Villa Toprak is located in the hills and olive groves of Kiziltas, overlooking the harbour town of Kalkan, with extensive views across the Mediterranean’s Turquoise Coast. Kalkan lies approximately 125 kilometres from Dalaman Airport, accessible via a 90-minute drive through the Turkish countryside and the Taurus Mountains. Formerly a Greek enclave known as Kalamaki, Kalkan retains architectural and cultural elements from both Ottoman and Hellenic periods, particularly in the old town, where narrow streets are lined with traditional white buildings, restaurants, cafés, bars, and shops.
Visitors to Kalkan often take boat trips from the harbour, either on shared excursions or private gulet charters. These trips typically include opportunities for swimming and snorkelling in nearby bays, onboard meals featuring local meze, and late afternoon returns to the harbour. Kalkan also features a central pebble beach with direct sea access. Nearby, Kaputas Beach is located in a natural gorge, while Patara offers a 20-kilometre stretch of undeveloped sandy beach, which is also a protected nesting site for turtles. The coastline includes various beach clubs, catering to a range of preferences from family-friendly facilities with water sports to high-end resorts offering spa services and private sunbathing areas.
The Lycian Way, a long-distance hiking trail, passes through Kalkan, offering access to regional archaeological sites, rural villages, and natural landscapes. A short trip inland leads to the town of Kinik, home to the ancient Lycian city of Xanthos.
Travel along the D400 highway to reach the town of Fethiye, which provides access to several historical locations, including Patara, Letoon, Tlos, and Pinara. These sites contain ruins reflecting Lycian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine heritage. Fethiye also features a fish market and a range of retail options, including designer goods and jewellery. The town of Kas is located 25 kilometres from Kalkan and can be reached via a coastal road known for its scenic views. In Kas, visitors can explore Ottoman-era architecture and browse local shops offering handmade and antique items. Dining options include traditional Turkish establishments with sea views. From Kas, a ferry service operates to the nearby Greek island of Meis, which offers further sightseeing opportunities such as 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.
