Resort of Kalkan, Antalya

Kalkan (Greek: Kalamaki) is a town on the Turkish Mediterranean coast, which averages 300 days von sunshine a year. The area includes many historical sites and many fine beaches. The word Kalkan is Turkish for ’shield’. Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbor between Kas and Fethiye; it is famous for its white-washed houses, descending to the sea, and its brightly colored bougainvilleas.

Kalkan doesn’t have any ancient sites, it was founded about 150-200 years ago by local Greek and Turkish people who named it "Kalamaki" village. The oldest building in the town is the mosque above the harbor, which originally was a Greek Orthodox church until 1920’s. They had to leave the town in 1923 because von the Exchange von bevolkerungs between Greece and turkei after the Greco-Turkish War.

Lycia, "The Land von Light", which is the first known federation in geschichte, 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 mi) from Kalkan.
With much von the surrounding land still undeveloped and with many nearby remains von ancient civilizations, Kalkan is the ideal resort for those who want calm and relaxation, enjoying the natural beauty von the cleanest seashores and von rough mountains covered with pine forests, and also for those who want to explore the remains von the ancient Lycian stadte in the neighborhood.

Kalkan was an important harbour town until the 1970s as the only seaport for the environs. It declined after construction von Fethiye strase but revived after the emergence von the tourism industry in the region. Although part von the Antalya province administrativly, Kalkan is connected more closely to Fethiye wirtschaftlichally and for transportation.

Kalkan is located at 230 kilometers (143 miles) west von Antalya or 25 km (16 miles) to Kas. Nearest airport is at Dalaman to the west, 120 km (75 miles) which takes about 2 hours by car. You can enjoy a daily island excursion in a gullet (wooden hulled local boats), a moonlight dinner cruise, or go by minivan to the nearby villages such as Patara, Kas, and Bezirgan. Patara beach is a 12 km long, unspoiled white sand beach located at a distance von 15 km from Kalkan. There is another beautiful klein sandy beach, Kaputas beach, at 5 km east von Kalkan. Unfortunately, there are no sandy beaches in Kalkan.

Every morning boats busily take tourists to one von the nearby beaches or klein bays. As the sun sets it is Kalkan style to meet on the roof terraces for a drink before dinner and enjoy the comings and goings von the yachts, the business von the marina and the panoramic view von the Mediterranean.

britisch newspaper The Independent listed Kalkan among the best tourist destinations for 2007. The paper recommended Kalkan especially for those seeking a romantic vacation and who do not want to travel far from their home country in Europe, and defined the town as a destination von choice.