PADDING through the sand after a swim in the turquoise Aegean, I headed towards a traditionallydressed Turkish woman making pide.

A simple,  pizza-style dish filled with spinach, cheese or meat, it's the ideal snack after a hard day lounging on the beach.

I was staying at the Letoonia in Fethiye, on the south coast of Turkey.

The all-inclusive, four-star hotel is a resort in itself, set on a peninsula pointing out to the sea.

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It has a spa complete with Turkish hamman, nine restaurants, a shopping centre, doctor's surgery, pool, bars and a kids' club.

Rooms are either bungalow-style, built into the hillside or housed in the hotel building at the entrance to the resort. You have to climb a lot of steps if you're staying in a bungalow - but it's worth it for the fabulous sea view.

Letoonia is so big there's a trolley bus running from one end to the other in case you run out of steam on your way back from the 2km stretch of private beach.

Twist If you get restless, you can stroll around the snaking coastline. And for a fun alternative to the steps down to the sea, you can fling yourself down one of three water slides that twist and turn straight into the water.

The nine restaurants include three buffets open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For breakfast there's fresh fruit, pastries, cereals, hot options and a chef cooking omelettes to order.

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At lunch and dinner there are piles of fresh salads, traditional Turkish foods and main meal options from pizzas to freshly-caught fish.

And in the evenings there is also the outdoor Moonlight restaurant, lit by lanterns hanging from the trees with live music every night.

You need to book at the three a la carte restaurants which serve Japanese food, fish or Turkish kebabs - but they don't cost extra.

We went for the outdoor Japanese Panorama Restaurant, looking out across miles of calm blue sea.

After a few days spent tucking into all of the delights on offer you'll be thankful for the size of the resort and all those steps to help you burn off the extra calories.

The resort is a hard place to leave - but there is plenty to do if you can peel yourself off your sun lounger.

There are trips on offer from Fethiye harbour, a ten-minute drive away by taxi or by the hotel's free mini bus.

Canyon For just £15, you can take a boat to Oludeniz, the best beach in the area. It's known as the Blue Lagoon and features in many poster adverts for Turkey.

There is also a Jeep Safari for £25 - a great choice if you really want to get out and explore.

It takes in Saklikent Gorge - Turkey's largest canyon - Tlos ruins, an impressive castle ruined in the crusades and the Yakapark trout farm, where you can play with the fish before selecting which one you'd like cooked for your lunch.

It's a great day out and you'll pass through plenty of villages, giving you a taste of local life.

I booked a boat trip which picks up from the hotel's jetty.

You get a whole day out for £60, starting with a sail around nearby islands Yassica and Bukun, where we stopped for lunch and a swim in the warm sea.

Next we headed to Sarsala, a beach with several pretty coves, which is a f avourite with the locals, before heading back to Letoonia.

Fethiye itself is a lovely small town with a busy harbour and shops full of leather goods, jewellery, carpets and, of course, Turkish Delight.

Restaurants are good value if you fancy a change from the hotel and there's a real buzz about the place. It's perfect for a bit of peoplewatching.

If you're a seafood lover check out the Fethiye fish market. You can buy whatever fresh fish takes your fancy and take it to one of the restaurants next door. In exchange for a few lira they will cook it up beautifully and serve it to you with salad and bread.

Tunes The best bars are in the old town.

Bump shoulders with locals dancing to Turkish pop in Mango Bar or try Car Cemetery for more familiar tunes.

Letoonia has its own outdoor nightclub on the tip of the peninsula - far away enough from the rooms so revellers don't disturb other guests.

Like everything else here, they've thought of everything.

FACT FILE

SUNWINGS offers packages at the five-star Letoonia Club & Hotel from £449pp for seven nights, including flights and all-inclusive accommodation.

Call 0845 408 2681 to book or visit sunwings.co.uk to qualify for this deal, quoting "Daily Star Letoonia Offer".