Colorful Markets, Secluded Coves, and Goats

Nestled within the maze of narrow one-way streets that are barely wide enough for a car is a collection of four stone houses that surround a tranquil outdoor garden filled with all manner of herbs and fruit trees. This oasis served as our home base for outings with Güven, the hotel’s caretaker, to the lesser known areas of this thin peninsula that stretches into the Mediterranean. Life takes on a slower pace here, and that is reflected in the people who come together and make this community truly welcoming and memorable.

CLIENT: ULTAVA HOUSES

ESKI DATÇA, TURKEY - SEPTEMBER 2024

A COLORFUL BREAKFAST WAS SERVED EACH MORNING THAT PROVIDED A SAMPLE OF LOCAL FLAVORS. SWEET JAMS, CHEESES, HONEY AND OLIVES ALL GROWN AND PRODUCED WITHIN THE REGION. SOMETIMES THIS BECOMES VERY LOCAL AS THE GARDEN HAS A FEW OLIVE TREES, POMEGRANATE AND ORANGE TREES, AND EVEN A BLACK PEPPER TREE.

THE FIRST DAY INVOLVED A TRIP TO THE MARKET WHERE ONCE A WEEK FARMERS COME TOGETHER TO SELL THEIR PRODUCE. AS EVERYTHING USUALLY SELLS OUT IN THE AFTERNOON, WE CAME EARLY TO ENSURE THE HOTEL HAD FRESH FOOD FOR THE COMING DAYS.

GÜVEN’S FATHER IN LAW MANAGES A HERD OF AROUND 200 GOATS THAT FREELY ROAM THE STEEP HILLSIDES. THEY LIVE OFF THE VEGETATION, AND BY DRINKING DIRECTLY FROM THE SEA THEY DON’T NEED ANY ADDITIONAL SALT IN THEIR DIET. AFTER CHECKING THAT THE OLD STONE BARN DIDN’T HAVE ANY WILD BOARS LURKING, WE SET OFF ON A WINDING PATH IN SEARCH OF THE HERD.