With the opening of the impressive Palmarina Bodrum, Yalikavak well and truly placed itself on the map in terms of being one of the most upmarket resorts in Turkey, if not the whole World. Never was this more evident than just a few days ago when the Eclipse, the World’s second largest privately owned super yacht sailed into the Marina with its owner, the Russian oligarch and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, on board.
The Eclipse is worth a staggering £290 million and the 536 foot long vessel features (among other things) 2 helipads, a submarine, 3 launch boats, 2 swimming pools, several Jacuzzis, a nightclub and 24 guest cabins! All this takes a crew of around 70 people to manage. Visits from billionaires such as Abramovich puts Yalikavak into the super-league of world destinations where those with money like to come and play or simply hang out on their luxury yachts.
It’s no surprise that Flavio Briatore, the Formula 1 racing giant, opened one of his infamous ‘Billionaires Club’ nightclubs on Palmarina and also one of his upmarket restaurants, Cipriani’s. On the week that Abramovich sailed into town, a yacht belonging to Rupert Murdoch was also moored in the marina and Yalikavak is rumoured to be a favourite holiday destination of Tom Hanks and George Michael to name a few.
The great thing about Yalikavak is that despite the development of the Marina and visits from the World’s rich and famous, if you step out of the shiny new marina the town still has all the charm of the sleepy fishing village it started out as. Unlike resorts such as St Tropez and Cannes where you would feel out of place without your own Ferrari and super yacht, Yalikavak just has the feeling of a chilled out holiday resort. Of course it’s great to walk around the new marina and look at all the huge boats, possibly even spot a celebrity, but it’s also nice to know that you can relax on the beach with an Efes beer and just enjoy total relaxation with no pretence.
It’s not hard to see why Yalikavak has emerged as one of the most desirable holiday resorts in the world. It offers visitors fantastic weather, beautiful coastline, a great choice of restaurants (whatever your budget) and plenty of shopping opportunities. The development of the marina can only be a good thing if it brings money and job opportunities to the locals. Besides, it’s not every day that you see the World’s second largest yacht sail by while you are enjoying a dip in the sea!
If you want to hang out with the rich and famous, or simply enjoy all that Yalikavak has to offer, book one of our Villas and Apartments in Yalikavak today.
