Property in Kestel

Kestel, Alanya: What to Know Before You Buy

Kestel is a small coastal district about 8 km east of Alanya centre, sitting between Tosmur and Mahmutlar. It had 15,145 residents at the end of 2025 according to TÜİK, roughly a third of Mahmutlar's population. Buyers usually come here for three reasons: low-rise buildings, quiet beaches and the university next door. The trade-off is price. A square metre in Kestel costs noticeably more than in its larger neighbour.

Kestel at a glance (October 2026)

Figures come from the Emlakjet property portal on 2 October 2026. Euro amounts use a rate of about 55.3 TL per €1.

Location and transport

The Dim River marks Kestel's western edge, and to the east the district runs straight into Mahmutlar. The D-400 coastal highway crosses it, so Alanya centre is a 15–20 minute drive. Municipal buses run often, including route 305 between Mahmutlar and Kestel and lines through Tosmur and Oba to the bus station. A municipal shuttle also runs every 15 minutes between the university junction and the medical faculty.

Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport is about 35 km away. Antalya Airport is around 130 km, roughly two hours by transfer.

Beaches and the Dim River

Kestel's beaches are among the cleanest and least crowded in Alanya, and the seafront is lined with low buildings rather than towers. Where the Dim River meets the sea, cold mountain water mixes with the Mediterranean. In summer, locals drive up the valley to riverside restaurants with platforms built over the water.

Dim Cave, one of Turkey's largest show caves, is inside the district boundary. It sits 232 metres above sea level, has about 360 metres of walkway past stalactites and a small underground lake, and is reached by a paved road through Kestel.

The university effect

Kestel is home to the main campus of Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ), the city's state university. Dormitories, cafés and cheap eateries have grown up around it. For a landlord, this means steady demand for long-term rentals from September to June, exactly when tourist demand drops. Compact one-bedroom flats near the campus rent to students and staff, and some listings advertise being 300 metres from the university gates.

Schools

Kestel has a lot of schools for its size:

• state primary schools: Kestel İlkokulu, Kestel Akdeniz İlkokulu, Kestel Alantur Ayhan Şahenk İlkokulu;
• state middle schools: Kestel Ortaokulu, Kestel Akdeniz Ortaokulu, Kestel Alantur Ayhan Şahenk Ortaokulu;
• state high school: Kestel Sultan Alparslan Anadolu Lisesi;
• private: Özel Alanya Girne Koleji, which runs from kindergarten through a science high school, and the primary school of Özel Alanya Doğa Koleji.

Class sizes are far smaller than in Mahmutlar. Kestel Ortaokulu has about 290 pupils and teaches a single full-day shift from 8:40 to 15:20. State schools teach in Turkish; families who need an international or Russian curriculum usually look at private schools in Oba and Alanya centre.

Everyday life

Supermarkets, pharmacies, cafés and cash machines are spread along the D-400 and around the campus. There are no large malls in Kestel itself, so residents do bigger shopping in Mahmutlar or Oba. The district has no weekly market of its own either; the nearest are in Tosmur on Thursdays and in Mahmutlar on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The state Alanya Training and Research Hospital and the main private hospitals are 10–15 minutes away in Oba and the centre. Inland, the slopes are covered in banana plantations, avocado and citrus groves.

Buildings and complexes

The defining feature of Kestel is height, or the lack of it. Of the 194 apartments on sale, 139 are in five-storey buildings, and towers above ten floors are rare. The average building is about six years old.

Complexes currently on the market include Küçüker Tower, The Palazzo, Moda Marine, Kingdom Residence, Plus Life, Aura Blue, Elegance Rezidans, Lory Queen Rezidans and Ofkale. Frontline property is easy to find: 46 listings are marked "denize sıfır", meaning the building sits right on the beach.

The spread is wide. A 45 m² one-bedroom in a simple building was listed at 3.65 million TL, a 70 m² one-bedroom in Kingdom Residence at about 5 million TL, and a frontline one-bedroom in Moda Marine at 9.69 million TL. At the top end, a 221 m² penthouse with castle views was listed at 37.6 million TL.

Property prices (October 2026)

The average asking price in Kestel is 70,037 TL per m², about €1,265. Prices rose 8% over the year, slower than in Mahmutlar or Kargıcak. The cheapest listing is 2.15 million TL, and Emlakjet's 12-month data shows November as the month with the lowest asking prices.

In short, you pay about 18% more per square metre than in Mahmutlar, and in return you get lower buildings and quieter beaches.

Rental returns

The average long-term rent is 27,059 TL a month, about €490, up 16.9% over the year. That gives a gross yield of about 5% and a payback period of around 20 years.

Kestel has two rental seasons: tourists in summer and the university crowd for the rest of the year. Flats here sit empty in winter less often than in purely resort areas. Short-term holiday letting in Turkey requires a permit from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Residence permits

Kestel was closed to new residence permit applications in July 2022, together with Mahmutlar, Kargıcak and Avsallar. In June 2026 all four districts were reopened for applications through the e-İkamet system. If you plan to apply, we check the district's status on the date of your purchase.

Who Kestel suits

Families with school-age children, who get short school runs and calm beaches. Buyers who want to live by the sea without a wall of towers outside the window. Investors who want rental income that does not stop in October.

If you want more choice for less money, look at Mahmutlar. If you would rather walk to the castle and Cleopatra Beach, Alanya centre is the better fit.

Frequently asked questions about Kestel

How much does an apartment in Kestel cost? As of October 2026, the average apartment is listed at 7.14 million TL (about €129,000), or 70,037 TL per m². The cheapest one-bedroom flats start around 2.2–3.7 million TL, and frontline apartments from about 9.7 million TL.

How is Kestel different from Mahmutlar? Kestel has about a third of Mahmutlar's population, mostly five-storey buildings and quieter beaches. Prices per square metre are roughly 18% higher.

Can I get a residence permit if I buy in Kestel? Yes. Since June 2026, Kestel accepts residence permit applications again through e-İkamet.

What schools are in Kestel? Three state primary schools, three middle schools, the Kestel Sultan Alparslan Anadolu Lisesi high school and the private Alanya Girne Koleji, which covers kindergarten to high school.

Is Kestel good for rental investment? Long-term lets yield about 5% gross on an average rent of 27,059 TL a month. Students and staff of ALKÜ keep demand going outside the tourist season.

How far is Dim Cave from Kestel? The cave lies within the district, about 10 minutes by car on a paved road.