When getting up in the morning no longer starts the stress levels rising and you can spend minutes pondering the really important things of life, like should it be strawberry or vanilla flavour ice cream.

Lying on your sunbed gazing up at the pine trees with waves gently lapping close by, the most strenuous activity you need to indulge in is the walk back through beautifully landscaped gardens to your private bungalow or hotel room.

The Letoonia Club and Hotel near Fethiye on Turkey's south coast has that effect almost from the moment you arrive. Located on a Lycian peninsula overlooking the Southern Aegean sea, it is only about an hour from Dalaman airport and attracts as well as Turkish and British visitors, increasing numbers of Russians.

There are lots of areas to explore within the resort which spreads over 168,000 metres of a seaside peninsula which has been nurtured into a lush haven tended by gardeners. They claim 268 varieties of foliage. I did not count them but enjoyed the vibrant colours of hibiscus and bougainvillea.

Activities included in the price, if you can be bothered to get off your sunbed, range from exercise classes to volleyball on the beach, yoga to water polo, sailing and windsurfing. You pay a charge for extra activities such as water skiing, jet ski and paragliding. You can also take a boat trip from the resort.

There is a mini-club where children aged four to seven are taken care of, also free of charge, but there is lots for the family to do together while the nightlife includes a friendly entertainment programme with a live hour-long show every night at the resort's own outdoor theatre which kids love.

Take the opportunity to have a romantic dinner on the sand where you sunbathed earlier that day. Staff do a wonderful job in changing it from a children's play area to a delightful dining experience with a few surprises thrown in.

Food is local and often organic with the bulk of fruit and vegetables purchased at local markets and the region is famous for its prolific growth of figs, tomatoes, corn, sesame and olives, while white cheese and honey are local specialties.

You can shop for yourself in Fethiye only four kilometres away, taking a regular shuttle boat service from Letoonia to the harbour. The Tuesday market is well worth a visit with leather goods, shoes, clothes and more traditional Turkish items to test your bargaining skills while there are some excellent modern shops in the town itself.

But beware – it is hot. The hotel rooms and bungalows have air conditioning and can cool you off but you will not find that weaving between market stalls. Either go early or wait until the temperature begins to drop.

The resort is named after the nearby ancient town of Letoon, where, according to legend, the nymph Leto hid from Zeus's jealous wife Hera, after she had given birth to twins Aretemis and Apollo. On the run, Leto quenched her thirst at Xanthos River and was helped by wolves. In gratitude she named the area Lycia (lykos is Greek for wolf).

Today, Lycia still has its legends, history and ruins, and is a veritable open air museum where you are as likely to stumble across a sarcophogus as a private beach. Take the opportunity to visit some because they begin on your doorstep with ruins and tombs in Fethiye itself. Within striking distance in the mountains is the 14 kilometre Saklikent Gorge, the second largest in Europe, where tourists can risk hiking up the rock canyon to find the coveted natural mud with alleged healing properties.Those more safety-conscious who are too wary of crossing freezing torrents at the start of the trek, or are just too lazy, can simply enjoy a glass of apple-flavoured tea or a cold drink on comfy cushions beneath a shady tree. Or lunch on trout at one of the rural restaurants.

The more vigorous can bake themselves visiting Tlos, said to be the home of the mythological winged horse Pegasus where you climb a hillside to temple-type tombs. From this height there are some spectacular views across the fertile valleys below.

Even closer to Letoonia is the trendy Oludeniz with a Blue Lagoon from which boat trips leave to the Butterfly Valley. For about nine months of the year this is home to about 40 kinds of butterflies. Again, remember the heat and take lots of water with you for the visit.

The coastal town of Patara is only 20 kilometres from the resort. A magnificent beach on the nesting route of endangered sea turtles, it is also one of the places said to be the birthplace of St Nicolas better known as Santa Claus.
But then you hear that about other places in Turkey.

Tired by all this activity, you will be glad to return to the resort for some spa treatment.

Whatever your routine, do not miss the afternoon tea and cakes – the Russian visitors love them, too. And look for a really peaceful spot, the reading pavilion in one of the bays, with its comfy cushions and no children allowed. Bliss.

Getting thereLetoonia is 31 km from Dalaman airport. Charter flights operate daily to Dalaman from 22 UK airports (www.charterflights.co.uk 0845 045 0153). Flights start from £146. British Airways (0870 850 9850) also flies daily to Dalaman.

Travel Agents: a week, full-board for two adults with Cosmos (www.cosmos holidays.co.uk; 0871 622 4317) costs from £815 in April/May (from £199 for children up to the age of 12) and from £1,049 in July/August (from £219 for children up to the age of 12), decreasing again in Sept/ October. Children under two are free.

A week with full board at Letoonia Resort (www.letooniaresorts.com; 0090 242 444 0280) based on two adults sharing, costs from £504 in April/May (Children under 12 add £126), and from £742 in July/August (Children under 12 add £185), prices decreasing again in Sept/ October. Children under two years are free. These prices do not include flights.
n For more information, log on to www. letooniaresorts.com