Summer Filming Locations
I reckon spring is a good time to talk about summer filming locations as we’re straining at the leash for our well deserved sun holiday. As mentioned before in my first blog post, filmmakers in Turkey are lucky to have the nature and geography on their side with four distinctive seasons. In this post, I’d like to introduce the breathtaking locations of the Turkish Riviera — the southwestern coast along the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. Let’s ease you into the summer mood.
Beaches & Sea 🏖
Don’t know about you, but my kind of summer is a beautiful sandy beach accompanied with a calm blue sea. I’ve spent a fun childhood in Turkey, running along the sandy beaches of the Mediterranean sea. Turkey is very rich in terms of beaches and seas, which makes it a very popular summer holiday destination amongst European tourists. You can find a variety of beaches — a long and sandy one, one with pebbles, one surrounded with cliffs, one with a city background or a deserted one within an isolated bay — there’s something that suits every taste (and every production brief 😉).
Water Sports 🏄♀️
Over 8,000 km of coastline, suitable weather conditions, crystal clear waters, numerous beautiful rivers and lakes make Turkey one of the most spectacular and globally popular paradises for water sports lovers. There are several wind surfing and kite surfing (kiteboarding) spots in Turkey, hosting international events all year long. Turkish waters are also very good for sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, rafting and many others.
Streets / Sea Sides
In addition to the clear blue waters and unspoiled beauty of the region, there are lovely small villages where you can experience the authentic Aegean culture walking in the narrow streets between picturesque white-washed houses, discovering the delicious local Aegean food. Who would have thought these villages are at least as beautiful as the Greek islands but much more production budget friendly. You are very welcome.
Hotels
One of the most famous traits of Turkish culture is undoubtedly hospitality and thanks to the high demand from foreign visitors, the hospitality industry is very well developed. There are many luxury resorts with lots of amenities. Several of them have huge golf courses where international tournaments take place. One of them even has its own theme park within the resort.
In the last decade, boutique hotels have also become very popular in the Turkish Riviera. With their white or stone walls, pretty blue door and window frames, individually designed simple, but not austere, modern rooms, they offer their visitors the real Aegean experience.
Marinas ⚓
The Lycian Coast, which lines on the Aegean edge of southwestern Turkey and makes up much of the Turkish Riviera, attracts many sailors around the world with its bright blue waters and wonderful natural and historical bays. There are several natural marinas on the coast but they are not enough for the high demand. So, many modern marinas are built in the area for local and international sailors.
Bonus: Blue Voyage ⛵
After a whole winter of hard work and looking at the photos in this post, you might now have started dreaming about your summer holiday. If you haven’t done any plans yet, let me do you a favour before I finish this post and introduce you to the recreational blue voyage along the Turkish Riviera. The voyage offers holiday makers an enjoyable trip aboard the iconic local gulet yatches to ancient cities, harbours, tombs, mausolea and intimate beaches in the small coves, lush forests, and tranquil streams that lace the country’s Turquoise Coast. It’s another good reason to shoot in Turkey!
Plus, Value for Money
As a developing economy, Turkey has low living costs relative to Europe and the US. As a result, many budget items cost less, including work force, permits and rentals.
In addition, the latest currency exchange rate of Turkish Lira make Turkey a high quality / low cost production heaven in Europe.
Tell us about your project!
If you like to know more about the cost of producing your commercial, movie, documentary or music video in the Turkish Riviera (or any other part of Turkey) please contact me for a bespoke quote. I’m based in London, and would love to hear about your project over a cup of coffee, or a pint.
Emre Ozgur
+44 7899 288 880
