Kalkan
The population of Kalkan in the winter is 3,600 rising up to 8,000 in high season.
Kalkan is a lovely hillside town that overlooks a stunning bay. It‘s quaint, traditional white-washed houses, shuttered windows and balconies garlanded with brilliant flowers make Kalkan the ultimate holiday town on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey (or anywhere in the Med for that matter). Narrow winding streets lined with shops, cafes and restaurants lead down to the charming marina.
Kalkan is located at 230 kilometers (143 miles) west of Antalya or 25 km (16 miles) west of Kas. The nearest airport is Dalaman to the west 120 km (75 miles). It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car door to door.
Kalkan was founded about 200 years ago by local Greeks and Turks who named it ‘Kalamaki‘. The oldest building in the town is the mosque above the harbour that originally was a Greek Orthodox Church until the 1920‘s.
If you would like to venture out of Kalkan, you may enjoy a daily island excursion in a gullet (wooden hulled local boats), a moonlight dinner cruise or go by bus to nearby villages such as Patara, Kas and Bezirgan. Patara beach is 12 km of unspoiled white sand beach located15 km from Kalkan. There is another beautiful small sandy beach, Kaputas beach, 5 km east of Kalkan.
Every morning boats busily take tourists to one of the nearby beaches or small bays. As the sun sets it is Kalkan style to meet on the roof terraces for a drink before dinner and enjoy the comings and goings of yachts in the marina or simply enjoy the breathtaking panoramic view of the Mediterranean. For the ultimate two week holiday, a combination ’blue cruise’ on Angelo II together with a week at the Olympos Villas would give you the best of what Turkey’s southwest coastline has to offer.
Kalkan has some excellent restaurants with plenty to choose in all price ranges. Our favourite is 'The Nar' (www.thenarbar.com), rooftop restaurant. The food here is simply exceptional — Turkish/Continental fine dining at it‘s best! Stick to Turkish or Continental items on the menu (such as the Kebab Special, Manti or Penne Arrabiatta) and stay away from things like Mexican Fahitas. Kalkan also has some cute little boutiques such as Memik’s which you will find dotted around the historical centre. 100 meters below the Olympos Villa’s is the Palm Beach Club (www.palmbeachkalkan.com) a great way to just ’chill’ out by the sea.
