Envision a heaven on earth – the azure blue ocean is on your doorstep, offset by the white of the skies and the hotel’s pure design. Macakizi is a classic, unpretentious boutique hotel that oozes airy Mediterranean class from every piece of traditional stone to the inviting timber decking outdoors. The hotel is unlike the usual - a tranquil, welcoming retreat shared between a few like-minded seekers after one goal - true, intelligent escapism.

Walking on air or diving into the deep blue is your choice - the hotel’s architecture takes the steep shoreline slopes and celebrates them with a higgledy piggledy arrangement of buildings that cascade down to hundreds of square metres of decking, some at the water’s edge, some jutting right out into the bay.

But it is down by the water side that the true Macakizi experience comes to life. The decking, liberally furnished with rattan chairs, spreading sail shades and sun loungers, allows you to step straight into the clean, clear sea, or simply to admire it without ever getting your feet wet. There is a pool as well, its shores commanding a fine view. The bar opens onto its own area of decking, the perfect place for a pre-dinner cocktail.

Dinner is a spectacle and taste sensation – hotel owner Sahir Erozan arrived back in Turkey having established himself as a restaurateur of high regard in Washington DC before establishing this resort, bringing with him the chef who helped secure his reputation among the American political elite. The restaurant at Macakizi is now recognised in its own right as among the finest in the region.