Turk that & party
David Rivers enjoys some five-star treatment along a dreamy coastline
My boat is arriving at Iztuzu Beach, near Dalyan, when our skipper tells me to take a look beyond the deck. Large turtles are swimming freely and I gaze up further to see a river estuary sweep around a spit of golden sand before joining the azure Mediterranean, with boats heading out to sea.
It’s a nesting site for loggerhead turtles here, hence its other name, Turtle Beach. The hatching season is May to June, with around 100 eggs laid in each nest they dig in sands. Turtles aside, it’s simply gorgeous anyway.
I’ve flown with Jet2 to Dalaman, Turkey, where fabulous beaches, mud baths and excellent food pamper me for three days of sun-drenched relaxation.
Accommodation is super swanky, too, as I am spending my trip at the five-star Liberty Fabay hotel. It’s a giant complex at Karatas Beach, near Fethiye, with 12 outdoor pools, including two so long they would give Michael Phelps a decent workout. They’re also divided into kids’ and adult pools, with an aqua park to boot.
A short walk from there is a gorgeous stretch of sand with blue, super-comfy sun loungers. It’s an experience the view from my hotel room balcony promised and more.
It’s all-inclusive too, so I perch up by the pool and order a cold beer, dangle my feet in the water and catch the rays before dinner.
There are six restaurants to choose from here, with the handy addition of eight bars. My first choice was the Sarpedon Fish
Restaurant, located on the beachfront with a cool outdoor setting. I’m spoiled by a starter of garlic prawns and crisp calamari, before I tuck into some haddock, take a swig of my chardonnay and watch the sun set in the distance.
As if that wasn’t relaxing enough, the spa centre is almost impossible to walk past without making an appointment. So I book a 30-minute kese (a scrubbing mitt) with coffee session at its Turkish Bath unit, a soothing, grey-tiled room with taps