The mood on popular Aegean islands remains quite upbeat, despite a rise in panic sales of gaudy new second homes which had drawn the attention of tax collectors.

While revelers continue to descend upon that seaside retreat, another corner of Turkey’s Aegean coastline has begun to emerge as a stylish alternative: the once-sleepy villages of the Cesme Peninsula.

Many traditional Aegean Sea holiday islands are reported to be uncharacteristically empty. Tourism association figures suggest a fall in holiday travel of up to 25%.