Kalkan is set on the Turquoise Coast of Turkey. The enchanting historic town of Kalkan is the base for your holiday. Set on the Mediterranean coast, it is a sophisticated place with its narrow streets leading to a picturesque harbour. By night Kalkan has a bustling relaxed atmosphere with its cobbled streets lined with small boutiques and atmospheric bars playing blues and jazz. It is well known for the quality of its restaurants many set at roof top level and along the harbour with views over the Mediterranean. Kalkan is set on the Turquoise coast in breath-taking landscape and has a backdrop of the Taurus mountains. The ancient sites of Patara, Xanthos. Tlos, Pinara, and Letoon are all close by. There is so much to see in Kalkan and the surrounding area that it’s no surprise that guests return many times to this wonderful special place.

Kalkan is an elegant harbour town set on the Turquoise coast of south west Turkey. The Taurus mountains which rise behind Kalkan provide a stunning backdrop and many inspiring places to paint and photograph.

This region is unspoilt and rich in natural beauty and history. From pristine golden beaches, to mountain landscape and deserted ancient Lycian ruins. Each day you will be escorted to a new location. Take a look at our image gallery for more wonderful views of this stunning region.

The enchanting historic town of Kalkan on the Mediterranean coast is a sophisticated place with its narrow streets leading down to a picturesque harbour. It is renown for its high quality restaurants, many set at roof top level. By night Kalkan has a bustling relaxed atmosphere with its narrow cobbled streets lined with small boutiques and atmospheric bars playing blues and jazz. You will have many opportunities to explore and capture this beautiful town during your holiday.

Patara beach has over 18 kms of unspoilt golden sand. The stunning ruins of a once fine Lycian city protrude from the sand dunes. Patara is regularly featured, for example by the Sunday Times, as one of the most beautiful and undiscovered beaches on the Mediterranean.

The area is rich in history and much of it is beautifully preserved in many cultural sites a short distance from Kalkan. The following gives you a glimpse into the history and sites nearby, many of which we will visit during your holiday. You will find them unspoilt and deserted often devoid of any tourists at all.

The ancient Lycian site of Patara was the birthplace of St Nicholas (300 ). It was originally the major port of the Lycian region, located at the mouth of the Xanthos river, until it became silted up. Some of the original city has been excavated in recent years by archaeologists with some exciting discoveries being made beneath the shifting sand dunes of the area.

There is a splendid triple arched entrance gate which is in excellent condition and also an impressive amphitheatre.

The restoration of the Lycian League Parliament Building was completed in 2012 and was carried out by the Archaeology department of Antalya University, led by Professor Havva Isik. The Parliament building is widely regarded as the seat of the first democratic parliament. The writers of the constitution of the USA studied the Lycian federal system of representative government and used it as a model for the US Government.

The city of Xanthos was the capital of the ancient Lycian Federation which was discovered by British archaeologist Charles Fellows. Although he removed some of his finds (now in the British Museum in London) many fascinating structures and monuments remain on an elevated site in the Xanthos Valley. There are many remains including the famous Lycian Monumental tombs shown.

There are superb views of the Xanthos valley surrounded by the spectacular Taurus mountains.

Explore the amphitheatre, the Roman arch and Byzantine church at Xanthos.

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The Lycia region of Turkey where your holiday is based is home to much beautiful wildlife and flowers. Exploring the area provides many opportunities to see some excellent examples of Turkey’s rich biodiversity. Meadows and hedgerows are full of flowers some common and some incredibly rare endemic species. Lycia has many species of orchid and you will see many colourful plants including oleander, pomegranate, tamarisk, bougainvillea, citrus trees, anenomes, myrtle, fritillaries and crocus.

Patara National Park, with its 12km long sandy beach, is the breeding ground of the endangered loggerhead turtle. It is a protected area and is rich in birdlife. Patara is only 10 minutes form Kalkan and its beach has been voted by the Times as one of the most beautiful in the world.

Read more about the National Parks.

You will more than likely will see many Tortoises during your visit. They often come into the gardens at Villa Vanilla. There are many other animals in the region – deer and wild goats (even seen on the mountain side above Kalkan), badgers, porcupines, red and Persian squirrels and lizards including chameleons.