A taste of the high life!

High, twisted, narrow and it's jaw-dropping views out to sea aren't exactly spoiled by safety barriers that often.

But speak to a local and they'll tell you this awkward route to their little outpost – once just a single dusty track connecting them to the world – that has kept Turunc (pronounced Tu-runch) unspoiled.

A 45-minute drive or water taxi from its more famous and hedonistic neighbour Marmaris, this bay set into a nook on the Aegean Sea is tranquil and unpretentious.

Much of that charm is down to simplicity. It isn't the prettiest of locations, though from across the bay, the roof of the mosque sparkling in the afternoon sun, it hugs the coastline like a delicate watercolour.

Restaurateurs and bar owners are friendly rather than oppressive in their pitch and just before peak season there's a calmness that is contagious.

Making the most of the dramatic mountain backdrop, Physkos Villas are a superb modern enclave of white and stone villas and recently completed apartments built to modern standards but in a style that blends effortlessly with the lush landscape. Clues as to what was here before are close by, namely a field of goats and chickens.

Turunc has its commercial side, of course. Bars and restaurants flank the beachfront and main street. Around the corner from Physkos Villas a tiny shop makes tasty savoury and sweet pancakes in a wood-fired oven as you watch.

If you fancy an alternative taste of Turkish life fellas can do worse than have a shave with a cut-throat razor and the tiny hairs in their ears burned away by Sevket Ozay at his barber shop.

But it is to Turkey's largest resort, Marmaris, that thrill-seekers are inevitably drawn. An hourly minibus runs from the centre of town or a more enticing water taxi takes you harbour to harbour.

From here you can also take day trips by boat to the area's other bays. Prices are around 10-15 per person per trip but your operator may negotiate if you crave extra excursions.

Paying a total of 40 for the pair of us for two day trips with a Sunday afternoon bay cruise thrown in for free, this is a bargain way of catching some of the area's gems without the hassle of hiring a car.

Tour boats sail from the quayside across from Cardak, the oldest restaurant in Turunc.

* WE stayed at Physkos Villas, a Holiday Property Bond complex. HPB invests in holiday properties and is the largest co-ownership product of its kind in Britain with 36,000 investor families.

* It also owns locations 28 properties across Europe and the UK. Visit www.hpb.co.uk to find out more on where and how to become a bond holder.

* Flight time Manchester to Dalaman with First Choice charter approx four hrs. Transfer to Turunc takes two hours.

n Currency: Turkish Lira (about 40p:one YTL) We went on two trips with Cetin Zeybek’s Doganay boat which took us and other sun loungers to five neighbouring bays, including the intriguingly named Pregnant Bay, for swimming and lunch.

A longer 10-hour cruise takes in several sites finishing with Turtle Beach, a protected strip of sand which separates the Aegean and Mediterranean and a celebrated a nesting area for rare loggerhead turtles which wade in at night to lay eggs.

We would have presented just as much a curiosity an hour earlier as we allowed green silt at the Turkish mud bath to dry on our pale bodies in the afternoon sun.

More breath-taking than the stink of the sulphur spring which followed was Dalyan, a series of ancient Lycian rock tombs constructed in the cliff face by hand for King Kaunos who had 3000 slaves working 25 years to create his lofty resting place.

Marmaris buzzes with busy night life

SHRUGGING off the tranquil vibe the moment you spot the first Man U shirt is bold and vibrant Marmaris.

The place comes as a shock to the system after Turunc, not least the traffic: there is some.

Disembark from the water taxi (3 per person each way) and there’s instant bustle. Head left and the beach runs forever.

Head right and a path takes you around the edge of the old town and the marina bobbing with private yachts and stunning wooden vessels for charter. It is also here you’ll find a better choice of dining, mostly with great views and prices that don’t leave a nasty taste in your mouth.

Several boast roof terraces from which to gaze at the sea. We lapped up lunchtime meze at Jan De Wit’s and later ran the gauntlet of numerous enthusiastic front of house managers to dine on swordfish kebabs and grilled grouper at the least annoying in the evening.

Head in from the marina by day and a cat-lined path leads to the castle. It’s not the most inspiring of places but it does offer fine views of this holiday heaven/hell as well as a more culturally-flavoured spot in which to flee the afternoon heat.

The same can be said of the extensive covered market. With a mosque at its core, this sprawling retail quarter offers options for spice and souvenir shopping as well as some genuinely curious personal purchases.

Visit Yuce Liman for a reviving glass of Turkish tea or traditional eats.

At night Marmaris buzzes with life, from posturing young locals to the teeming clubs, tattoo parlours and swish bars - mostly on Bar Lane which transform this otherwise classy corner of Marmaris with incongruously loud music.

Like that road in and out of this varied but inviting corner of Turkey, it is not for the faint-hearted. But, hey, worthwhile travel never is.

Then again, you can always hop onto the last water taxi back to Turunc: check shoreline for details.