Kalkan Holidays

Kalkan’s small and pebbly main beach sits to the east of the harbour - this Blue-Flag wonder lets you sunbathe, ride a paddle board or jet-ski, and swim in the crystal-clear waters; there are also abundant beach clubs that stretch from Kalkan Bay to Kalamar Bay. For a change of scenery, take a dolmus ride to the secluded Kaputas Beach or embark a full-day or sunset cruise from the harbour. Activity seekers can don their walking shoes to hike along part of the Lycian Way, which runs between Fethiye and Antalya and passes through Kalkan or visit Kalkan’s dive centre to scuba dive with turtles, dolphins, and nurse sharks around islands and reefs. Head to Kas for paragliding or board the ferry over to the picture-postcard pretty Greek island of Meis. Step back in time at the ancient village of Patara with its 2,000-year-old Lycian ruins including an amphitheatre, bouleuterion, colonnaded street, and the Arch of Modestus (it also has the 18-kilometre-long Patara Beach nearby, famed for its loggerhead turtles).

Kalkan is also the perfect base from which to experience some of Turkey’s sights and attractions. Keep your camera ready to capture the panoramic vistas on an awe-inspiring hot-air balloon ride in Cappadocia. Gaze in wonder at Manavgat Waterfall’s teeming waters and Olympos’ famous Chaimaera Flames that flicker out of the rocky cliff. Venture to Istanbul to explore Hagia Sophia Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. Journey back in time at Side’s Temple of Apollo, Amphitheater, and Nymphaeum and Ephesus’s Library of Celsus and the Temple of Hadrian. Go hiking or white-water rafting in Koprulu Canyon National Park and keep your eyes peeled for endangered loggerhead turtles as you sail down the Dalyan River. Embark a sightseeing cruise on the Bosporus lined with Ottoman palaces, Rumeli Fortress, and Anadolu Fortress’ Byzantine ramparts. 

With over 150 restaurants to choose from serving local and international cuisine and the freshest fish and seafood; there’s plenty of places to satisfy your appetite in Kalkan. Discover everything from rooftop bars, friendly cafes, and seafood eateries with a sea view alongside the promenade to small family-run eateries and cosy bars in the old town. Savour typical Turkish fare like Doner Kebabs, Kofte, Dolma, Borek, Pide, Meze, Lahmacun, and Gozleme; with Arap Kadayif, Baklava, or Asure for dessert. A bottle or two of Efes Pilsen or local wine are the perfect accompaniment to any meal, especially when followed by a glass of the aniseed-flavour Raki, an authentic tea in a Caydanlik, or a cup of Turk Kahvesi coffee.