New Marinas Overseas

If you are looking for a good solid investment, as well as an exciting new location for your boat, then the new marina currently being built on the Didim coastline in Turkey, could be the answer for you, and don’t be fooled - this is no second rate marina with few facilities. Included in the plans are all those ‘must haves’ for a top class resort including a heliport for the rich and famous to land with their friends and guests - surprised? - then read on!!

Turkey has a truly stunning coastline, great weather, fabulous food and the high standard of service that British and European buyers have come to expect from a second home destination. Property prices are also extremely reasonable when compared to more established European destinations. The country also has a feel of the exotic, and the reception from the Turks is never anything less than welcoming. Infrastructure is also good, with excellent roads and a wide choice of airports. In addition, the range of facilities and amenities, from water sports to retail therapy, is nothing less than phenomenal. Perhaps the only type of buyer that Turkey won’t appeal to is the golfer, with few courses having being built to date! The cost of living in Turkey is also very reasonable – perhaps 30 to 50 per cent cheaper than the UK. All in all, Turkey has a great deal to offer the British buyer – be it for investment, retirement or just a holiday home.

Construction is already well under way on the marina and associated infrastructure, and is scheduled to be open in the summer of 2009. Above is a schematic which shows the overally layout and design. The marina has been designed for yachts from 75 metres up to 150 metres, which are becoming increasingly popular in the Aegean and eastern Mediterannean, although there are ofcourse berths for smaller yachts!!

There will also be a shopping centre,several supermarkets, yacht equipment shops, a fitness centre and a sports facilities, banks, a petrol station, restaurants and a cultural centre. Five star hotels are already in place to serve the marina expansion. In addition the marina will also have local ferryboat management alongside, for cruises to the Greek islands of Kalimnos, Kos and Leros, as well a customs post, port authority facilities, and a passport control unit. Included in the plans are a yatch club, the heliport for the rich and famous to land helicopters direct on the site ( no walking to the yacht required!), a capacity for 623 berthed yatchs plus 600 yachts in dry dock, a yacht lift for 300 and 100 tonnes, and a swimming pool. It’s an impressive design in a beautiful part of the world.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this part of the Med, I would urge you to visit this part of Turkey as it provides some wonderful sailing, particularly with the proximity of the Greek islands of Kos, Samos, Kalimnos, Leros and Patmos. With local property prices starting at £40,000 for a pretty two bed apartment, now could be the time to invest. You may not have the mega yacht yet, but an apartment overlooking the marina is a good start.

Man made islands seems to be all the rage at the moment with countries throughout the world competing to be the next to create a luxurious marina development out of the sea. Everyone is familiar with the Palm and the World in Dubai, but there are several others either in planning or currently under development. One such is Sovereign Bay off Gibraltar, near Spain, so if you are planning on a move with your boat, or thinking of your retirement in the sun, this could be an exciting project to watch!

The proposed location for this paradise island is on an existing area of reclaimed land to the east of the Rock of Gibraltar. Costing 1.8 billion and estimated to take 10 years to complete, this will put Gibralter ( and Spain ) firmly on the map. With the recent airport developments, the new terminal building opening in 2009, and new airport access, the Rock is in a major redevlopment phase. Anyone who has flown to Gibraltar recently will know how hazardous take off and landing can be with the main road crossing the runway!!

The project is being designed by Lord Foster of Foster and Parters, and when complete will include at least two luxury hotels, a 500 berth marina, along with a boutique cruise liner terminal. The scheme includes a comprehensive environmental strategy, which capitalizes on the regional climate, location and orientation of the buildings, including using seawater from the surrounding Mediterranean Sea to cool the buildings.

The development will be accessed from a land-side gateway, just five minutes away from the airport, (so you can be off the plane and on your boat in less than an hour,) as well as from a water-side entrance via the new marina. The new harbour has been engineered to withstand the 6m high wave of a hundred-year storm. The sweep of the marina arm provides a focus for retail, cafe and restaurant life, terminating in a luxury residential development on the land-side.

The residential component will include a range of apartments with private swimming pools, terraces and sea views. The masterplanned wharf fingers of residential accommodation take full advantage of the available views from every corner of the site. Two beaches on each side of the development will be regenerated, with a spa and hotel located at the land-side gateway. The harbour will be connected to a series of landscaped public squares and plazas, with naturally-lit underground parking and direct pedestrian access, which will include a variety of leisure facilities, such as swimming pools and tennis courts, in addition to a full compliment of retail and designer outlets.

The Chief Minister recently described the project as a destination, not just as a development - ” 150 years from now it willbe regarded as the most important phase of Gibraltar’s evolution and developement, creating a comparable destination with anywhere in the Mediterranean”. Whilst this project has been muted for several years, I do believe that it will go ahead in due course. It has the full support of the government, and is being financed by Multiplex and the Reuben brothers, the billionaire private investors.

So if an island paradise is what you are looking for, but with only a three hour flying time from anywhere within Europe - this could be the one for you!!