Environmental Impact Assessment Approval for Kaplankaya Marina: A New Phase for the 256-Boat Marina

The "Kaplankaya Marina Revision (Including Hotel)" project planned in Bozbük, Milas district of Mugla has received an "Environmental Impact Assessment Positive" decision. Developed by Kaplankaya Marina Management Tourism and Trade Inc., the project combines a marina with a capacity for 256 boats, a 51-bed accommodation unit for yacht owners, over 20,000 square meters of commercial space, a yacht club, and a heliport within the same investment.

The project's history is not new. The marina in the main plan of Kaplankaya was brought to the agenda nearly 20 years ago, and the first "Environmental Impact Assessment Positive" decision was taken in 2011. The marina project was revised due to subsequent technical and usage needs. The new EIA process began in 2025; the report went through the Review and Evaluation Commission process in 2026, was opened to public opinion in March, and concluded positively at the end of August.

Therefore, the development should not be read as "a new marina project coming to Mugla from scratch," but rather as the completion of a new permit phase in the long-awaited marine tourism aspect of the existing Kaplankaya master plan.

256 boats, 51 beds, and commercial areas in the same project

According to the information published regarding the EIA file, the marina will serve 256 boats. In addition, there will be a yacht accommodation area with a capacity of 51 beds consisting of 11 independent units, over 20,000 square meters of commercial space, a yacht club, and a heliport. The project aims to be developed with the standard of a "5-anchor marina."

This combination shows that the marina economy is not solely based on docking fees.

When yacht owners come ashore, they also spend on restaurants, bars, markets, technical services, accommodation, transfers, spas, and various retail services. Therefore, the commercial model of modern marinas is often shaped more by how long and how much the customer spends in and around the marina than by the boat docking capacity.

In the case of Kaplankaya, the marina is also planned as a complementary facility supporting the boat traffic of existing resort, residence, and villa users. Reports based on the EIA file indicate that the project aims to serve the accommodation and residence demand in the Kaplankaya destination rather than directly competing with other marinas in the region.

The existing resort product may become more accessible from the sea

Currently, Six Senses Kaplankaya is operating in Kaplankaya. According to the official information of the hotel, the facility offers 141 rooms and suites in Bozbük, along with residences, private beaches, restaurants, and a 10,000 square meter spa area.

The resort also positions boat tours, access to nearby Greek islands, and marine activities as part of the destination experience.

If the marina is completed, the structure of this product may change. The resort could transform from being an accommodation facility accessible only by road from the airport to a destination that can be directly accessed by private yacht and boat traffic.

This is particularly significant for high-end resorts.

For guests in the high-income group, the marina not only provides transportation convenience; it can create new revenue streams such as arriving by private yacht, day trips to Bodrum or Greek islands, concierge services, and food and beverage consumption from the sea.

The marina investment may also change HORECA demand

Even if the entire capacity of 256 boats is not filled at once, the marina can create a different customer profile from the existing resort demand.

A yacht owner or charter customer may use the restaurant, bar, spa, or other services even if they do not stay at the hotel. Similarly, guests staying at the resort can rent a boat from the marina or go on a day trip at sea.

This two-way traffic can create new demand for F&B businesses.

However, the expectations of yacht customers may differ from those of classic resort guests. Service hours may need to accommodate boat arrivals and departures, and new operations such as takeaway or provisioning services within the marina, food and beverage supply to the boats, and special event services may be required.

Therefore, the opening of the marina does not merely mean more tables or more customers; it requires a different service model.

New expertise will emerge on the staffing side

The integration of marina and resort operations may also create changes in the employee profile.

Special competencies are required in areas such as mooring staff, marina operations managers, technical maintenance teams, concierge, provisioning, captain and crew services, security, fuel, and waste management.

On the F&B side, there may also be an increase in demand for boat service, special catering, and personalized services aimed at the high-income group.

Although yacht tourism is strong in Turkey, it is not easy for qualified marina operations personnel and high-end hospitality workers to work together in the same destination. Therefore, planning human resources will be as important as the physical capacity of the investment.

An EIA positive decision does not mean construction is completed

There is an important legal and editorial distinction here.

An "EIA Positive" decision indicates that the project has been found positive in the environmental assessment process. This decision does not mean that the marina is completed, that all other permits have been obtained, or that it is guaranteed to open on a specific date.

Following a positive decision under the EIA Regulation, there may still be other processes related to coastal structures, zoning, permits, technical approvals, and investment programs.

Therefore, it is not possible to provide a reliable date regarding the exact opening date of the project from current sources.

Conflicting sources on investment cost

There are different figures regarding the investment cost published in news about the project.

Tourism Güncel reports approximately 651 million TL, Tourism News reports 681 million TL, while Emlak News and investment sector sources indicate an investment cost of 675 million TL.

While the figure of 681 million TL was used in news regarding the EIA report presented to the public in March 2026, it is noted in the investment sector record regarding the positive EIA decision in August that the amount in the EIA report was 675 million TL.

Therefore, from StaffMag's perspective, the safest approach is not to present the investment amount as a definitive figure. It would not be correct to accept one of the figures "651", "675", or "681 million TL" as definitive without directly checking the complete cost table of the current final EIA report.

Why is marina capacity important in Mugla?

Mugla hosts the most intense destinations of Turkey's yacht tourism, such as Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye. The region's bays, inter-island access, and international yacht traffic make marina investments an integral part of the tourism economy.

However, new marina capacity should not be evaluated solely by the number of boats.

Coastal usage, marine ecosystem, wastewater, solid waste, boat-related pollution, transportation, and pressure from surrounding construction can also increase along with capacity.

Therefore, while a positive EIA decision is a critical phase for investors, the real sustainability performance will emerge when the facility becomes operational.

Particularly, the waste collection system, seawater quality, energy use, coastal habitat protection, and management of intense seasonal boat traffic should be regularly measured.

The goal for Kaplankaya is not to be an independent marina

The more interesting aspect of the Kaplankaya model lies here.

The marina is positioned not as a standalone city marina but as an infrastructure for resort and residence investments.

Six Senses Kaplankaya today offers wellness, accommodation, gastronomy, private beaches, and residence products in the same destination. The new marina can add access from the sea and yacht services to this structure.

This situation also complicates evaluating the marina's revenue solely through marina P&L.

Even if the marina does not generate very high profits on its own, if it supports villa sales, the resort's ADR level, F&B spending, or the destination's brand value, the total economic contribution of the investment can be calculated differently.

Stafflink's opinion

In our view, the important aspect of Kaplankaya Marina for the industry is not the 256 new boat capacity, but rather the vertical integration of the resort economy with marine tourism.

In high-end destinations, merely having a good hotel may no longer be sufficient. When accommodation, wellness, residences, gastronomy, private transportation, and marine experiences are designed within the same ecosystem, total revenue per customer can grow.

However, the claim of sustainability in marina investments should not be considered complete with just the EIA approval.

Once operations begin, how seawater, waste, fuel, noise, boat traffic, and pressure on the coast are managed is as important as the investment amount.

The true measure of success for Kaplankaya will be not how many boats the marina docks, but rather how much revenue it adds to the existing resort economy and whether it does so while bringing an acceptable burden to the coastal ecosystem.