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Have dinner with the locals
Food-wise, Sarigerme serves up two options. You can work your way through the menus in the hotels here, or you can head to the village centre for a taste of traditional Turkey. Along with a warm welcome in the restaurants, you’ll get freshly-netted seafood and clay-pot casseroles. If you can’t decide what to have, order the meze and they’ll bring you a selection of mini-dishes to try.Dolphin Bar wears its cheap and cheerful badge with pride – which makes it pretty popular. You’ve got artificial grass outside and big beanbags to lounge on. Kids are happy here – they get their own play zone and fruity non-alcoholic drinks. The place also does double duty as a restaurant, and they usually have some good deals going on.
Read MoreNature’s very own spa is waiting at Dalyan. It's around 45 minutes' drive away, if you book a TUI excursion. A boat will take you out to the thermal springs and mud baths, where you can have a wallow and then wash off in the warm sulphur pool. The mud’s said to work wonders for aches and pains and leave your skin glowing. Apparently David Bowie and Sting have both had a go.
Read MoreAt this family-run restaurant, you can settle into comfy cushions around a low table to eat your meal. The food here is mainly Turkish, with an unfussy menu that includes meatballs, kebabs and fresh, fried fish. And if you want to try a bit of everything, the chef will rustle you up a family-sized tasting platter.
Read MoreIt may not kick up its heels like some resorts, but Sarigerme still has a pulse. The hotels are always a good bet for entertainment, and you’ve got bars and restaurants doing a good line in live music on the main street in the village.
Read MoreSarigerme has a couple of convenience shops, and there’s a small-scale food market in the village centre on Sunday mornings. To bargain-hunt your way to some souvenirs, catch a dolmus bus to the Friday market in Ortaca, about 25 minutes away. Here, you’ll find belts and bags, clothes, jewellery and pottery – and most of the stall-holders expect a good barter.
Read MoreThe Aegean meets the Med around Sarigerme, meaning you get decent-sized waves – great news for sailors, windsurfers and the ever-present kite-boarders. You can take lessons in all three pursuits, and hire the relevant kit, from the village. There’s also a scuba diving centre here, where you’ll get beginners’ lessons and earn your PADI certificate.
Read MoreYou’ve got a handful of restaurants in the centre of the village. Most of them mix up their menus, so along with British favourites and pasta and pizza you’ll get traditional Turkish dishes, too. Mezes are always a good option for trying a bit of everything, or tuck into kebabs, clay-pot casseroles and borek – that’s a puffed pastry pie filled with meat.
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