For those of us who fell in love with Turkey's rough-edged exoticism years ago, the creeping urbanisation of the country's gorgeous coastline can be depressing. Traditional fishing villages are increasingly being swallowed up by identikit hotels and apartment blocks but, if you know where to look, there are still unspoilt beaches and sleepy hamlets to be discovered. Best of all, just a few minutes' drive inland from the coast, Turkish life continues pretty much unchanged: a hazily sunlit world of ramshackle farms and disarmingly shabby villages. Below are four regions where the real Turkey can still be found.
Lycian Hinterland
Just 10 minutes' drive behind the well-known resorts of Olu Deniz and Fethiye lie agricultural plateaus and lush green mountains barely touched by tourism. Scattered between the villages lie the ruins of ancient Lycian civilisations that flourished from the 6th century BC until falling into Roman hands. The resorts in Lycia are a mixed bag: mainstream Olu Deniz, ramshackle Patara with its blissful 22km beach, and chic Kalkan with its increasingly Hampstead-on-Sea feel, due to its burgeoning ex-pat population. Dip into the coastal resorts but stay inland, even just a little, for a glimpse of Turkey at its rural, peaceful, best.
· Kick back
The Kaya Valley, tucked away in the mountains behind Olu Deniz beach, used only to be known for the eerily atmospheric, deserted Greek village of Kaya that looks out across the fields. Over recent years, however, farm buildings and cottages have been renovated to offer comfortable accommodation and the Karmylassos Cottages combine rural pleasures with all the comforts of home - fully-fitted kitchens, satellite TV and barbecues on the individual terraces. A week costs from £672pp through Tapestry Holidays (020 8235 7800; www.tapestryholidays.com).
The Black Tree Cottages, a clutch of stone-built houses with restaurant and pool, are set 1,000 metres above the Lycian coastline in the agricultural hamlet of Karaagac. At Black Tree it's all about getting back to nature; exploring the countryside on horseback, following walking trails around the plateau, or helping the kids collect eggs and get to know the resident geese and goats. Patara beach is 40 minutes' drive. A week costs from £465pp, including flights through Cachet Travel (020 8847 8700; www.cachet-travel.co.uk).
To really experience rural Turkish life, go to the village of Bezirgan, 20 minutes beyond Kalkan, and stay with Pauline (who's Scottish) and her husband, Erol, in their delightfully traditional B&B Owlsland (00 90 242 837 5214; www.owlsland.com). It is a 150-year-old farmhouse, surrounded by almond and fig trees. Accommodation is simple but comfortable and the breakfasts are fab. Doubles from £22.50 per night, B&B.
· Get going
The Lycian Way is a newly waymarked walking route that stretches some 509km from Fethiye to Antalya, and takes in spectacular walks over Baba Dagi, the mountain that towers over Olu Deniz, the castle and ruins at Ucagiz and the beach at Patara. For more information, check out www.lycianway.com, or Headwater (01606 720 033; headwater.com) offers a 'Highlights of the Lycian Coast' independent walking week, which costs from £788pp including flights. The plateaus and valleys are also excellent riding country. The Perma Ranch in Kaya (00 90 252 618 0182; www.permaranch.co.uk) offers treks for all levels.
Car hire is essential to explore Lycia properly; start off with the stunning Saklikent Gorge, an 18km canyon with soaring limestone walls, 16 caves and gentle waterfalls. If you're feeling feisty, river rafting is on offer; alternatively, just indulge in a beer or two at the river bar. There is treehouse accommodation, but it's a pretty backpacker-heavy crowd. More info: www.saklikentgorge.net.
The White Dolphin (00 90 252 617 0068), on the road to Faralya with glorious views over Olu Deniz beach, is arguably the best restaurant in the region, serving traditional Ottoman cooking and luscious meze - though you might want to avoid the raw whole octopus.
