The small hillside village of Sogut lies near the head of a large bay on the eastern side of Sogut Adasi, within easy reach of 16 small, uninhabited islands heavy with the scent of wild oregano. The craggy, burnt slopes about the bay have a savage, rugged, wild aspect and the ruins of an ancient fortress, thought to be ancient Thyssanus, sit atop a rocky knoll nearby.

Saranda is a waterfront extension of the village that has developed on the shore of the lagoon, but rigorous conservation laws on this stretch of coastline have strictly controlled development and ensured that Sogut remains charmingly unspoilt. One imagines that life has changed little here in hundreds of years.  Blue bee hives are a recurrent feature on the landscape, their occupants hard at work producing the thyme-scented honey for which the region is famed.

Sit on the rickety restaurant jetty and watch the fishing boats return after sunset laden with bream and sea bass. Boat building is the other principal activity here – many of the gulets that cruise the Turquoise coast are built here. There’s a weekly market on Monday where visiting charterers can stock up on provisions before setting sail again, reluctant to leave this charming and low-key hideaway.