Villa Saranda – the name is taken from the old Greek name for this area – is rustic, it’s a mountain lodge – alpine chalet style – rough stone walls and warm pine are complemented with comfortable furnishings, antique collections and quirky pieces. Climb the steps to the upper floor and you’ll notice they accommodate the huge rock that has stood in the same place for many millions of years. As you sit on one of the huge terraces marvelling at the views you cannot help but be mesmerised. Come evening you will be spellbound by the intensity of the sunsets. Be prepared to take a lot of photographs! Alternatively this may be the place that persuades you to a digital-detox, the scale and beauty of the surroundings seem to encourage you to reconnect with nature.

Earlier and later in the season this is an area to walk and hike. The 800km. long distance walking Carian Trail passes nearby. www.cariantrail.com Venture down the hill to the sea front – it’s likely that you will pass a wild donkey or two – there’s a handful of sea-side restaurants, it’s unpretentious, it’s quaint and it is a way of life rarely experienced these days.

Rüchan and Verda the charming owners of Villa Saranda live nearby, Verda has a wealth of knowledge about the area.

Ilios Travel offer an exclusive escape to Villa Saranda.

 A little information about Söğüt

Leave Marmaris, head towards Datça, take a left, drive to the very bottom of the Bozburun Peninsula and the town of Bozburun, follow the coastline and drive up into the mountains and you have found Sogut. Less a village, more a hamlet. A destination where life has changed very little in the last 50 years – except for the advent of mobile phones and the internet! There’s a few shops, a fish market and of course a tea house where Turkish gentlemen appear to drink endless cups of tea. This is not a hurried place!

Söğüt has two bays, both have fish restaurants serving the freshest calamare, octopus and delicious sea bass and bream. On Monday it is market day and the village bursts into life. The cobbled hilly streets are lined with market stalls selling everything from local herbs and greens to floral fabrics used by the local ladies for their şalvar (harem trouser style) to the ubiquitous Chanel/Armani/Abercrombie fakes!

Having arrived in this sea-centred paradise you are of course going to want to spend some time on boats; there’s no jam-packed tour boats with noisy music departing Söğüt but if you are happy to pack a cool box and head off with the one of the restaurant’s fishing boats and a captain who is happy to catch a few winks whilst you swim and snorkel then there is no better place to enjoy. On our last trip we rounded one of the islands only to be confronted by the Rising Sun yacht, one of the largest in the world, it seems that we are not the only ones who know some of the world’s most special places. Even more out of the way is the tiny hamlet of Taşlica, just 4 kms. from Villa Saranda, head down to the coast and you will come across the Phoenix Restaurant in the Serçe Liman, generally only discovered by boat occupants!

There’s bound to be a day when you think to leave the peace and quiet of Sogut and head towards Bozburun, positioned on the very tip of the peninsula. Bozburun was best known for boat building but in recent years it has been “discovered” and the winter population of just 2000 inhabitants swells over the summer months. Most visitors to the area come on boats and yachts and as is generally the case with favourite yachting areas, good food and pleasing restaurants abound, and Bozburun is no exception. In the centre of town you can find supermarkets, a butcher, colourful carpet shops, some nice boutiques and shops filled with honey and spices. On Tuesday it is market day and the streets come alive.

From Bozburun it’s just 10 minutes to Selimiye, another stunning setting. The most fitting geographical description for this area is a “sound”, the steep hills surrounding this inlet ensure that it is perfectly calm and with no sandy beaches the water is crystal clear and quickly shelves to very deep water. The famous Sardunya restaurant situated on the sea front with its’ own jetty is full every night during the summer months – the tables, adorned with white linen and elegant glassware would not be out of place in the best French restaurant. 

Close to Selimiye is the famous waterfall; whilst in terms of a waterfall it might not reach the dizzy heights of Niagara or Iguazu there is nothing more enjoyable than going late in the day when all the day trippers have left and taking a dip in the icy cold pools. At Orhaniye there is a shallow bar across the bay, the phenomena of walking through the middle of the sea just has to be photographed. If history and ancient sites are your interest then the area will not disappoint with the ancient sites of Hydas, Hygassos and Baybassos. In the nearby city of Hydas the ruins of wide city walls dating back to the Hellenistic period, several tombs and a watchtower can be found and there are a number of castles in the area dating back to 5th century.