Kalkan, Turkey's Mediterranean Coast
Overview of holidays in Kalkan:
Considered to be one of Turkey's most sophisticated resorts, Kalkan is fast becoming the country's premier resort for private villa and apartment holidays. Kalkan appeals to the more discerning tourist, so if you're looking for karaoke and 'British pubs', Kalkan is NOT the Turkish holiday resort for you! Kalkan is an enchanting historic town and enjoys one of the most beautiful locations along Turkey's gorgeous Lycian Coast. It has so far escaped mass tourism and so remains a delightful and unspoiled secret holiday destination. It offers an abundance of lush natural scenery, crystal clear turquise sea, sandy coves and beaches, ancient history, fascinating architecture and traditional warm Turkish hospitality.
During the day Kalkan offers a wide range of popular activities including exhilarating water sports, boat trips, mountain walking and exploring the longest gorge in Turkey; or you can simply relax on one of Kalkan's glorious golden beaches bathed in Mediterranean sunshine, sip cocktails by your pool or explore the local market. At night the town of Kalkan comes alive and bustles with activity. Here you can explore a great selection of shops (all of which open early in the day and stay open until at least midnight), restaurants and bars; or simply enjoy a gentle stroll through Kalkan's winding cobblestone streets down to the harbour.
Kalkan Shopping:
Kalkan's shops sell a wide variety of goods, from souvenir T-shirts, handi-crafts and the almost obligatory Turkish Delight, to high fashion clothing, leather goods and Turkish hand-woven rugs (Kilims). Gold and silver jewellery is sold by its weight in Turkey, so there are many bargains to be had while meandering through Kalkan's white-washed streets. If fashion is more your thing, then you can seek out one of the several tailors in the town that make made-to-measure clothing from Turkish cloth. Prices in Kalkan are very affordable and shopkeepers are happy to accept some foreign currency.
Kalkan Food & Drink:
Restaurants in Kalkan offer something for every taste; from traditional Turkish fayre to international cuisine. Buffets are popular, which usually offer a large choice of starters (meze) which is followed by fish or grilled meat, ending with fruit or dessert followed by delicious Turkish coffee. Kalkan is renowned as having the highest number of restaurants and bars per capita along the Turkish coast. Many of these are roof-top restaurants that offer wonderful views of the Mediterranean sea or over the town.
After dinner visitors can explore a wide variety of bars. These range from traditional Turkish bars with lots of local atmosphere, to those that cater to a more international taste. These include live-music bars, several popular small dancing bars and a couple of disco bars. Alternatively you can always soak up the atmosphere at one of Kalkan's 'Turkish nights' that many hotels host each week. Here you can enjoy delicious Turkish fayre, belly dancing, live Turkish music along with regional folk dancing. What is more you don't have to be a guest of the hotel to attend the event.
Getting to Kalkan:
The nearest airport to the holiday resort of Kalkan is Dalaman, with a transfer time time of approximately 1.5 hours.
Kalkan Climate:
The climate in Kalkan is similar to that of Southern California. The temperature of the Mediterranean sea that laps the coastline rarely drops below 16 degrees centigrade. Kalkan has a long season of warm sunny weather allowing comfortable bathing in the sea for around 9 months of the year. Although the area enjoys very hot sun during the summer, the resort of Kalkan benefits from the 'Meltem' - a seasonal wind which brings a welcome breeze to the scorching summer afternoons!
Kalkan Location:
Kalkan is situated on Turkey's delightful Lycian Coast and set within an area of outstanding natural beauty which is steeped in ancient history. Kalkan was once a simple Turkish/Greek fishing village but today Kalkan is a quietly sophisticated holiday destination. It offers the visitor a choice of accomodation from good quality low-rise hotels to magnificent privately owned holiday villas.
The narrow streets of the old town are lined with whitewashed shuttered buildings festooned with brightly coloured bougainvillea, intermingled with shops and terrace-topped restaurants. These cobbled streets twist down to the harbour, which is the focus of the village and here you can enjoy a meal whilst watching the world go by or by looking at the array of elegant 'gulets'.
