A robust hedonistic vibe shrouds the Bodrum peninsula of Aegean Turkey. As well as being a top summer destination for sun, sea, sand and self-indulgent nightlife, the pleasure-seeking atmosphere has pushed Bodrum’s luxury real estate market into the eyesight of many wealthy and famous people all around the world.

Indeed, if you have cash to splash, you will find your dream house in among the extensive portfolio of property for sale. In the rare event that you don’t, just click your fingers to have a home tailored made to your exact specifications.

The rise of Bodrum to elite status

For wealthy residents and owners of luxury property in Bodrum, writing six noughts on a chequebook is normal, but if you think this is a new trend, born from Turkey’s growing entrepreneurs, you couldn’t be further from the truth.

For many decades, Bodrum has been home to prosperous artisans, influential business executives and social misfits, who strive to break the boundaries of a normal lifestyle. Cevat Sakir Kabaagacli, an exiled poet from Crete, can take credit for starting this trend back in the 1920s.

Inviting his educated friends who were writers, artists and journalists to explore the region with him, they feverishly spread word that in Bodrum, free-thinking, indulgence and pushing social confinements was welcomed with open arms. The peninsula’s rise to fame had begun.

These days, Bodrum has earned the right to name drop celebrities, among the many people it has hosted. Saudi kings, wealthy Russian executives, and American stars like Beyoncé, Tom Hanks, and Nicole Kidman are often seen on luxury yachts, in five-star hotels and top-notch restaurants.

But where do the elite members of society hang out in Bodrum and more importantly, where do they buy houses?

Bodrum’s luxury real estate market

Naturally, as a hub of everything and anything, the central town was where wealthy, and elite bought property. Consisting of the only marina on the peninsula as well as plush seaside restaurants serving up fine cuisine, it really did offer an elite lifestyle that most people could only dream of.

However, over time, as the gap between middle and upper-class societies narrowed, standards rose. Rich people demanded bigger and better, and naturally, a decadent lifestyle also means loads of choices. This is where Turkbuku stepped up to the podium as a worthy contender.

Five-star hotels with impeccable service and an idyllic seaside location made Turkbuku, the preferred place to hang out. To keep up with the crowds, the real estate market upped its standards and world-renowned architects designed gorgeous houses the likes of which had never been seen before.

Encompassing floor to ceiling windows showing off fantastic Aegean sea views, private jetties with yacht mooring, your own sauna and designated staff quarters for your entourage, some of those luxury houses now sell for 5 million pounds or more.

Turkbuku hands over everything on a silver platter that an indulgent lifestyle demands, but without a doubt, the go-to place for luxury homes in Bodrum is Yalikavak.

Yalikavak: where luxury meets innovation

The rise of Yalikavak as the preferred destination for wealthy people is only a recent climb up the ladder. For many years, even up until the turn of the century, it kept a reputation as a small fishing village, then popular middle-class holiday resort and then expat haven, especially for Brits.

The event in its history that turned it into a luxurious hub was the construction of the Palmarina, an ultramodern marina with loads of capacity to hold mega yachts. This naturally, brought money with it as rich yacht owners docked into one of the few places in Turkey that could accommodate their massive boats.

Naturally, the property market had to keep up. The marina set the bar by using Turkey’s brightest and best architects like Emre Aralot. Other construction companies went international by employing architects like Richard Meier, a true professional renowned for his use of clean, cut architecture, tall ceiling and wide-open spaces. The luxury house he designed is now on the market for 4.5 million dollars.

Yalikavak still caters for buyers looking for a bargain. However, many of its properties now command six figures or more making it the king of luxury homes in Bodrum and a worthy contender to match other high-end property markets of the world.

This blog was originally published on Turkey Homes