Site Soley

The nature here is beautiful, and for the price the place is very good, especially with a rental car. We stayed August 20th to 25th in villas 13 and 10. The grounds looked a little run-down, but the pool was clean and pleasant, if chilly at 23-24°C. Inside, things were more or less okay. The ground floor has a kitchenette with a gas stove, dishwasher, and large refrigerator, plus a tiny bathroom with a toilet and small sink. No corkscrew in the kitchen utensils, but the neighbors were helpful, and now I know the Turkish word for it. There's a big veranda with a table and chairs, enough for 5-6 people to eat or have breakfast. A spiral staircase goes up to the second and third floors, with air conditioning between floors two and three. On the second floor are a large bedroom opening onto a big balcony, a smaller double room, and a single room, plus a large bathroom with shower, toilet, and sink. The rooftop on the third floor has a barbecue, with a washing machine by the roof access. The beach is an 11-minute walk down the road. A good path is 5 minutes to the left when facing the sea, but we found it late. It's nice for a walk before breakfast or on arrival day. Getting into the water isn't ideal because of the large pebbles, unless you're used to them. It works much better to enter from the sun lounger side, as in the photo. People swam to the nearby island in small groups. You can walk onto it, but the thorny bushes mean you'll need coral slippers to get around. Food is just a 5-minute walk away, though the two restaurants on the right along the road, facing the sea, need advance reservations. We couldn't get a table, so ordered cooked fish to go. English was poor, and Ukrainian and Russian even worse, since mostly locals live and vacation in this region. The water was around 24-25°C and it was windy, so our girls were cold in the shade. On the second-to-last day before leaving, it warmed to 26°C. We also went to the thermal baths, and liked Şifne Termal Hotel best. Weekday entry to their grounds is 50 TL per person, times 3.15 UAH, which we rounded to about 150 UAH. On weekends it's 100 TL per person. Burcu Plaj was my favorite public beach, a 7-minute drive from Site Soley. It has loungers and umbrellas, lots of parking, and warmer water at 25-26°C. Of the beaches, I liked Çeşme Dodo Beach and Quente Beach Club.

The caretaker was great, very friendly and helpful. Each time we called, he arrived within minutes and sorted things out right away. The listing said there was Wi-Fi, but there wasn't any. Also, the toilet seat had been left by the front door, while the toilet itself had no seat.

The houses need some care, especially the kitchenware and other items, which are poorly maintained. The owner and staff were attentive, and the pool was clean and not busy. The setting is natural, so the air doesn't feel humid, and the weather was pleasant enough that we didn't need air conditioning. Ilıca Public Beach is 10 km away, and there's a Migros Şok Bim A101 nearby.

The terrace had a fantastic view, but the house itself was neglected and not clean or tidy. We spent 4 days there. Mr. Salih, who rented us the house, seemed very indifferent, and the kitchen items were both dirty and inadequate. There was no welcome or introduction when we arrived.