Kalkan
Location
Located at the southwest corner of Turkey, Kalkan is a growing small seaside town. It is 210 km. from Antalya, which is one of the main cities of Turkey. Much nearer, there is Fethiye, which is a larger seaside town only at 80 km. distance. Being settled by a steep mountainside around a small marina, it provides an excellent view from most of the plots of the town. The town is mainly divided into 3 main regions. The former part is the central one with traditional houses opening directly to the historical narrow streets of Kalkan. As the residentials continue rising up the mountainside, the new settlement district including newly constructed houses starts. The west of the town, named as Kalamar, is the second development zone with some nice hotels also included. K??la at the opposite direction, presents the newest development district with a magnificent sunset over the sea and mountain view, including Kalkan village panorama.
Transportation
Kalkan is 3 hours drive from Antalya, where flights are available all through the year, but as the new seaside road is finished then it will be 2-2,5 hours. It is only 2 hours drive from Dalaman airport, but the flights are available only during the high season. By this year, the new international terminal building will be completed and the flights from Dalaman will also be available all through the year. Also, the new road from Dalaman to be completed in 2006, including the tunnel, will decrease the drive distance to 1,5 hours. There are bus services everyday to main cities, Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Transportation to nearby towns, like Patara or Kas, is provided by minibuses. For everyday use within the town, taxis or rental cars are available.
Climate
Kalkan has typical Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and warm wet winters. The sea water temperature rarely drops below 16°C, thus enabling swimmers 9 months of bathing season. The average temperature during summer is 35-40°C and 14-16°C during winter. Not having a high humidity, Kalkan is preferred by foreigners especially for healthy life.
Surrounding
Kalkan is rich for both natural beauties and historical treasures. The overall district is named as Lycia, starting from Fethiye and stretching towards Finike. Kalkan is within easy reach of Lycian capital Xhanthos, its major port Patara and its religious center Letoon. For visiting these historical places, either daily tours can be followed or car rental can be preferred. There are also boat trips available every day, taking you to several sea caves and sunkencity at Kekova.
Population & Health Services & Market
In the winter time the population of the town is 3600, whereas it rises up to 8000-9000 during the high season. In general, the foreigners have their holiday periods here and rent their houses for the period they are away. However, there are also foreigners choosing to settle down in Turkey for rest of their life. There is a small Health Center in the town, dependent on the Government. Also, there are 2 private medical centers. Kalkan has 2 main markets open everyday, almost 14 hours. Also, the traditional bazaar is available every Thursday within the town. If required, markets at Fethiye can be preferred accordingly.
Day and Night Life
Kalkan has a very lively life style especially in summer period. During the daytime, there are various alternatives to enjoy your day by sunbathing, swimming and watersports. If you are searching for a nice sandy beach, Patara Beach is just half an hour distance by minibuses from the town center. There is also Kaputas Beach, 15 minutes distance from town center on the road to Kas. You can also prefer pebble beach at the town center, which is as clean as other alternatives. At the nighttime, there is a high variety of restaurants and bars, serving international meal types as well as traditional kitchen dishes. Having the tables organized at the roof terraces, most of them benefit from the magnificent Bay view.