Kalkan, Turkey

A very long time ago, before the Turkish Republic was founded, this vibrant holiday resort was the Greek fishing village of Kalamiki. Always a popular spot with visiting boats, Kalkan provides wonderful azure blue waters lapping sandy bays and is rich in traditional charm and local ancient history. This is an ideal place from which to explore the nearby archaeological sites including the Lycian ruins at Patara, Letoon and Xanthos.

Even the transfer to this resort is special, with the road winding through barren hills and countryside down to the coast and the dazzling blue sea. Entering Kalkan, whitewashed Ottoman houses cling to the hillside with jumbled narrow streets and cobbled alleyways leading to the sea and the pretty harbour area. Because of hillside setting we cannot recommend Kalkan for those with walking difficulties. Although there is a small strip of beach in the town, most people prefer to take one of the water taxi boats from the harbour and head off to one of the many beaches just around the headland, such as Kalamar Bay, where there is a wide choice of water sports available. In the evening there is a cosmopolitan atmosphere that caters for all tastes, but we recommend exploring the bustling seafood restaurants that line the harbour front where they grill freshly caught fish from the local boats and you can watch the world go by.