Hugging a cobalt bay of Aegean waters and backed by the half-baked hills of sultry Anatolia, Fethiye is the stuff of postcards and travel brochures the planet over. From springtime to autumn, glimmering jet setter yachts cluster between the harbourside jetties here, bringing boatloads of affluent travellers to town before gliding out around the Teke Peninsula or across to Rhodes. Consequently, the streets of white-washed condos and stylish hotels and Turkish coffee joints buzz with real energy in the warmer months, crowds of bikini-clad sunbathers sip ayran yoghurts on the municipal beach, and traces of night time hedonism issue forth from the al fresco bars in earnest.

But, as any Fethiye tour guide is quick to note, this town isn’t just a resort stop-off like its counterpart of Ölü Deniz down the coast. Mysterious Lycian sarcophagi, legacies of Telmessos dot the boulevards, the famous Lycian Way hiking trail spotted with villages and even a ghost village offers overland routes to Antalya and beyond, farmers markets and the old town thrum with spices and souvenirs midweek, while the Roman ruins of Tlos, Yaka Park and the stunning Saklikent Gorge make for a great day excursion away from the city.