Planning a Trip

Getting There

Halfway between Dalaman and Antalya airports, Kalkan lies along the southwestern coast of the Mediterranean. Unless you have your own car, there's no way to avoid the long and torturous (albeit lovely) journey by land: From Antalya it's a 6-hour, rarely air-conditioned minibus ride, although the imminent completion of a new road to Kalkan should shorten this trip.

If you're arriving by long-distance bus, direct service is available year-round from Istanbul with Pamukkale, tel. 444-3535 (12 hr.; 60YTL/$52/£24), leaving at 10pm nightly (on its way through to Kas); and from Izmir (8 hr.; 33YTL/$29/£13), leaving at 10pm. The luxury Kamil Koç (tel. 0800/293-1115) also serves the long-distance routes to Istanbul, Ankara, and locally, to Ortaca and Dalaman.

Independent travelers from Dalaman Airport are up against a series of transfers, including the one from the airport to the Dalaman bus station, which must be done by taxi. From the bus station, you can either catch a through-bus headed to Izmir (double-check that it stops in Kalkan) or take a minibus. A taxi from the airport will run around 180YTL ($157/£72); from Kas, it's about a half-hour (3YTL/$2.60/£1.20); and to/from Antalya it's about 3 1/2 hours (15YTL/$13/£5.20).

Perhaps most convenient is to visit Kalkan as a port of call on a Blue Voyage. (If you're taking a Blue Voyage, it's worth trying to coax your captain into stopping in Kalkan for an overnight visit.)

Visitor Information

There is no tourist information office in Kalkan. Thursday is market day.

Deniz Bank is the only bank in town, so it's a good idea to arrive in town with enough cash to get by, in case the ATM falls victim to an unexpected glitch.

At the marina, you can take care of the basics, such as the use of coin-operated public toilets, showers, or laundry facilities, or hire a local boat and captain for the day.

Orientation

Kalkan is built on a steep hillside that descends into the bay; enclosed by rocky and rugged mountains, the village has nowhere to go but down. The main square sits at the top of the village, serving as a parking lot as well as the town's miniscule commercial center. There are two or three bus company offices, some travel agencies, a barber, a PTT, and a handful of bodegas for essential refills of water. From the tiny roundabout at the entrance to the town, a connector road leads the way out to lovely Kalamar Bay. This road is at the receiving end of most of the building boom experienced here in the past 10 or so years.

In Kalkan's compact center, the crisscross of narrow streets packed with restaurants, pensions, and shops from the main square down to the marina is known as the catchall Yaliboyu. This absence of definitive street addresses may at first seem odd, but even though nobody uses a street address, it's unlikely you'll get lost. All roads lead to the harbor and marina, and you will find yourself trekking up and down the steep roads countless times a day.

Getting Around

Kalkan is a pedestrian village of limited size. The main square is closed to incoming traffic, requiring automobiles to circle down to the marina, turn left at the harborfront road, and left again back up the hill to the main square. Some of the hotels lining the road out of the village are still within walking distance, but anything beyond that may require wheels. If you're entering the village by car, be aware that the harbor road closes to traffic at 7pm, so you'll need to be settled in (or plan to leave your car at the top of the village) by then. If you have trouble walking up and down steep inclines, Kalkan is not for you. Dolmuses depart regularly to transport you to most of the area attractions recommended here. Note: The Kalkan Taxi Cooperative (locally called the taxi mafia) charges the highest rates in all of Turkey: 15YTL ($13/£6) for 1.5km/under a mile.

By Dolmus -- Dolmuses leave from the main square regularly (as soon as they fill up), heading east toward Kas or west to Patara and points beyond. Dolmus service back into Kalkan ends as early as 6pm, so if you pop out of town for the day, make sure you have a ride home.

By Bus -- There is a limited number of major bus companies in Kalkan, generally servicing only the longer hauls. Destinations and schedules are posted on placards outside the few minuscule ticket offices located on the main square. It's usually okay to buy your ticket at the office just prior to boarding.

If you're headed to or from any of the towns along the coast up to Antalya, catch one of Bati Antalya Tour's (tel. 0242/844-2777) air-conditioned buses and head out early in the morning -- the lack of traffic can shorten your trip by up to an hour; from Antalya, it'll cost around 15YTL ($13/£6).

By Car/Scooter -- It's almost impossible not to trip over a sign touting the rental of a scooter, car, or jeep. You'll find the scooters up in the main square across from the post office and car rentals through most travel agencies for £30 ($60) per day and up, depending on the model.