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Kalkan descends
to the sea in terraces of whitewashed houses, its steep cobbled streets
and colourful harbour sleepy under the midday heat.
Once the sun has set, the pretty seafront and picturesque alleys come
alive again when locals and visitors stroll along to their favourite café
or restaurant, or wander around the Aladdin's caves that line the
principal backstreets.
The little carpet
bazaars, arty jewellery shops where lovely pieces are made to measure in
silver and gold, turquoise and amber, and even the fruit, vegetable and
grocery stalls stay open until bedtime alongside a handful of outdoor
cafés and a few bars catering to varied musical tastes.
Diving down the
narrowest of alleyways you soon find yourself in the tiny intricate maze
of old houses - some crumbling, some restored - draped with swathes of
brilliant bougainvillaea.
During the day, Kalkan is almost disarmingly laid-back, as visitors
either choose to enjoy the crystal clear waters lapping the Lycian coast,
or go off exploring the wealth of fascinating sites nearby.
The shingle beach next to Kalkan's harbour was recently extended
and is more than adequate for swimming and sunbathing, but one of the joys
of staying in this area is to explore the coast by sea taxi or dolmus.
At Kalkan's 'beach clubs', just a short boat ride from the harbour,
you can swim or snorkel in astonishingly clear water off the rocks, whilst
beautiful Kaputas Bay, between Kalkan and Kas, offers a delightful sand
and pebble cove at the mouth of an impressive gorge.
To the west of Kalkan lies Patara, a stunning and undeveloped nine
mile stretch of soft golden sand, where the evocative ruins of a once-fine
city protrude out of the encroaching sand dunes.
So outstanding is Patara that it was voted the world's best beach in a
1998 survey of 100 tour operators carried out by The Sunday Times.
Going on a languorous 'Blue Cave Cruise' on a fishing boat around
little 'Mouse' and 'Snake' islands to secluded coves will give you a taste
for further exploration.
In the heart of Lycia, Kalkan offers easy access to many of the
great classical sites, almost all of which are set in stunning natural
surroundings.
You can explore up into the mountains, entering a lush region of
lakes and streams, pastures and alpine villages.
At the village of Bezirgan you can watch carpets being woven and at
Arycanda there is a wonderful archaeological site, whose remains and
setting rival those of Delphi.
At Kekova you can hire a boat over to the pretty little harbour of
Kale and clamber up to the hilltop Byzantine fort past the eerie
sarcophagi of the ancient Lycians.
Peering from the boat into the pellucid blue water you may spy the sunken
city. At Letoon, the half-submerged remains of Leto's temple are still
inhabited by frogs, whilst at Xanthos, enigmatic inscriptions and bizarre
'harpy' tombs occupy a dramatic hilltop site.
However you choose to spend your days, no-one can resist being back
in Kalkan by evening, for the variety and quality of eating places on
offer is quite astonishing for such a compact little place.
You can sit cross-legged on kilims or floor cushions and be served
Turkish dishes the traditional way or indulge in an orgy of seafood in one
of the smart waterfront restaurants. There are even little backstreet
restaurants so low-key most foreign visitors never notice them - just the
place to enjoy delicious and genuine local cooking.
Magical surroundings, a dash of relaxed sophistication and a
seemingly limitless variety of places to explore make Kalkan irresistible.
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