Kalkan - Harbor and City Walk along the Street Cafe´s

Kalkan is thought to be the small issue of Kaş, however, the more exquisite one. In several patios the former fishing village drops to the sea. Restaurants form nice groups around the small harbor, about that white washed villas cuddle up surrounded by small houses closely to the slopes.

Some time ago experts called Kalkan the Portofino of Turkey. Today the comparison limps a little, Torquay or Saint Ives would be probably better suitable.

During the last 30 years Kalkan, until 1922 exclusively inhabited by Greeks, has become a British enclave. Here meanwhile a lot of senior citizens of the island have afforded a summer residence, so that one already whispers Kalkan becomes the first Turkish small town with a British mayor. Unfortunately, a huge construction boom also came along with this development. Thus a bay originated to the west of the old Kalkan, the villa and flat settlement Kalamar, the counterpart in addition is in the other direction called Kisla is part wise covered with new buildings already, however, it will last years, until the whole jigsaw puzzle will show up as one structure.

Kalkan is a former fishing village with quite a lot of different legends about the origin are told. There is the one of a woman who came from the close island Meis regularly by boat to the coast to sell her goods to the surrounding villages. Apparently the lady has made a good deal at her shore position, so immediately others came to same place to get part in this business. Another legend tells the history of a villager from this area. The Lycian coast should have been looted in the 19th century regularly by marauding gangs. The farmer opposed the pirates with a self made protection shields and weapons and defended his farm. From this time on he was called of the "Kalkanli", in English “with a shield”.

Kalkan is an excellent location for vast walking and back packing tours in the middle section of the “Lykian Footpath”. You will be able to walk to the high situated village of "Bezirgan", the original native village of the today's inhabitants of Kalkan, or you can walk along the coast up to the dunes of Patara. Next to Kalkan the ruins of Xanthos (capital of the Lycian people) and other antique sites like Letoon, Patara and a little bit further Pinara can be visited. All these places of interest can be reached very simple and favorably by the local Dolmus (collective taxi). Moreover, you can take part in Kalkan at various diving schools in diving classes and diving excursions. Various holiday boats offer day tours to lonely bays and beaches. For a stay in Kalkan the most different small hotels and pensions offer cheap acomodation with breakfast.

Please read as well:

Phaselis Antalya - ancient harbor town

Oldtown Kaleici Antalya - Life behind the doors

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