KALKAN

           ‘Kalkan is one of the most picturesque places on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, with it’s ramshackle houses draped with bouganvillea & dotted with rickety wooden balconies.  Cobbled streets & alleys wind between houses - many of which were built in the 19th century.’

Article in The Times February 24th 2001

    Kalkan is increasingly becoming more well known, frequently written up in the UK press & found in more brochures....And yet although it is changing & becoming more sophisticated & busier it is still small, pretty & most importantly still ‘Turkish’.   A coastal village, Kalkan sits beneath the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, in the Antalya region of south-west Turkey.

        Canvas canopies hang from the wooden balconies of white-washed houses which lines narrow streets, overhung by bougainvillea & grape vines.  Former Greek residences bare witness to the formerly mixed culture of the village, called ‘Kalamaki’ until 1923.

         A small gaggle of alley ways, with dilpaidated & renovated stone houses amidst lemon & fig trees comprise the tiny ‘old quarter’ - sided by a gully which runs past Kalkan’s oldest mosque, down to the small pebble beach.      In summer private yachts, Turkish gullets & local fishing boats moor in the marina, above which sits the sea front drag lined with restaurants.          

Note : Please click on the photos to enlarge...

Only a couple of years ago the summer population of the village was about 1,500 including those that came in to work for the tourist season & in winter the population was about 600 – primarily Kalkan’s local community numbers about 600 - the descendants of three main families.  Now those numbers have increased to perhaps 2,500 in summer & 1,500 in winter:  Both figures reflecting how much more tourism there is here now. 

Of the original villagers the majority were born in Bezirgan, a stunningly beautiful village on the ova - upland plain - lying on the floor of a dries lake basin, behind the ridge of the mountain above Kalkan.  Escaping the fierce coastal heat, historically & until the early seventies, summers were spent in the mountains, tending land & livestock.  The villagers would return with the harvest - dried vegetables, almonds, walnuts, apples, sesame & wheat - to the moderate sea-level climate of Kalkan for the winter, wherein families would earn their small income for the year:  Gathering olives to be sold to oil factories & burning olive wood to produce charcoal for sale.  Although the younger generation now live all year in Kalkan,  most of the village’s remaining elders still  make the annual migration back to Bezirgan in early May until returning to Kalkan in October:  They rejoin the last few permanent dwellers, continuing their traditional way of life virtually unadulterated save for the inevitable satellite TV dishes & unfortunate Carlsberg parasols now used at the village tea garden.

                It was during the 1970’s that life started to change in Kalkan: The first electricity was provided by generators for 10-12 hours daily, otherwise candles & gas lamps provided light & gas run fridges were used by those that could afford them as was television when it became available (although with only 3 or so channels received for limited periods during the week, the open-air films projected onto the  wall of the old harbour cafe still had a large audience).  Change also came with the increase in the frequency of foreign visitors - Those from the coastal road built in the early seventies (which opened up the whole region) & those calling in by sea:  Locals would help them moor their yachts on the shore line (the harbour was not built until the early 80’s) & in response to inquiries as to where they could stay for the night, the foreigners would be offered a bed in the villagers’ homes.  In thanks for such hospitality the bars of chocolate or maybe diving goggles the visitors would leave soon became eagerly looked forward to by local children, who thence made it their business to race down to the bay upon seeing an approaching vessel.  This was, then, the first step towards tourism in Kalkan:  Gradually a few pansyons were opened; backpackers passed through more often & by the late-80’s / early 90’s specialist tour companies had established small operations in Kalkan.  And tourism became the new way of life during the summer months for many of the local community.

                Kalkan has become increasingly geared to the demands of it’s visitors.  The last couple of years have seen phenomenal change in the form of literally hundreds of new buildings primarily for sale to a very eager UK market.  But despite this & owing largely to the fact that the local families still reside & continue with their normal lives outside of tourism, Kalkan has managed to retain it’s own character & customs:  Indeed these are renewed during the winter months when, with the departure of it’s visitors & the closure of the amenities for them, Kalkan returns to ‘village life’.

The inevitable change of heart (& soul) of the village that comes when Tourism becomes the main role of a place has indeed begun & is gathering pace.  Those who knew Kalkan even 10 years ago  lament this somewhat & in some instances with good reason.  But there is a ‘however’ thankfully:  Kalkan is one of the few holiday destinations in Turkey that has not, as yet, suffered the ravages of the Tourist Industry.  Instead of being called a ‘Tourist resort’, a label which can suggest all sorts of  horrors, one can just about still give Kalkan the more appealing title of ‘Turkish resort’.