Bozburun Peninsula
Beyond the bright lights and bling of Marmaris and Icmeler lies the Bozburun peninsula, a tranquil mix of pine forests, beachside hamlets and yachts drifting in and out of sleepy coves. Along the eastern side is Turunc - dwarfed by the mountains, backed by fields, beachfront edged with restaurants - followed by the picturesque cove of Amos, then Kumlubuk and Ciftlik. On the western side, snoozing by the sea is the order of the day in Sogut and Bozburun, and a scattering of villas lie in the mountains and plateaus in between.
· Kick back
If you just want to bliss out by the pool, the Dionysos hotel is a great bet, built into the mountainside above the tiny hamlet of Kumlubuk (a couple of restaurants and a stretch of beach). It's well-nigh impossible to tear yourself away from the stunning views that stretch beyond the infinity pool - unless it's for a lazy day-trip on Ahmet's (the Dionysos's owner) gulet. A week costs from £500 through Exclusive Escapes (020 8605 3500; www.exclusiveescapes.co.uk), including flights and a gulet trip.
On the other side of the peninsula, Sogut consists of two sandy bays, a mosque, a couple of rather fine fish restaurants and a minimarket or two. Stay at the Villas Askim, and you are virtually staying in the sea; the three villas are right on the shorefront, with terraces that look to the Greek island of Symi. The villas have fully fitted kitchens, or a local restaurant will serve supper to your own terrace. Best of all, the villas have their own jetties and a rowing boat. A week from £500 including flights through Exclusive Escapes (as before).
Nature lovers should book the Chalet Vista, in the rural village of Bayir - a villa built from local wood and stone and a real part of village life. Sleeping eight, with a good-sized pool, stunning views from the terraces, and surrounded by fig trees and vines, it's the perfect place to rest weary feet after a day's hiking up to Gok Dag (Sky Mountain). A week from £495pp including flights, based on six sharing, through Simpson Travel (0845 811 6506; www.simpsontravel.com).
· Get going
An authentic Turkish market (one where they don't shout 'cheaper than M&S' at every passing tourist) is well worth a visit, and the market at Mugla, capital of Mugla province and some 50km inland from Marmaris, is the best in the region. Held on a Thursday morning, the best buys are wrought ironwork and ceramics, alongside fruit and veg straight from the fields.
On the way to Mugla, it's worth stopping off in Akyaka, a small village-cum-resort that spreads along the coast and the River Azmak. The river is part of a conservation area that's home to otters, tortoises, kingfishers and deer - perfect for a gentle stroll before a lazy lunch at one of the fish restaurants that border the river. A must-do while in Turkey is a Turkish bath, but going to a public bath can be a little intimidating. The baths in Armutalan, a suburb of Marmaris, are the best in the region; no dimly lit rooms or wandering hands. A full hammam costs about £10.
Turunc beach is littered with restaurants, a legacy from the days before the road from Icmeler was built and yachts used to drop anchor for lunch. The Dionysos Sea Club is the best bet for a really memorable supper - fresh fish and modern Turkish cuisine a speciality.
Datca Peninsula
For many years the Datca peninsula, peppered with impressive archaeological sites and picture-book villages, has remained the preserve of the yachting community and Turkish tourists. The road from Marmaris was too poor for most tour operators to include the region, allowing it to remain unspoilt - Datca still has the feel of a Greek fishing village 20 years ago. A new road means the area is finally opening up to tourism, revealing a clutch of unusual hotels and elegant villas. Go now, before the hordes descend.
· Kick back
Stay at the Mehmet Ali Aga Mansion, a former private mansion belonging to an Ottoman sea captain, dating back to the early 19th century. Recently restored, the house has been filled with period touches - carved wooden panels, brass beds, antique furniture - alongside 21st-century must-haves such as swanky bathrooms and internet access. A week costs from £500 including flights through Exclusive Escapes (as before).
A short stroll from the centre of Datca lies the elegant Villa Kangotan, which mixes modern architecture with traditional antique pieces. Kilims and wall hangings, Iznik tiles and an outdoor terrace covered in bougainvillaea give the house a really authentic feel. Sleeps up to six, from £575pp through Ilios Travel (0870 060 0607; www.iliostravel.com).
