Kalkan Village

Kalkan is a hillside harbor village on Turkey's Turquoise Coast in the Kaş District of western Antalya province. Built on steep terraces above a small protected bay, the historic village core consists largely of whitewashed and honey-colored Ottoman stone houses with wooden balconies and bougainvillea-draped walls, many of which have been converted to boutique hotels and restaurants over the past two decades. The harbor at the base of the village accommodates a small fleet of yachts and gulets, and the waterfront is lined with cafes where the main activity is watching boats and the light changing on the bay. Kalkan's reputation for excellent restaurants is well established, with numerous rooftop dining terraces offering menus of Turkish and Mediterranean cuisine with views over the harbor and toward the island of Meis on the Greek horizon. The village has no significant public sand beach of its own, as the rocky shoreline descends directly into the sea, but a series of wooden platform ladders extend from the cliff base, and visitors can swim from these platforms directly into the clear water. Boat trips from the harbor explore the coastline and offer access to beaches including Kaputaş. The weekly Saturday market draws both residents and visitors for fresh produce, olives, and textiles. Kalkan has a more upscale and quieter character than neighboring Kaş and the major resort towns to the east, and its narrow steep streets are best navigated on foot.