GENERAL INFORMATION

Nestling on the Mediterranean coast between Fethiye to the west and Kas to the east, Kalkan grew up in an amphitheatre-style around the harbour. With its bustling harbour and quaint steep cobbled streets, its just how you would imagine a perfect Mediterranean harbour to look. Wandering through the streets with their white-washed stone houses with shuttered windows and timbered balconies full of flowers. Rooftop cafes are a distinctive feature and there are plenty of them.

The pace is unhurried with a lovely laid-back yet sophisticated feel to it. Artists and photographers in their droves are drawn to Kalkan and its not hard to understand why. The natural beauty and spectacular sea views are simply breathtaking. The resort is small but with a real cosmpolitan and vibrant feel to it. Sophisticated bars and restaurant offering an array of cuisines adorn the little cobbled side streets most of which offer a sea view and make dining out a real pleasure. Shopping is excellent with a colourful array of ceramics, porcelain, jewelry and beautiful Turkish rugs. There is a tiny pebble beach near the harbour and bathing platforms are available but a short dolmus ride will take you to nearby Kaputas beach which boasts white shingle sand and the clearest turquoise waters perfect for snorkeling.

Cargo ships were loaded in Kalkan's harbour to sail for the far reaches of the Ottoman Empire carrying charcoal, silk, olive oil (still produced in Kalkan) and wine, as well as cotton, grain, sesame seed, flour, grapes, acorns used for dye, and lumber from the vast cedar and pine forests.
By the early 20th century Kalkan had become quite a sizeable village. At the turn of the century it had its own custom’s house and in 1915 there were reportedly seventeen restaurants, a goldsmith, a shoemaker and several tailors. The first local elections were held in 1928 and in 1937 the present elementary school was opened. Following World War I, the exchange in population between the new Turkish Republic and Greece took place in 1921 during the Turkish War of Independence. Most of the Greek origin people then living in Kalkan left Turkey (some going to the nearby Greek island of Meis), but trading continued until it faded away in the 1950’s due to the improvement of the Turkish road system and the adoption of overland transport. With no more sea trade, the population of Kalkan trickled away as people moved to larger coastal cities to find work.

At that time Kalkan became something of a ‘ghost town’ but it was also around that time that tourism began with the arrival of wealthy English yachtsmen in the 1960’s. Tourism in Kalkan has become the main source of economy in the area and was greatly enhanced in 1984 when the road connecting Kalkan with Fethiye was asphalted.