Explore holidays in Kalkan
Kalkan holidays are all about beach clubs, boat trips and enjoying a luxury stay in some of the best holiday accommodation anywhere in our entire collection. Kalkan sits on Turkey’s stunning Turquoise Coast: a cosmopolitan, vibrant resort, famous for its harbourside lounge bars and rooftop restaurants, offering mouth-watering fusion cuisine where east meets west in a magical setting. A day at a beach club is the classic Kalkan holiday experience, a big hit with sociable teens but also for couples who can enjoy a decadent afternoon of waiter service on a lounger by the sea.
The town centre is a treasure trove of narrow streets, whitewashed Ottoman houses and inviting boutiques. Other Kalkan holiday highlights for Simpson Travel guests include a complimentary hamam (steam bath) and a Turquoise Coast cruise in a wooden gület. Kalkan has an incredibly loyal following; browse some of our favourites below and find out why so many of our guests rebook their Kalkan holidays year after year.
Explore our pre-bookable experiences in Kalkan
A selection of our holidays in Kalkan
* Prices include seven nights’ accommodation, flights and transfers/car hire, based on the lowest rate for maximum occupancy.
Our guide to Kalkan
Overview
Introduction to Kalkan
A land of historic beauty
Between soaring mountains and an impossibly blue Mediterranean Sea, lies the land of the Lycians – an ancient people whose tombs now dot this rugged, Homeric landscape. The Persians, Athenians and Romans each had their hold over Lycia, the ruined architecture of the latter still delighting unsuspecting visitors at many a turn along many a trail.
The best known, and arguably most scenic, of these is the Lycian Way – a 310-mile tying-together of goat tracks and timeless paths, which traverses deserted beaches, lush forests and soaring peaks. Here, at its south-westerly sweep, it skims to touch a jewel of Turkey’s shoreline, the aptly named Turquoise Coast.
A town made of silk
Of all the settlements along these shores, Kalkan is one of the youngest. The original town's folk were Ottoman Greeks, who settled about 200 years ago and used this pretty bay to trade in silk, amongst other things. Today’s Kalkan favours the tourist over the trader, though mulberry trees – residence of choice for silk worms – continue to dot granite-paved streets in sophisticated memory of the past.
From a harbour edged with stylish eateries and Ibiza-esque chillout bars, narrow lanes lead to numerous restaurants, some of them rooftop and offering the best seats in the house for watching the sunset.
A crescent of perfection
Just a few miles west of Kalkan sits one of the longest – and surely most perfect – of the Mediterranean’s beaches. A silver hem to aquamarine sea, Patara beach boasts eight miles of coastal bliss backed by ancient Lycian ruins (in case the sunsets weren’t incredible enough).
On higher plains
Nestled high in the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, the village of Islamlar seeks solace from the heat – and from the pace of life in the busier dwellings of the world below.
Here, a village moves to its own rhythm – never courting attention, but attracting it nonetheless through tireless traditions, renowned hospitality and unbeatable views across fertile valleys to the white sands of Patara, far away.
Islamlar is Turkish countryside living at its beautiful best. A place where the tea gardens are somehow a touch more tranquil than elsewhere, and where pools fed by natural spring water are brimming with trout of such quality, the village’s restaurants are justly famed for miles around.
In ancient footsteps
A little farther to the east, and a little richer in history, lies the market town of Kaş. It dates back to around 4 BC and offers lots to ponder over during a sundowner along the palm-lined esplanade – the perfect vantage point for taking in the comings and goings of the local fishing boats as they weave between luxury yachts and traditional gülets.
Take to the water yourself and you might glimpse an ancient sunken city, while a wander up to higher ground might reveal the Lycian rock tombs. When the day's exploring is done, find one of the many cafés or tea gardens to dine alongside the locals in an atmospheric setting with a cool bohemian vibe.
