Tickling trout at Yaka Park, Fethiye

This perennially popular restaurant and trout farm is a good place to recharge your batteries to the sound of waterfalls after a day trip to Tlos or Saklikent Canyon.

High in the Xanthos Valley, Selale Yaka Park and Restaurant consists of a trout farm and adjoining restaurant. Both are constructed in a charmingly eccentric style, with mountain views as well as a cold spring running through the property. Shaded by pines and with an altitude that means cooler air, Yaka Park offers some relief from the searing summer sun during peak season months.

At the trout farm (and at the bar) you can tickle the trout, dip your feet in for the fish to nibble - and then pick which fish you’d like to eat for lunch.

The restaurant bar has a trough cut along its length where the fish swim up and down, oblivious to the fact they’re about to end up as someone’s meal.

This shaded restaurant is an ideal place to relax and chill out. The laid back vibe encourages guests to wile away whole afternoons on hammocks or on the grass. There are mats and cushions to lounge on, and plenty of space for active kids to explore. The many water features scattered around the park provide a constant background noise of falling water. The restaurant is open late if you fancy an evening trip.

From Fethiye, follow the D400 road towards Antalya for about 20 kilometres. When you see the sign for Tlos, turn right. After you pass Tlos’s ruins you have another six kilometres to go until you reach Yaka Park.

Be warned: thanks to the restaurant’s increasing popularity (brought on by rising tourist numbers and greater numbers of people buying real estate in Fethiye) there are Yaka Park imposters attempting to cash in on the original’s success. You will see signs for all three on your way. The real Yaka Park is down a left turn past a cemetery. Look for a sign saying ‘Hosgeldiniz’ and a parking lot.

The food is pretty good, if not a little pricey. Make sure you try the fresh grilled trout. A range of mezes are also served and the restaurant’s speciality (other than trout) is their bread and pancakes.

If you’ve reached the end of your budget for the day, you might want to consider a dip in the cold pool: if you can stay in for five minutes you get a free drink. If you make it to the 15-minute mark you get a drink and a free meal. Although it gets hot here during summer months the spring-fed pool is always cold.

Just a short drive from the Fethiye coastline and your Fethiye villa, Yaka Park is a great place to unwind and relax.