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"Looking for the perfect place for a family holiday property in 2010? Turkey may just be it. Now Britain's Mediterranean escape of choice, over 2 million British holidaymakers visited last year - many of them families. So why is Turkey so popular, and which are the best areas to buy a dream holiday property in the sun? Undoubtedly, the main draw for most sun-starved Brits is the country's glorious weather, with sunshine and blue skies guaranteed throughout the long summer season - which stretches from May to October.
The weather at Easter and the summer and autumn half-term holidays may actually be better for younger kids than the hottest months of July and August when temperature are well into the 30's, though even in the height of summer most coastal area have a cooling breeze.
The next ingredient for a happy holiday - a sandy beach - can be found all along the Turkish coast. Some of the best beaches are Sarigerme in Dalaman, Oludeniz near Fethiye, Patara near Kalkan and the beaches around Belek and Side in Antalya province. But there are many other smaller coves and sandy stretches to lay out your beach towel and build sand castles.
For older children there are water sports like windsurfing, sailing, water skiing and parasailing available in most resorts and tours can be arranged to the historic sites and ruins that are scattered along the Turkish coast.
Another important draw for families is how child-friendly Turkey is. Wherever you go, from shops to restaurants, expect the children to be doted on and spoilt. It is also an extremely safe country for you and the kids, with low crime-rates compared to the UK.
Reached in 3-4 hours flying time from UK airports, there is no long-haul nightmare getting there and back. The choice of flights is good with charter operators like Thompson and Thomas Cook and no-thrills airlines Easyjet, who fly from Gatwich to Dalaman, Pegasus and Flyglobespan, who operate from Scottish airports.
Sitting outside the eurozone makes Turkey an excellent value holiday destination. Even before the credit crunch Turkish property was significantly cheaper than traditional Mediterranean favourites like Spain. With the global slow-down prices for resale property have dropped in the main resorts and developers are offering some excellent deals. Most new complexes in Turkey have been designed specifically with families in mind and have great facilities such as large swimming pools and tennis courts to keep the kids entertained for hours. It is also likely they will find other English-speaking friends to play with, leaving the adults free to relax.
