Dalaman such as the ancient city of Kaunos a few kilometres away, Lycean rock tombs and many natural thermal springs rise in the area.

Sporting facilities include trekking, mountaineering and jeep safaris in the nearby Golgeli Mountains, white water rafting, skiing in Sandras and Seki resorts, fishing, sailing and water sports. Completion of golf courses will bring wealth to the area and as golfers frequent Dalaman, demand for properties and services will increase. According to the construction company Gocay Tourism Investments the first golf resort and 18 hole golf course in Sarigerme will be ready in time for the 2009 season.

DALAMAN FOR INVESTMENT Property prices in Dalaman are rising faster than in other locations because of Government sponsored tourism development projects. Tourism projects for Dalaman and the construction of new hotels, shops and restaurants will mean that the town will expand and by 2015 the population is expected to reach 50,000 including foreigners.

Newly expanded Dalaman International Airport's capacity will increase from its current 2 million to 5 million people annually. A buoyant employment market together with an influx of people into the area will bring an increased demand for rental properties - according to government research 15,000 more properties will be needed in Dalaman to meet this demand.

Dalaman has always been known as the main airport in the south of turkey for all the connections to some of the biggest tourist resorts in Turkey like Marmaris, Icmeler, Fethiye, Olu Deniz, Hisaronu. This year Dalaman Airport saw the opening of its second terminal doubling the capacity of the airport. With the arrival of budget airlines and flights from London and Manchester this is bringing all year around tourism and large investment into the area.

Dalaman area has now been designated for tourism status and is awaiting a massive development plan for the area which is to include a Marina in the area and several golf courses which will bring in large growth and investment, as well as large hotel complexes, bars, shops, restaurants and other tourist attractions.

Dalaman has some of the most breathtaking scenery in Turkey - a beautiful natural sandy beach where peace and tranquility are free to enjoy, with the most amazing views of the mountains behind, lemon and orange trees, olive groves and cotton plantations.

The town of Dalaman itself has all the major Turkish banks and cash machines, many quality shops and wonderful Turkish restaurants where you can sample a cuisine which is one of the most varied and richest in the world. English is widely spoken in the Dalaman area so there is no language barrier at all. The shops and restaurants are more than happy to accept credit cards or cash in Sterling, Turkish lira, Euros and even US Dollars. There's even a market in the centre where you can haggle for that elusive bargain. So with all this going on in the next few years Dalaman is the place to buy property. The prices here are still low compared to other tourist resorts in Turkey and with a 3 bedroom apartment starting at just £35,000 and a rental income of approx 8% per annum that investment could not be better placed – whether for a holiday home , relocation or just to watch your money grow!