The southern coast of Turkey is famed for its scenic and holiday-friendly environment. A holidaymaker hotspot, expect blue seas and vibrant shores, as well as city centres, to fulfil needs and desires as well as absolutely stunning places to see and sights to behold!
With several fine sand and pebble beaches and an array of markets, stores, amenities and activities, Kalkan is a friendly resort city, neighbouring peaceful and culturally rich villages. So choose a more cosmopolitan or more rural vacation, the choice is entirely yours in this region!
Visit the beaches on the coast, just 30 minutes away by car! For a more built-up beach and for a quick stop off before visiting the area, Kalkan Town beach offers a white pebbly beach and crystal clear blue water, there are also a host of beachclubs to enjoy. An array of cafes and bars also offer food and drink here. Kaputas Beach, famed for its outstanding beauty is another ten minutes from here, making it convenient for you to hit two beaches in one day. Relax on the beach in the shadow of rocks with the option to dive into the mesmerizing azure sea or grab a drink or snack from the cafe and bar! Patara Beach, a national treasure of the country, is an uninterrupted stretch of delightful sandy shores and crystal blue waters and is the longest beach in the whole of Turkey!
From Patara Beach access the ancient city from which it bears its name, to witness preserved and protected real artefacts of civilizations from centuries past! And don't stop there! Explore the ruins including a theatre, government chambers and lighthouse! Drink in the sights and sounds of this lovely region in a tour, hike or guided exploration of lush green mountainsides and valleys, as well as a whole range of scenes on the sea and in rivers such as waterfalls, islands and places to witness an abundance of wildlife.
Kalkan offers a variety of restaurants that serve both authentic traditional Turkish meals, a home favourite cuisine worldwide, as well as more familiar and global dishes. Choose from views from the beach, amongst the luscious green landscape or panoramic views from rooftops restaurants overlooking the bay and sea!
The Region
Kalkan has become a boutique resort, with cobbled streets and converted Greek houses, which belonged to the Greek merchants before the exchange of population in the 1920’s. Once quiet fishing harbour, these days you are more likely to see traditional wooden gulets taking tourists to soak up rays on the sparkling turquoise Mediterranean. A boat trip is a must-do, from the boat you can snorkel and usually a delicious lunch is prepared on board. Keen walkers should check out the Lycian way for designated walking paths in the area.
You cannot come to this area without spending some time exploring the many Lycian sights, such as Xanthos, Patara, Myra or the sunken city of Kekova.
Patara is said to be where democracy started (they excavated a stone voting block) and is also said to be the birthplace of St Nicholas, who became bishop at nearby Myra. The ruins here include an ancient theatre, city walls, government building, and agora. The lighthouse on the site is said to be the earliest of its kind. Visit Patara in the late afternoon and finish the trip with a drink on the sandy beach watching the amazing sunset.
The Saklikent Gorge is a great place to visit, especially if you want to cool off in the fresh waters whilst walking up the gorge. For the more energetic there are rafts and rings to ride the flowing waters. Further down you can enjoy a day canoeing toward the beach.
Islamlar sits 8 km above Kalkan. Once the place Kalkan folk went to cool off at one of the trout farms built to make use of the mountain’s springs. Today Islamlar houses many a villa, enjoyed by Istanbul Turks who prefer a holiday in slightly cooler and cleaner air. Here the locals grow grapes and pomegranates, but you’ll mainly see the men sat gossiping next to the local teahouse. The trout farms remain a place to come for a wonderful fresh meal, or a breakfast consisting of fresh local fare. The rocket will be the freshest and most tasty you’ve ever had; and the fresh chips cooked in olive oil take some beating.
By night both Kalkan and Kas come alive. Kas has more of a bohemian feel, people ambling through the cobbled streets, passing the ancient tomb in the street, haggling for textiles, carpets and other goodies, maybe stopping for the traditional Turkish ‘maras’ ice cream, a tulip-shaped glass of tea or a wonderful kebab in the shadow of the mosque. Most of the villas in Kas are just out of town on the Cukurbag Peninsula. A reasonable (5km) taxi or Dolmus (local bus) ride into town. Be sure to try the Piyaz, a white bean salad with tahini sauce.
Travelling along the coast towards Kalkan you pass the modern marina, the children’s beach park (run by the local hotel school) and halfway to Kalkan the stunning Kaputas Beach, cut in a gorge with all different shades of turquoise in the sea.
Kalkan is a more sophisticated resort, with the villas built onto the mountainside. Evening are spent enjoying the rooftop restaurants, perched on the top of the old ‘konak’ houses. Then wandering to a seaside bar for a cocktail, after shopping for glass lanterns, Iznik pottery, handbags or pestemel towels. Do visit the ‘pastane’, local patisseries which do the most delicious morning pastries and you must try the ‘Gozleme’ pancakes at the Thursday market.
Other things to do in the area include scuba diving as the visibility is excellent, paragliding, horseriding on Patara Beach or kayaking around the sunken ruins at Kekova.
