Kalkan
Encyclopedia
Kalkan is a town on the Turkish
Mediterranean coast, and an important tourist destination. The area includes many historical sites (such as Tlos
and Kekova
) and many fine beaches (including Patara Beach
& Kaputaş Beach
).
Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbor between Kaş
and Fethiye
; it is famous for its white-washed houses, descending to the sea, and its brightly colored bougainvillea
s. It averages 300 days of sunshine a year.
Until the early 1920s, the majority of its inhabitants were Greeks
. They left in 1923 because of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War and emigrated mainly to Attica
, where they founded the new town of Kalamaki
. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Kalkan.
Kalkan was an important harbour town until the 1970s as the only seaport for the environs. It declined after construction of Fethiye road but revived after the emergence of the tourism industry in the region.
Although part of the Antalya
province administratively, Kalkan is connected more closely to Fethiye economically and for transportation.
British
newspaper The Independent
listed Kalkan among the best tourist destinations for 2007. The paper recommended Kalkan especially for those seeking a romantic vacation and who do not want to travel far from their home country in Europe.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
Mediterranean coast, and an important tourist destination. The area includes many historical sites (such as Tlos
Tlos
Tlos is known to have been one of the most important religious centers of the Lycian region in Antalya province of Turkey.It is known as the city where mythological hero Bellerophon and his winged flying horse Pegasus lived. Determined as the oldest city of Lycian Region by the archaeological...
and Kekova
Kekova
Kekova, also named Caravola , is a small Turkish island near Kaş district of Antalya province which faces the villages of Kaleköy and Üçağız...
) and many fine beaches (including Patara Beach
Patara Beach
Patara beach is one of the largest and most beautiful beaches near the ancient city of Patara in Turkey.At 12 kilometres, Patara beach is the longest in its region and sometimes reaches a width of 200–300 metres. The beach has soft sand and shallow sea. It is one of the places that sea turtle...
& Kaputaş Beach
Kaputas Beach
Kaputaş Beach is a long beach between Kaş and Kalkan in southwestern Turkey. It is situated at a distance of 20 km from Kaş and 7 from Kalkan, at a point where an extremely narrow valley towered by steep cliffs and forests joins the sea shore in the cove of the same name as the beach...
).
Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbor between Kaş
Kas
Kas is the brand name of soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It comes in grapefruit, orange , lemon , bitter , and apple flavors. Kasfruit juices are also offered in multiple flavors...
and Fethiye
Fethiye
Fethiye is a city and district of Muğla Province in the Aegean region of Turkey with about 68,000 inhabitants .-History:...
; it is famous for its white-washed houses, descending to the sea, and its brightly colored bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
s. It averages 300 days of sunshine a year.
Until the early 1920s, the majority of its inhabitants were Greeks
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. They left in 1923 because of the Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War and emigrated mainly to Attica
Attica
Attica is a historical region of Greece, containing Athens, the current capital of Greece. The historical region is centered on the Attic peninsula, which projects into the Aegean Sea...
, where they founded the new town of Kalamaki
Alimos
Alimos is an affluent suburb in the south-southwestern part of Athens, Greece, also known as Kalamaki . Poseidonos Avenue runs in the western part of Alimos, with the Hymettus mountain to the east meeting mainly grassland, while areas to the north of Argyroupoli are forested...
. Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Kalkan.
Kalkan was an important harbour town until the 1970s as the only seaport for the environs. It declined after construction of Fethiye road but revived after the emergence of the tourism industry in the region.
Although part of the Antalya
Antalya
Antalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
province administratively, Kalkan is connected more closely to Fethiye economically and for transportation.
British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
newspaper The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
listed Kalkan among the best tourist destinations for 2007. The paper recommended Kalkan especially for those seeking a romantic vacation and who do not want to travel far from their home country in Europe.