Kalkan Travel Guide

Getting There

Halfway between Dalaman and Antalya airports, Kalkan lies along the southwestern coast of the Mediterranean. Unless you have your own car, there's no way to avoid the long and torturous (albeit lovely) journey by land: from Antalya it's a 6-hour, rarely air-conditioned minibus ride.

Kamil Koç (tel. 444-0562) provides the only direct bus service from Dalaman to Kalkan (3 hr.; 8YTL/$6), leaving daily from the bus station at 9:30am in summer, 9:30pm in winter. A taxi from the airport will run around 135YTL ($100).

From Fethiye it's an easy 11km/18 miles into Kalkan (1 1/2 hr.; 16YTL/$12). Long-distance direct service is available with Pamukkale year-round from Istanbul (12 hr.; 53YTL/$39), leaving at 7pm nightly; from Ankara (10 hr.; 40YTL/$30), leaving at 10:30pm (in winter, you must change in Fethiye); and from Izmir (8 hr.; 22YTL/$16), leaving at 9am and 9pm. Kamil Koç also serves these cities.

The main bus companies often send their non-air-conditioned minibuses into Kalkan. If you're headed to any of the towns along the coast up to Antalya, catch one of Antalya Tour's (tel. 0242/331-1250) air-conditioned buses (not all are equipped), and head out early in the morning -- the lack of traffic can shorten your trip by up to an hour; from Antalya, it'll cost around 12YTL ($9).

Perhaps most convenient is to visit Kalkan as a port of call on a Blue Voyage. (If you're taking a Blue Voyage, it's worth trying to coax your captain into stopping in Kalkan for an overnight visit.)

Visitor Information

There is no Tourist Information office in Kalkan. Thursday is market day.

Deniz Bank is the only bank in town, so it's a good idea to arrive in town with enough cash to get by, in case the ATM falls victim to an unexpected glitch.

At the marina, you can take care of the basics, such as the use of coin-operated public toilets, showers, or laundry facilities, or hire a local boat and captain for the day.

Orientation

Kalkan is built on a steep hillside that descends into the bay; enclosed by rocky and rugged mountains, the village has nowhere to go but down. The main square serves as a parking lot as well as the old town center, with two or three bus company offices, some travel agencies, a barber, a PTT, and a handful of bodegas for essential refills of water. From the tiny roundabout at the entrance to the town, a connector road leads the way out to lovely Kalamar Bay. This road is at the receiving end of most of the building boom experienced here in the past 5 or so years.

In Kalkan's compact center, the crisscross of streets packed with restaurants, pensions, and shops from the main square down to the marina is known as Yaliboyu. Even though nobody uses a street address, it's unlikely you'll get lost. All roads lead to the harbor and marina, and you will find yourself trekking up and down the steep roads countless times a day.

Getting Around

Kalkan is a pedestrian village of limited size. The main square is closed to incoming traffic, requiring automobiles to circle down to the marina, turn left at the harborfront road and left again back up the hill to the main square. If you're entering the village by car, be aware that the harbor road closes to traffic at 7pm. If you have trouble walking up and down steep inclines, Kalkan is not for you.

By Dolmus -- Dolmuses leave from the main square regularly (as soon as they fill up), heading east toward Kas or west to Patara and points beyond. Dolmus service back into Kalkan ends as early as 6pm, so if you pop out of town for the day, make sure you have a ride home.

By Bus -- There is a limited number of major bus companies in Kalkan, generally servicing only the longer hauls. Destinations and schedules are posted on placards outside the few minuscule ticket offices located on the main square. It's usually okay to buy your ticket at the office just prior to boarding.

By Car/Scooter -- It's almost impossible not to trip over a sign touting the rental of a scooter, car, or jeep. You'll find the scooters up in the main square across from the post office renting for about 27YTL to 40YTL ($20-$30), and car rentals through most travel agencies go for 67YTL ($50) and up, depending on the model.