The Aegean Sea and ruins of an ancient castle spread panoramically outside the front windows of this loft-like stone villa’s sliding glass façade. All-new construction built in traditional local style, the home’s thick stone walls hold modern amenities, and luxurious antique furnishings fill the rooms under soaring, 12-foot ceilings. A rooftop amphitheater can hold a crowd up to 60, or serve as a more intimate, sky-high yoga studio or aerial living room under the stars. 

This vacation home rental in Turkey is ideal for a couple or a family with one small child.

A remarkable amphitheater tops this sturdy stone home overlooking the Aegean Sea on Turkey’s hilly Bodrum peninsula. Walls nearly two-feet wide give the newly constructed structure a sturdy, ancient feeling and historical furnishings complete the antique-centric interior design.

Within the loft-like apartment with its 12-foot ceilings, modern kitchen amenities combine with antique East Indian pieces to create a well-appointed cooking and dining area. Ornate 18th- to 20th-century wood carvings adorn doorways and create interior dividing walls, and a 400-year-old elephant saddle has been made into a modern lounger by the addition of plush cushions. Bedrooms feature antique brass beds and historic side tables, and every table lamp tells its own story. The home has one bedroom, one bathroom and an additional small bed, making it suitable for a couple with one child.

The property’s antique extravaganza continues outdoors, where a Gujarati dining table and chairs combine with more recent chaises and umbrellas on a sunny veranda with a view out to sea. Below the patio, a working organic garden invites a stroll, and an additional stone patio offers a shaded space to unwind under the canopy of a gnarled olive tree.

AROUND

This vacation home rental in Turkey is located in Yalikavak, a harbor village on the Bodrum Peninsula that's a popular summer resort in the Aegean. It's known for its abundant archeological sites, yacht-filled modern Palmarina, and charming old harbor with its picturesque cafes, restaurants tea shops and taverns. 

The town also hosts fashion shows, concerts, and theatrical performances in its seaside amphitheater, and now boasts numerous international hotels and resort properties. Also known for its beaches, one with breeding Mediterranean seals, and the saturated sunsets each evening, Yalikavak features nearby rock caves, stone windmills, and the abandoned ancient village of Sandima to explore as well.

LOCATION

Gokcebel Village, Yalikavak, Bodrum, Turkey. Nearest airport: Milas-Bodrum (1 hour); Izmir or Dalaman (3 hours).

BEST TIME TO VISIT: May to October