A few minutes up the road from Datca lies Eski Datca, the picture-book inland village which has long been a haunt of Turkish artists and intellectuals. Crooked stone houses line the cobbled streets and traffic restrictions mean it's always quiet and peaceful. Stay at the Dede Pension, six small stone-clad apartments in pretty gardens with a courtyard pool and bar, from £570pp including flights through Simply Travel (0870 1664979; www.simplytravel.co.uk).
· Get going
If you feel the need for a bit of hustle and bustle, don't opt for Marmaris (an hour's drive away) but catch the ferry to Bodrum, two hours away. The town, dominated by the 15th-century castle, is far more attractive and worth a day trip. The ferry costs around £12 return. Book in advance for a free transfer to the ferry port through Aegean Travel (00 90 252 313 0722; www.aegeantourtravel.com).
Datca is probably most famous for the nearby ruins at Knidos, once a large Greek city split between the mainland and a small island, joined by an isthmus. Parts of the Temple of Aphrodite, theatre, houses and tombs all remain and are well worth exploring. Even if you're not staying at the Mehmet Ali Aga Mansion, it's an ideal spot for a romantic dinner a deux; the Elaki restaurant is in a beautiful courtyard facing the gardens.
Gocek And The Mountains
The drive from Dalaman airport over the mountains and through to Fethiye has to be one of the most stunning in the whole of Europe; hairpin bends, breathtaking drops and pine-clad mountains stretching to vanishing point.
The sailing resort of Gocek lies in the heart of this area, surrounded by farms and woodlands and backed by the dramatic Taurus mountains. Gocek is a full-service resort (it even has a swanky Swissotel), but the villages that surround it are reassuringly unchanged - and these are the best places to stay.
· Kick back
What makes Turkey so special is that it somehow combines an air of slightly manic exoticism with moments of utter tranquillity.
Huzur Vadisi (00 90 252 644 0008; www.huzurvadisi.com), in the mountains behind Gocek, specialises in tranquillity - a farm converted into a retreat for yoga and spiritual holidays. Guests stay in yurts and take part in courses that normally last three to four hours per day. A week costs from £425 including meals but not flights.
Garden-lovers will adore Dalya Life, a simple country property 5km from Gocek. Five small studios have been built in the lush gardens of what was originally a private house, and the 100-year-old fruit trees, mountain stream and rose-lined pool area create an idyllic hideaway. The owner's wife, Gul, serves lunch and dinner which can be taken anywhere in the gardens, with drinks before and after in a pergola by the stream. A week costs from £510pp, including flights through Simply Travel (as before).
If your idea of bliss is holing up with your partner for a week of snoozing in hammocks, gazing at views and gently pottering around in complete privacy, then the idyllic Kucuk Ev, 15 minutes drive from Gocek in the small hamlet of Gokceovacik, is just the place. The natural stone cottage is tucked away up a secluded country lane with breathtaking views, its own pool and all mod cons. A week from £725pp including flights, through Simpson Travel (as before).
· Get going
About 20 minutes' drive from Gocek lies the resort of Dalyan, a town built around the river delta that leads down to the protected Iztuzu beach. Avoid the crowded trips to the rock tombs and mud baths and instead soar above the whole area in a microlight. Flights cost £35 and last 15 spectacular minutes, more info at www.dalyan.com.
Adrenaline enthusiasts are well catered for with 14km of serious rapids along the Dalaman river: one- and two-day whitewater rafting courses are available from Ecoraft (www.ecoraft.com), with a full safety briefing and the chance to kick back with a beer and watch footage of your exploits at basecamp. One-day courses cost from £27 and kayaking is also available. If the rafting whets your appetite, then the area around Koycegiz lake, a protected nature reserve which feeds the Dalyan delta, offers plenty of other white-knuckle activities. Try canyoning in Toparlar through Transnature (www.transnature.com.tr).
