The Lazy Olive (Tembel Zeytin) is a spacious four-bedroom family retreat in a two-acre/8000 sq m hillside garden. The very private house is perfect for lovers of raw nature, tranquillity and southern Turkey's rugged mountains and Mediterranean coast. The property is perfect in spring and autumn for hikers wanting to walk parts of the Lycian Way, in summer for unspoiled beaches and bay-hopping by boat, and always good for visiting ancient ruins and shopping in the vibrant markets of local towns.
The space
All four bedrooms have beautiful views and comfortable beds. There is also an 8mx8m (25'x25') central space that houses the kitchen, sitting room and dining room to eat inside. A wide front terrace and big outdoor dining table overlook the valley. Steps lead down to the (unfenced) natural pool, although due to water shortages since 2024 we now cannot guarantee availability. Three of Turkey's best beaches are however 20-25 minutes' drive away. It's a great base for climbing or trekking. The approach is via 2km of village road, guaranteeing seclusion. This property is ideal for a group of up to eight people or two families with older children.
IMPORTANT NOTE: this is our much-loved family vacation house, not a hotel with permanent staff; we have ceiling fans, not air conditioning; being secluded, there are few people nearby and it's a 10-minute drive to the nearest shop; the approach road, driveway and paths are sometimes rough; the house and property are on a hillside, so young children may need supervision; our unfenced property is on the edge of a major national park, so before booking please consider how sensitive you are to the occasional presence of insects, wandering cats at the door and suchlike!
Guest access
You will have the property and pool to yourselves. The house is in the heart of a sloping two-acre / 8000 sq m garden of olive, orange, apple, vines and stone oak trees. Cars can park 30m from the house. There are also terraces, patios, a pool pavilion with cushions and bowers with seating areas under the trees.
Due to new water restrictions in the valley we can no longer fill the natural swimming pool (although two decorative pools remain). Three beaches are within 20-30 minutes' drive!
Please note that the house is on a hillside and that the garden can be rough away from the paths and the areas we keep tidy around the house. There are dry stone walls, sharp stones and occasional steep inclines. If you have mobility problems or small children, please consult us before booking!
Our house is in the middle of nature and is built on an open plan. There is a 50cm ledge in the sitting room and a wide but unfenced terrace outside. Please be aware of this if you are sensitive about heights or supervising small children.
Have a lovely stay!
Other things to note
This property is ideal for nature lovers and anyone seeking seclusion and peace in the countryside. Cocks crow in the morning, cicadas chirp by day, frogs croak from the pool in the evening and owls hoot at night. You may even spot the tracks from the night-time wanderings of wild boar on the canal road below. Noise carries far, especially at night, so please, no amplified music or loud outside parties.
Nature is everywhere with vibrantly clean air, wild flowers and orange blossom in spring and grand thunderstorms in winter. Like everywhere on the south coast, there are all the animals you'd expect to meet on the edge of a national park: butterflies, chameleons, tortoises, geckos, little lizards, land crabs, sheep, turtles, bats, cicadas, field mice, dragonflies, outsize grasshoppers, spiders, hawks, flocks of chickens, squirrels on the roof, swallows over the pool and even the odd cat or dog. Almost all are harmless; it is possible you may come across a scorpion, snake or hornet, like anywhere else around the Mediterranean, but they are not likely to give you trouble. If you take care and treat the environment with the respect it deserves, you'll have a wonderful time!
Registration Details
07-10252
