Located a little over 6km from Fethiye on the Turkish coast, The Hillside Beach Club has been describe as heaven on earth or what the Turks call cennet. The Hillside Beach Club has almost everything for a rounded holiday in the sun; Aquamarine waters, hidden coves, awe-inspiring adventures, and ancient Lycian history for that necessary guidebook cultural tour.
Set into secluded woodland sheltered by thick pine tree forest, and skirted by an idyllic arc of brilliant blue sea, the hotel offers contemporary alternative for those seeking more than just beach time. This stylish accommodation blends with its natural landscape and offers spectacular views of the resort’s privately owned Kalemya Bay.
Here, traditional two-masted wooden sailing boats (gullets) bob among trimarans, dive boats and family-run sea kayak expedition companies. Look further to the horizon and you’ll spot the speedboat spray from the resort’s exceptional on-site water-skiing and wakeboarding school, the first of its kind in Turkey.
If you need another excuse to soak up that view, head to the resort’s adult-only beaches, so-named Silent and Serenity for their take on barefoot luxury and sea-out-front bliss. With Yoga classes to offer a perfect start to your morning. No phones or gadgets are allowed, to ensure a peaceful experience, as the name suggests. Serenity Beach is located via a nature trail or a free boat service. They offer a light lunch option on Serenity so you can spend the whole day here and the sun is on the beach until mid afternoon.
As night falls wander to one of the resort’s three restaurants: the Main Restaurant, and Pasha on the Bay and Beach Bar Restaurant, which both offer a la carte, each showcasing locally sourced, seasonal specialities.
The kids will be happy to let you sit back and enjoy the view, too. The Hillside Beach Club has set a set a high standard for family-friendly beach hotels and has three kids’ clubs complete with professional coaches. With children of all ages in mind, these include everything from the expected (football, movies, beach volleyball, dance lessons, sailing and boat trips) to the frankly eye-opening (mother/daughter yoga, hip-hop classes, and DJing). There are other paid for activities such as wakeboarding and windsurfing.
Despite all the madernity, this being Turkey, there is still plenty of opportunity for culture and adventure. Start off by touring the coast’s headline historical Lycian and Roman attractions; the sunken city of Kekova, the sarcophagi of Simena and the Byzantine relics of Patara are stand outs, or get pampered like Ottoman royalty with a soothing Turkish hammam.
As with all Turkish hotels, the Hillside Beach Club offers traditional rub-downs but, unlike most, it also has two spas, Sanda Spa and Sanda Nature Spa. Nirvana-like oases of pampering that make the best of their natural setting, you can spend hours indulging in sheer relaxation with rejuvenating treatments and peaceful surroundings.