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Home Page >> About Kalkan |
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About Kalkan |
With much of the surrounding land still undeveloped and with many nearby remains of ancient civilizations, Kalkan is the ideal resort for those who want calm and relaxation, enjoy the natural beauty of the cleanest seashores, of rough mountains covered with pine forests, and also for those who want to explore the remains of the ancient Lycian cities in the neighborhood.
Lycia, "The Land of Light", which is the first known federation in history, included the many city states between modern day Fethiye and Antalya, and its capital was Xanthos (Arna in Lycian language), which is Kinik today, 17 km (11 miles) from Kalkan.
Kalkan was an important harbour town until 1970's as the only sea port for the environs. It declined after construction of Fethiye
road but revived after the emergence of the tourism industry in the region.
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Where is Kalkan ?
Kalkan is located on Turkey's south west coast, between the towns of Fethiye [87km to the west) and Kas (27km to the east). It belongs to the region of Antalya, which is also the name of its regional centre, located 200km away.
About Kalkan ?
Situated on Turkey’s beautiful south west Mediterranean coast, between the towns of Fethiye and Kas, the small town of Kalkan is nestled at the foot of the Taurus Mountains in a beautiful bay.
The heart of Kalkan is its Old Town , a maze of small cobbled streets winding down to the harbour. The streets are lined with many old Greek and Turkish buildings covered with bougainvillea, occupied by small boutique shops and restaurants.Today the town is expanding out from this traditional centre, but the character of the Old Town and harbour remains unchanged.
Kalkan itself has a man made pebble beach, but is better known for its beach clubs and proximity to the famous beaches of Patara and Kaputas cove. The beach clubs are private rock bathing platforms with intimate cafe/restaurants, just a 5 minute water taxi ride round the bay. The waters around Kalkan bay have a Blue Flag award for cleanliness and are ideal for all forms of water sports. Learn to dive at one of the diving schools or simply charter a small boat and its crew for the day. Like much of Turkey , Kalkan is surrounded by historical and geographical sites. Pinara, Patara, Xanthos, Thlos and Myra cover ancient settlements from the Byzantine, Roman and Lycian periods to name but a few.
The river gorge at Saklikent and famous beach at Olu Deniz are all less than an hour away. Above all Kalkan is most famous for its high quality but reasonably priced restaurants. With over 100 to choose from, there is something for everyone. Most popular are the roof terrace restaurants of the Old Town where you can sit and watch the sun set over the sea and dine under the stars.
It is no surprise therefore, that Kalkan, once the favourite summer resort for wealthy Turks has now become internationally renowned. The beauty of the town, the weather and the friendliness of the local people attract visitors back time and time again. Ask regular Kalkan visitors and home owners alike and they will describe the moment they glimpse Kalkan from over the mountains as "Coming Home!"
Health Services:Doctor, Dentist, Hospital, Veterinary Other Services: Bank, Post Office, Internet Cafe, Taxis, Local Bus and National Coach Services Utilities: Mains water and electric, bottled gas, sewerage via septic tank. (Mains sewerage project in progress)
Current Population: circa 2,500
How can I travel to Kalkan ?
Many well known tour operators offer holiday packages to Kalkan throughout the tourist season which runs from late April to the end of October. Operators specialising in Kalkan are Tapestry Holidays and Simply Travel, although Anatolian Sky, Cachet Travel, Sun quest and Thompson Holidays have a small number of Kalkan hotels in their brochures. Most of them also offer the alternative of flight only. If you plan to travel independently, you can fly to Dalaman or Antalya airports and then transfer by private car, taxi or local coach services to Kalkan.
For scheduled flights to Dalaman and Antalya;
Turkish Airlines
Kibris Airlines
Atlasjet airlines
for details of their flight schedules and prices.
Flights to Dalaman
Charter flights are available into Dalaman airport from April through to the beginning of November. The start date often coincides with the UK Easter holidays. Alternatively, direct scheduled flights are available with Kibris airlines from Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports. Pegasus airlines also fly from some local airports such as Norwich. During the winter months Dalaman international terminal is currently closed, although its domestic terminal remains open for flights connecting from most major Turkish cities e.g. Istanbul, Ankara.
How long can I stay in Turkey on my tourist visa ?
The tourist visa purchased on entry to Turkey is valid for up to 3 months. If you wish to stay in Turkey for longer periods it is possible to apply for resident’s visa, providing you can show evidence of your ability to support yourself during your stay. The application for the resident’s visa should be started from the UK by contacting the Turkish Consulate in London for the relevant forms and advice.
Alternatively, the standard tourist visa can be renewed by a day boat trip from Kas to the Greek Island of Megisti. This is a convenient way to extend the visa for another three months and also provides an opportunity to purchase duty free and foodstuffs not available locally.
Local health care ?
Kalkan itself has a number of private doctors and dentists and Fethiye a variety of private hospitals. Health care is not covered under the E111 as in other countries and private health cover is necessary. However the standard of private care is excellent and generally significantly cheaper than European private hospitals. Doctors in Kalkan and in Fethiye are used to dealing with foreign patients and some hospitals have a special foreigner liaison officer to help with any problems.
Does Kalkan have a beach ?
Kalkan has pebbly man made beach to the east side of the harbour, but is more renown for its beach clubs around the bay and its proximity to Kaputas and the famous Patara beaches. Beach clubs can be found in the harbour, at Club Patara and Villa Mahal on the east side of the bay as well as in Kalamar Bay to the west. A number of small private sea front hotels also offer bathing from their sea landings and sun bed hire.
If lounging around the pool is more your style, then you will be pleased to know that most villas and apartments have private or shared pool facilities. A number of hotels will also allow non hotel guests use of their pools and sun beds for a small daily fee.
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