THINGS TO DO

              There are many things to see & do whilst visiting Kalkan:  Wandering round the village itself  one can browse the numerous craft, carpet & ceramic shops & visit the many excellent restaurants for which Kalkan is now renowned. 

                Kalkan has it’s own small pebble beach, as well as rock cut platforms leading directly into the sea on either side of the bay & reached by boat-taxi. Patara beach  or  Kaputas beach in a shingle cove.

              Diving trips with fully qualified PADI instructors, leave from the harbour everyday, as do all day boat trips:  The boat trips are recommended as a ‘must do’- a wonderful day spent mooring on islands & small coves, swimming & including a full lunch...And they only cost around £10-12 per person.

         The surrounding region is strewn with ancient Lycian & Roman sites, the nearest of which is Xanthos & Letoon, Patara, Pinara & Tlos all within a 40 minute drive of Kalkan.  Other historic sites to visit further afield include Arykanda, Myra, Phaesalis & Olympus. Overnight trips to Pammukale & Ephesus can also be organised. 

         A trip to the mountains is well worth considering, with stunning scenery as well as many small villages to visit.  Bezirgan Village is just behind the mountain above Kalkan (as mentioned previously).  It is absolutely stunning.  Islamlar Village (15 mins away) has trout farm-restaurants.  The best time to go is late afternoon to have an early supper & take in the fabulous views before the sun goes down.

                Saklikent is a fresh water gorge (40mins - 1 hr away) which is 18km long & makes for a fantastic walk, shaded from the heat albeit in freezing water!

               The best views are probably to be found high up at the small  mountain lake of Yesil Göl , with the source of the waterfall which leads into the Xanthos River, just nearby. 

                Other activities to take part in include guided canoeing on the Xanthos River,  jeep safaris, walking tours, horse riding on Patara beach & watersports.

               Many places can be visited by taking an organised tour which are ususally in the region of £15 to £ 25. 

         Alternatively, hiring a car is another way of seeing the local region.  A driver’s license required for insurance purposes & daily prices normally start at around  £20-25. This can be quite an economical way of touring for a family.  Scooters can also be hired in the village.  We can help Guests with routes to fit as much as possible into one day.

                The other option is to hire a taxi & driver for the day if you are not comfortable driving abroad.  Again we can explain the route to the driver for our Guests.

IN AROUND KALKAN

Beach Clubs:       There are 4 or 5 Beach Clubs around the bay, some are reached by boat taxi & they have  platforms cut into the rock coast leading directly to the sea, upon which are mats, sunbeds & parasols.  Small fee charged for usage. 

Beaches:       Apart from Kalkan’s small pebble beach (sunbeds & parasols for hire), Kaputas is the nearest beach (mix of sand & shingle) & is a 10 min taxi / bus ride on the way to Kas.  The water is fantastic, deepening very quickly, & you can swim to the Blue Cave (10 mins from beach to the left).  If you prefer sand, Patara beach - protected and undevelopped - has 21km of it.  It is a 15min taxi drive in the direction of Fethiye & is also served by bus.

* It is worth noting that Turkish sales culture is rather different to that of the British:  As soon as you enter or even look like you are going to enter a shop the owner / assistant is meant to be by your side & they will bring out whatever you look at for closer inspection.  Try not to let such attention scare you away.  Even if it seems the assistant has worked very hard, don’t be embarrassed if you don’t wish to purchase anything: Don’t say ‘you’ll think about it’ or  you’ll ‘come back later’, as a  way of  feeling less guilty, because when you don’t return the owner/assistant tends to feel you’ve lied and is then annoyed: Just thank them & leave.

The Pazar - weekly market:            Held on Thursdays, all day from about 9am until 6pm, by the mosque at the back of Kalkan.  Foods, materials & fake designer clothes are amongst the items to be bought - and here haggling is the norm.  Fethiye market is on Tuesdays & is much larger. Kas market is on Fridays & much the same as Kalkan’s.

Fethiye:    A small town about an hour west along the coast by bus.  Having had tourism for longer Fethiye thus far is only just avoiding the label of  ‘tacky resort’. Quite a wide choice of shops in the centre & rock tombs to be visited on the mountain face just above the town. On the road running along the seafront, beyond the marina is a medium sized amphitheatre only discovered a couple of years ago. The large weekly market is on Tuesdays.

Behind Fethiye about a half hour taxi ride through pine forests, is Kaya Köy - Stone Village - left deserted when the Greeks living there were repatriated in 1923.  It is quite beautiful, especially late afternoon in October when the pomegranite trees are in season & it gives one a reason to get as far as Fethiye.