Altinkum literally means 'Golden Sand' and has three main beaches which gently shelve into the turquoise blue Aegean Sea. The climate is the warmest in Turkey and the air and sea are especially clean and healthy. The sea is very shallow which means it is warm and safe for non-swimmers and families alike.
Altinkum stretches along three beaches with a range of excellent restaurants selling Turkish and International cuisine. There are friendly hotels and bars where you can relax and chill out or experience the delights of belly dancers, traditional Turkish music and dancing and even break dancing.
Many lively night clubs are open into the early hours for the young. If sunbathing is not enough, you can take out a pedalo or for the more adventurous there are boat trips, water sports, a small diving centre and walks along the beaches and cliff tops to enjoy views over the islands and the Bodrum peninsula.
The local shops sell everything from food to furniture to locally crafted Turkish gifts; leather goods, jewellery, Kilims and carpets. Every Saturday, there is a massive market in the local town of Yenihisar, where haggling is a must! At the top of the town is the fabulous 8000 year old temple of Apollo, where fortunes were told by oracle at ancient Didyma (Didim) and the massive columns cannot fail to impress. You can book day trips to the famous ruined city of Ephesus (Miletos and Priene are even closer). If you can spare a few days why not visit the vibrant city of Istanbul, the white lime terraces and hot springs of Pamukkale or see the unusual rock formations and monasteries of Cappadocia. property prices in Altinkum remain among the best value for money of any holiday resort. Altinkum is fast becoming a very popular place to buy a home in the sun.
The new Marina promises to be one of Europe's largest and will be open in less than 12 month's time. It will have a yacht club, a heliport to land helicopters direct on site and capacity for 623 berthed yachts and 600 yachts in dry dock. The marina will serve mainly yachts of 75 to 150 metres long such as mega yachts which are increasing in popularity on the Aegean and East Mediterranean seaboard.
There will also be a shopping centre, supermarkets, yacht equipment shops, a fitness centre and sport facilities, banks, a petrol station, restaurants and a cultural centre. The marina will also crucially have ferryboat management for cruises to the Greek Islands.
