Turkey At Its Sun-kissed, Laid-back Best: Why Göcek Makes The Perfect Lycian Base

The small resort is close to visitor hot spots such as Bodrum and Fethiye but retains a mellow vibe and is perfectly placed for exploring the coast

When Bodrum and I first met, 30 years ago, my main thought was that it was a long way from anywhere. In summer 1994, when I worked as a holiday rep, there were no international flights to Bodrum’s small airport and only a few holidaymakers made the four-hour trek from Dalaman airport. Famous for its picturebook Crusader castle and waterfront lined with gulets (wooden sailing boats), Bodrum was back then a working town that just happened to have supermodel looks.

In the intervening decades, those good looks have helped change it beyond recognition– the town itself and the peninsula that stretches westwards are fringed with increasingly sophisticated small resorts. The forested coves, bays and inlets that surround Bodrum are now home to some of the country’s most luxurious hotels, some with room rates of more than €1,000 a night. Out on the peninsula, in the once-small village of Yalikavak, a vast marina dominates the coastline, with designer boutiques and outposts of Istanbul’s hippest restaurants catering to the super-rich.