Kalkan and other Turkish delights
Getting to Kalkan is relatively easy. Turkish Airlines flies from South Africa direct to Istanbul. From Istanbul there are 6 flights a day to Dalaman. A 1½ hour transfer from Dalaman Airport has you in Kalkan – the beautiful little seaside resort nestled on the South Coast of Turkey in the Mediterranean.
I was fortunate to stay at the Likya Residence and Spa, set on the cliffs overlooking the town and ocean. Positively, definitely THE best resort in the Village. Likya is a very relaxed resort with beautiful stone walls, 3 different pools, views of both the sea and the Kalkan town and the most amazing and refreshing rooms. It was hard to do anything BUT relax at Likya. The food was scrumptious, from Mesa Plata’s and local delights to fresh pastas and juicy salads. You can choose to spend your whole vacation just relaxing at Likya, making use of their Spa and getting treatments like a Turkish Bath, massages, facials, mani’s and pedi’s, and then spending the rest of the time relaxing at the pool. This is an ideal holiday for many, and will send you back to your hustle and bustle life, totally rejuvenated. If this is not your type of holiday, never fear – there is a whole new adventure waiting for you. The list of activities is very inviting. We were lucky enough to head out on a Gullet for the day, into the Mediterranean. The ocean is surprisingly warm, and it also has a relatively high salt content, so you find yourself bobbing on top while snorkelling. This was a wonderful experience, and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the South of Turkey. You can also Paraglide, take speedboat trips, go Scuba diving and enjoy a sundowner’s cruise.
Likya serves wonderful dinners. We were fortunate to be guests of theirs for dinner one evening. The views from the outdoor dinner venue of the town at night were truly breath taking. The remainder of the time we dined in Kalkan Harbour at Aubergines, and Trio. The two were both very lovely restaurants right on the water’s edge. One thing that you will not find difficult to find in Kalkan is a place to eat. Locals boast that in the small seaside village there are over 150 restaurants.
On my final day in Kalkan, I chose to pop on over to the nearby village on Kas. It is about 30kms from Kalkan and is a very picturesque little seaside town. I instantly fell in love with Kas. On the journey to Kas, you do pass a couple of open beaches. I would definitely recommend that if you do take the day trip, be sure to pack your bathing suit and stop along the way. Lunch in Kas would not be complete without a Turkish Ice Cream. I had only found the real Turkish Ice Cream in Istanbul, and then could not find any in Kalkan, but, if you are in Kalkan and your desire is large enough, there is a Turkish Ice Cream stand in Kas.
It was very sad to say goodbye to Kalkan. My preconceived images in my mind of the town were spot on! Kalkan is a wonderful place. The people are friendly, the town is beautiful and the whole experience is so different to any other seaside holiday I have ever had. Kalkan, like all the towns on the South Coast of Turkey, closes for the winter as the winters are harsh and makes for an unpleasant vacation. During this time though, the resorts renovate, build, fix and prepare for the new season ahead. During the summer months, very little (if any) building work can be seen. To Turkey, I say: Tesekkur Ederim, dahaki sefere kadar (Thank you, until next time!)