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Exclusive EscapesWhat The Papers SayGQ Magazine | June 2011 Intro b |
Crystal-Clear Vision
Taking the 181 steps to Turkey’s most luxurios Destination.
Story by Lucy Watson
Sand isn't on the menu at the Villa Mahal hotel, only levelled-off terraces that jut out from this pristine bay on Turkey's southwest coast. But who cares when you're dozing in a double hammock under the shade of a giant grass skirt-style shelter, and the only things between you and the brilliant blue Mediterranean are some olive trees and a gentle breeze? Trust us: your only dilemma here will be whether to laze around reading the new Alan Hollinghurst or pad down the terraced pathway and plunge into the crystal-clear sea.
The hotel and beach club's slogan is "181 steps to paradise", so you do have to break a sweat to enter this promised land (the hotel accommodation is made up of individual villas dotted around the hillside). But then again, as you dine on courgette fritters, succulent chicken shish and the surprisingly moreish Lal (the local rose), it's fair to say the rewards are ample. And that's before you hit the hammock.
After a preprandial rest, you'll doubtless want to head straight back down to the shoreline to eat a seafood dinner, but take a short boat trip across the bay into the harbour town of Kalkan: here there are delightful shops and restaurants, and the Korsan Fish Terrace is not to be missed.
