Kalkan has more to offer to visitors than visiting its main attractions, explore hidden and unusual things to do in Kalkan together with locals.
Nermin & Turkay (your local help living in Kalkan) can teach you how to cook from worldly known Restaurant Ciya Menu at their villa in Kalkan. Check out Ciya menu of master chef Musa Dağdeviren.
Nermin & Turkay can also teach you how to make Turkish baklava at home. Contact them for more info.
Everyone sings a song of his/her of own choosing. At the final stage: Foreigners sing Turkish songs & Turks sing foreign songs. The audience decides the winner. Get ready to hear the worst voices of Kalkan :)
Each time at a different pub, organized by Erdem (your local help living in Kalkan). If you like singing contact Erdem and register yourself.
Kinik is the fertile plain of the region, sets up the largest bazaar of the region each Friday.
Nermin & Turkay (your local help living in Kalkan) visit bazaar each Friday. You can visit the bazaar yourself or you can join them.
Zuhal (your local help living in Kalkan) can guide you. She is an ancient history freak knows the history Letoon, Patara and Xanthos very well. You can hike with her whole day. What's it like Trekking The Lycian Way . Contact Zuhal for more info.
Kalkan is known as the closest place to stare stars. Ayca (your local help living in Kalkan) will guide you to best points around Kalkan for best scenes and at best light. What's it like: Perfect Night Under The Stars (Lycian Way, Turkey). Contact Ayca for more info.
Huseyin (your local help living in Kalkan) can guide you to the inner lands of Kalkan one day. Huseyin can give you information about Ottoman history, early islamic sects like Alevis or Bektasis. He will take you to both historical and cultural heritage around Kalkan like:
An old Ottoman Town: Elmali
Tomb of Abdal Musa (An Alevi Dervish from 14th century) . What is Alevism?. Contact Huseyin for more info.
Huseyin (your local help living in Kalkan) can guide you to St. Nicholas church in Demre, origin of Santa Claus.
In a day in Demre you can explore the church of Santa Claus, ancient city of Myra where you'll be amazed with the acoustic of its theater and wander around a beautiful ancient Lycian harbour Andriake which is a beautiful museum right now.
From time to time, Erdem (your local help living in Kalkan) and his friends rides to Patara Desert with their DJ setup.
They hang out, swim, play beach soccer and perform their playlists. Contact Erdem if you want to join them. Contact Erdem for more info.
Because it's set on a flat land, Demre is the most convenient destination to visit on cycle. Huseyin (your local help living in Kalkan) will drive you to Demre in the morning and leave you on a place where you can rent your bicycles and gears.
In a day in Demre you can explore the church of Santa Claus, ancient city of Myra where you'll be amazed with the acoustic of its theater and wander around a beautiful ancient Lycian harbour Andriake which is a beautiful museum right now. Demre has beautiful public beaches to give a swimming break. In the evening Huseyin will drive you back to Kalkan.
Mustafa (your local help living in Kalkan) will borrow you a saz for your stay. Mustafa is a proficient saz player and welcomes anyone who is interested. You can visit him and take a free course during your stay.
SAZ - The Key of Trust . Contact Mustafa for more info.
Nafiz (your local help living in Kalkan) is the organizer. It's not a pro game, they play just for fun with fair play. Anyone at every age is welcomed. As a tradition in Turkey, losing team will buy a tray of baklava for whole players. Contact Nafiz to join.
Backgammon is not a sport but it may be one of the most traditional and competitive plays for Turkish people. Mustafa (your local help living in Kalkan) organizes a tournament each week. You'll be playing 2 matches (one match has 5 games traditionally and lasts around 1 hour). If you qualify, you'll be playing with the legendary Ali - the backgammon champion of Kalkan on another day. You'll probably lose Ali but it does worth trying. You can learn to play backgammon & practice on an online game site. If you like backgammon, contact Mustafa to register.
Aytug (your local support living in Kalkan) can borrow you a tent, a barbecue and some stuff you may need. You'll arrange a small fisherman boat to take you to the beach. No road to this beach from the land and most of the time there is no one except a yatch chained ashore. A night party can be a good idea, too. Contact Aytug for support.
Elmalı Yesilyayla Grease Wrestling is a sports tournament organized since 1352. One of the oldest sports tournaments in the world. The contest lasts for three days and over 100 best wrestlers of Turkey participate. It's held in late August or early September. Ask Huseyin (your local help living in Kalkan) exact dates. Contact him if you need extra help. Final Match for 2019 Tournament.
While jazz music, which suits the Mediterranean basin give its guests unforgettable nights under the warm breezes and stars. Festival is held late August or early September. Ask Aytug (your local help living in Kalkan) exact dates for this year. Contact him if you need extra help. Web site of the festival
The best things to do in Kalkan are that it is to enjoy all the riches were green and blue meet. Check the best weather that suits your preferences and arrange your flight to nearest Airport to Kalkan.
You don't know much about Kalkan? Watch videos about Kalkan.
Top Beaches & Beach Clubs in Kalkan
Ancient Cities close to Kalkan
The most important ancient cities in Kalkan are Xanthos, Letoon, and Patara. The first two ancient cities are the cities of the region, which are adjacent to each other and which we call Lycia. The ancient city of Xanthos is a more defensive city with a walking path and rock tombs in the hills. The ancient city of Letoon is mostly a city of temples. Patara, on the other hand, is a place that connects the past and the future with its uniquely beautiful sand dunes and the ancient theater. 2020 has attracted many tourists due to the announcement of Patara year. Caretta Caretta turtles are of interest to nature lovers because Carettas are spawning in that place. Many old settlements along Kalkan, Kaş, and Demre are waiting for their visitors. The Lycian Way, which reaches a length of 535 kilometers, is located on these settlements.
Kalkan and Surroundings
Demre, which is about 1 hour away from Kalkan, can attract you with its natural wonder nature. It is one of the quiet places where you can enjoy the Lycian ruins, bird watching point, healing hot spring waters, and immaculate beaches. But the downside is that there are not enough places to eat and stay.
Ancient City of Myra and Saint Nicholas
The ancient city of Myra is one of the delicate structures with unique rock tombs and preserved to this day. These tombs, which were carved by carving hard rocks one by one, bear traces of ancient Greek and early Byzantine periods. It is rumored that he went into seclusion after spreading his teachings and reaching the rank of saint. The Church of Saint Nicholas, located near the city of Myra, proves its existence. The Church of Saint Nicholas, where Orthodox Russians stop by to perform the duty of cross, is also worth a visit.
Accommodation
There is an increase in the number of newly built hotels and bungalow-style houses in Kalkan because it develops relatively late to other settlements in Antalya province. Hotels often look built on the foothills of the mountains that extend upwards. From the window of your room, you can sip your coffee at night by watching the collar, stunning coastline, and the moon. As you will use the pool and Turkish bath in hotels, if you do not want them, you can also use the contracted beaches of the hotel.
Eating and Drinking
In general, you can find Mediterranean cuisine in restaurants where you can find traditional Turkish dishes as well as modern cuisine. Before starting the meal, local bread and Turkish olive oil are served as a snack. While wine is generally consumed alongside meat dishes, you can try raki alongside delicious Turkish appetizers (mezes). Kalkan, which also has plenty of food in terms of seafood such as calamari, shrimp, offers food opportunities for people of all budgets. If you do not like the restaurants there, you can also try the restaurants in the town center, or try the best Kalkan Pizza.
In the region known as the Turkish Riviera, Kalkan is a holiday destination that hosts the best things you can do to meet all your needs. As a result, Kalkan is a popular holiday destination preferred by the British today.