Villa Misket is situated in the Kisla area, located east of the harbour town of Kalkan on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast. Kalkan lies approximately 125 kilometres from Dalaman Airport, accessible via a 1.5-hour drive through the Turkish countryside and the Taurus Mountains. Historically known as Kalamaki, the town retains architectural and cultural elements from its Greek and Ottoman heritage, particularly in the old town, where cobbled streets are lined with whitewashed houses, restaurants, cafés, bars, and local craft and souvenir shops. A supermarket is within walking distance of the villa, offering convenient access to daily essentials.
Kalkan town centre provides a wider range of services, including supermarkets, banks, and a weekly Thursday market. Several of the area’s well-regarded beach clubs are located within walking distance of Villa Misket, offering amenities such as restaurants, bathing platforms, and swimming pools. Notable options include Villa Mahal and Zest, both offering dining and leisure facilities. Water taxis also operate from the local area, providing a scenic route to additional beach clubs across the bay.
A popular activity for visitors is a day cruise from Kalkan harbour. Options include group or private gulet trips that typically involve stops for swimming and snorkelling in nearby bays, onboard meals featuring local cuisine, and sunset views on the return journey. Kalkan also has a small pebble beach with access to the sea.
For those interested in wellness, Turkish hammams and spa treatments are widely available in town. Day trips to nearby destinations such as Kaputas Beach and Patara are also recommended. Patara features significant archaeological sites and a protected beach known for Caretta Caretta turtle nesting.
The area is part of the Lycian Way, a historic walking trail that passes through various coastal and inland landmarks, archaeological ruins, and traditional villages. Nearby Kinik provides access to the ancient Lycian city of Xanthos. Other historical sites along the D400 road include Patara, Letoon, Tlos, and Pinara, offering insight into the region’s Lycian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine past.
The harbour town of Fethiye offers further archaeological interest, as well as a popular fish market and shopping opportunities. The town of Kas, located 25 kilometres away, is accessible via a scenic coastal drive and is known for its preserved Ottoman architecture, vibrant streets, and sea-view restaurants. From Kas, visitors can take a short ferry to the Greek island of Meis, where attractions include the Blue Cave and waterfront dining.
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.
