Kalkan, formerly known as Kalamaki, is a part of Antalya’s Kaş district. Kalkan, which Herodotus described as the closest place to the stars in the world, is known as an ancient Greek settlement. According to the legend, the town was founded two hundred years ago by a Greek woman who came to this bay from Meis Island with a ship full of goods for sale. Another legend is that this town, which became increasingly wealthy at the beginning of the 19th century, is frequently raided by bandits. The person who does not want to be tied up makes a shield for himself, and those who see it do the same to defend themselves. The name of the town that was successful in defense began to be called Kalkan (Shield) after this event.
Kalkan, which fascinates everyone with its natural beauty, has fascinating places that attract many tourists especially in the summer months and that you should definitely visit. Some of them are;
Center of Kalkan
One of the first places to see in Kalkan is the center. In this unique place where all the streets descending from the hill lead to the sea, you can dine in cafes and restaurants famous for their concepts, and wander around as you wish in this sweet place, which is decorated with two-storey houses on both sides from the port and seems to be intertwined.
Pirha Ancient City
This city, which is located near the Bezirgân Village, is in a very large area connected to Lycia. In this historical place, you can see the tombs and monuments of kings and people. The most important feature of the museum located here is the finely sculpted female sculptures with fine lines.
Xanthos Ancient City
Xanthos Ancient City, located on the borders of Muğla and Kaş district of Antalya, is 21 kilometers from the center of Kalkan. The ancient city of Xanthos, which dates back to ancient times, is a history museum in the World Heritage List. This cultural excursion may be of great interest to you.
Letoon Ancient City
Letoon, which is adjacent to the Xanthos Ancient City, is one of the historical cities of Antalya. It has hosted the temples and monasteries of many important gods whose names we have heard from Greek Mythology. In 1988, Xanthos Ancient City was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Patara Beach
Patara Beach, which is located in Kalkan and is the longest beach in Turkey with 12 kilometers, is famous for its caretta caretta turtles. At the same time, this beach is shared with our little friends during the spawning period! The sea, which has a shallow sea, is very often preferred for windsurfing because it is located in a windy spot.
Kaputaş Beach
The beach, 7 km from Kalkan, is actually a canyon. Kaputaş Beach, which makes people fall in love with its unique beauty and turquoise color, has very cold water. All you have to do to see Kaputaş beach is to go down the 187-step stairway.
Blue Cave
This cave, which is 6 kilometers away from the center of Kalkan, was discovered by Geologist Dr. It was discovered by Temuçin Aygen. The reason why the Blue Cave is named is because the sun rays reflected on the seabed reveal a blue and bright color. Access to the cave, which is 40 meters wide, 50 meters long and 15 meters high, is only by boat.
İnbaş Cave
It is possible to reach İnbaş Cave, which is 100 meters away from Güvercinlik Sea Cave, by boat, as it has a connection with the sea. With this connection, you can enjoy swimming in the cave. The entrance part of the cave is very narrow and it is 40 meters long.
Güvercinlik Cave
In this cave, known as Pigeon’s Nest Sea Cave, wild pigeons have built a nest for themselves. For this reason, it gets its name from this. It is thought that the cave completed its formation after the earthquakes. The cave, which reaches 2 meters in height, can be visited by boat tours.
Meis Island
There are daily ferry services from Kaş port to the island, which is 2 kilometers away from the shores of Kaş. However, you must have a valid Schengen visa to go to this island. If you do not have a valid visa, they will get a temporary visa for you for a certain fee when you submit your passport to the tour companies at least 3 days in advance. This way you can enter the island.
Kekova Island
You will also enjoy this island, where you can go by your car in approximately 1 hour from Kalkan, or by boat that you can rent from Üçağız Village. The natural beauty of the region, which was inundated by a great earthquake that took place thousands of years ago, and the magic brought by its submersion will impress you. You can also see Simena Castle and taste the famous burnt ice cream.
Saklıkent Canyon
You can reach this narrow and high canyon Saklıkent, where the sun’s rays cannot enter, in about 40 minutes from the Fethiye-Antalya highway. When you reach this supernatural Saklıkent Canyon, the roaring Eşen Stream greets you first. The length of the canyon is 18 km and its height varies between 200 and 600 meters.
Islamlar Village
Islamlar Village is famous for its shabby restaurants. In these restaurants, you can taste all the traditional appetizers, beautiful village-style meals and village breakfast, while watching the magnificent views and accompanied by the sounds of water…
Gizlikent Waterfall
You should definitely see the Gizli Kent Waterfall, which is 5 km away from the Saklıkent canyon. After leaving your vehicle, you can reach the waterfall and enjoy the moment by leaving yourself to the cold waters of the waterfall after a walk that will not be too hard for you.
