Belek and Serik: Buying a Home in the Golf Region

East of Antalya, less than an hour from the city centre, Belek is one of Türkiye's best-known golf and holiday regions. Big hotels, tidy landscaping and wide green spaces set it apart from the rest of Antalya's coastline. But being a good place for a holiday is not the same as being a good place to buy a home and live all year. This article describes Belek and the Serik district it belongs to, in terms of what home-seekers need to know.

Belek and Serik: how they fit together

Belek is a neighbourhood within Serik district. According to Wikipedia it was a town (belde) before the 2013 local government reorganisation and had a population of 9,102 in 2022. The same source gives Serik district a 2022 population of 139,545 and the town of Serik 76,046; the district lies about 39 km east of Antalya city and covers 1,263 km². It has 84 neighbourhoods, among them Belek, Aspendos, Kadriye and Boğazkent. Another source gives Serik's 2024 population as about 141,100.

Belek's small population says a lot about its character: it is a planned tourism centre rather than an established town. Turkey Travel Planner describes Belek as a planned seaside resort about 36 km east of Antalya, just south of Serik, with beaches, luxury hotels, golf courses and villa compounds, and says its town centre consists of municipal buildings, services and shopping streets.

Golf and tourism: the economic backbone

Wikipedia reports that Belek has more than thirty four- and five-star hotels, was named Europe's Best Golf Region of the Year by the International Association of Golf Tour Operators in 2008, and hosted the Turkish Airlines World Golf Final in 2012 and the Turkish Airlines Open in 2013. The Serik page says Belek lies on the district's 22 km of coastline.

The number of golf courses varies by source. In Ekonomist magazine's December 2018 article the president of IAGTO Türkiye says Belek has 18 courses, 14 of 18 holes and 4 of nine holes; another person in the same article mentions 15. According to the article, the golf season in Belek runs from September to June. So rather than pin down a number, "roughly 15 to 18 courses" is the honest way to put it.

Transport and distances

Another source puts Serik about 30 km from Antalya Airport, 30–35 minutes by car, and about 40 km from the city centre. Access via the D400 highway is easy, and buses and minibuses from Antalya's main bus station take about 45–60 minutes. Proximity to the airport is a big advantage for frequent travellers and second-home owners. For developments around the airport see Antalya Airport expansion in 2026 and our Turkish piece on airport passenger numbers.

Turkey Travel Planner also notes that Belek is spread out, roads can be confusing and taxi fares reflect the long distances. For daily life a car is almost essential.

Seasonality and year-round living

Because Belek was designed as a tourism centre, much of its life depends on the hotel season. The area is lively in summer, while in winter many facilities close or scale back. The golf season stretching from September to June makes Belek busier in winter than some other Antalya resort towns, but that does not mean daily life is as rich as in a living city. If you plan to live here all year, look for yourself at the balance between Serik town (shops, hospital, schools, municipal services) and the residential areas in Belek.

Photo: Lee Vilenski / CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Housing types and what to check

Around Belek you often see villas by golf courses, complexes with pools and hotel-concept residences. Before deciding, check:

• Complex and management structure: whether pool, security and landscaping services run all year and what service charges cover. See our explainer on service charges.
• Title and occupancy status: check the title type, the occupancy permit and any encumbrances; our guide to Turkish title deed types is a good start.
• Location and distance: measure the distance to the sea, golf course, airport and Serik town; "close to the sea" can be used loosely in listings.
• Rental expectations: if you plan holiday lets, consider the legal framework and seasonal income swings; see long-term vs holiday lets.
• Annual costs: weigh taxes, insurance and maintenance together with the real costs of owning a home in Antalya.

For the buying process as a foreigner, see buying property in Antalya as a foreigner.

Aspendos and the surroundings

One of Serik's highlights is Aspendos. Wikipedia says it was an important port and trading centre where the Köprü river meets the sea, known for its horses, with remains including an odeon, basilica, galleria and fountains. Its ancient theatre is among the district's best-known monuments. For weekend trips see Perge and Aspendos weekend trips.

Before you decide

Belek lives like a resort and Serik like a district town. The most reliable way to see which suits you is to visit in different seasons. To compare with other parts of Antalya, see Kundu and the Aksu coast, Kepez or Aksu? and Güzeloba and east Lara.

Other coastal areas to the east

East of Serik come Manavgat and Side, and further on Alanya and Gazipaşa; we cover them in living in Manavgat and Side, Alanya or central Antalya? and Gazipaşa and eastern Alanya. For the holiday district to the west, Kemer, see living in Kemer.

In short

• Belek is a planned golf and tourism area within Serik, reached by car from the town and the city.
• Sources put the number of golf courses at roughly 15 to 18; the golf season runs September to June.
• Check seasonality, management services and title status before deciding.

For a general framework, see our page on buying a home in Antalya; for questions, feel free to write to us.

Sources: Wikipedia (Belek, Serik; TÜİK ADNKS 2022), Turkey Travel Planner (Belek), Ekonomist (Dec 2018, golf tourism), Yolcu360 (Serik).

Cover photo: Lee Vilenski / CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons