YEDIBURUNLAR LIGHTHOUSE: February 2010

We are suppose to be in the mountains, skiing but the weather is so bad that we had to delay going. Instead I am out and about Yediburunlar photographing wildlife.

A typical image from the village of Yediburunlar. An old stone mill in the foreground with the preferred lime-washed concrete houses in the background.

We arrived home about a week ago and found our garden in full bloom. It's been a really wet, cold and windy winter. At least the plants liked it. Right now it is so windy and noisy that we are not sure if we'll get any sleep tonite.

About Yediburunlar.

Quirky, quaint and quite breathtaking – that’s Yediburunlar Lighthouse, a holiday retreat like no other.

Perched 1,800ft up in Turkey’s Taurus mountains, teetering, to one side, on a near-sheer drop to the azure waters of the Mediterranean below, Yediburunlar is certainly off the beaten track.

When most people imagine Turkish holidays, they think of the resorts of Marmaris, Bodrum or Kusadasi – and some might even compare them to Blackpool.

But ‘Yedi’ – as those who know it call the place – is out there on its own, six kilometres along a track that bumps over farmland and winds through mountain villages after taking a turning off the ‘main’ road from Fethiye to Kalkan.

‘Yediburunlar’, in Turkish, means seven noses – describing the headlands that jut into the sea along this stretch of coast.

It’s not actually a lighthouse but a small hotel, sleeping a maximum of 12 guests in charming rooms with spectacular views down to the sea and across farmland to the mountains.

The building itself has a bit of a ramshackle look – all wood and stone – but it is absolutely captivating, a feeling complemented by the smells of the home-baked bread, herbs and spices as Turkish hostess Semra produces her mouth-watering vegetarian dishes.

Semra’s partner, South African Leon, built ‘Yedi’ from scratch and his pride in it is plain to see.

The first senses that strike you on arrival – apart from the splendour of the scenery – are the total peace and tranquility and the purity of the air.

Nothing beats sitting on the wooden balcony of your room in the early evening before dinner, gazing at the views in complete silence – apart from the bells of the goats as they graze on the terraces that slope down towards the sea and the occasional muted calls of the goatherds to their flock.

Leon offers guided treks around the surrounding area – and we joined him for three days, enjoying frequent sightings of wild tortoises, porcupine spines and ancient ruins in the middle of nowhere.

Some of the walks were fairly gentle – but the one winding down to the sea was a beast on the way back up!

All of this provides a huge appetite for Semra’s gorgeous food. It was all vegetarian – apart from fish one night – but I defy the most voracious meat-eater not to be won over by it.

The flavours she can get into a vege-cottage pie or a courgette soufflé are sensational.

On trek-free days we lazed around the small swimming pool, glancing down from the hammocks in between pages of our books to feast on the views.

Gorgeous though it is, I know that ‘Yedi’ wouldn’t suit everyone – for some it would be just too remote – but for us it was idyllic and there was a lump in our throat as we waved ‘goodbye’ to Leon, Semra and our fellow guests and set off for Destination 2.