Five reasons Kalkan is Turkey’s most sophisticated town

The quiet, cobbled streets of Kalkan in Turkey avoid tourist hordes and the package holiday tours. Offering a peaceful atmosphere, whisper sweet nothings to your companion over dinner instead of shouting over a rabble of restaurant revellers. Wander around boutique shops without sharpening elbows beforehand, and you will always find a seat in your favourite cafe. With its quiet cobbled streets, rooftop terrace restaurants where patrons dine under a canopy of stars, gently bobbing boats in the harbour and its Mediterranean feel, Kalkan is a world away from the noise and bustle of more popular resort towns like Marmaris or Bodrum town centre. For all-day happy hour, noisy karaoke, or wet t-shirt competitions, look elsewhere. Kalkan’s old-world-meets-luxury atmosphere is in a league of its own.

About Kalkan in Turkey

Compared with other resorts within easy reaching distance of the airport, Kalkan is gloriously out-of-the-way. It takes almost 1.5 hours to reach the town from Dalaman Airport, and boy, aren’t the locals pleased about that? During winter, the tourism season dials down, but homeowners can still use Antalya Airport. Otherwise, it sits on the main D400 highway that runs from the east to the west of Turkey and is easily accessible by car. If arriving by bus, head to the central otogar station in either Antalya or Fethiye and catch a connecting service from there. In the meantime, let us look at why sophistication is what Kalkan’s reputation revolves around.

1: Luxury Villas

Think spectacular Mediterranean homes to understand Kalkan. Exquisite Kalkan villas incorporate huge windows, large terraces, and light-filled living areas to allow residents to relish the Mediterranean sunshine. Privacy is vital, and luxury villas are in hot demand thanks to their hidden exclusive aspect: private pools, hidden terraces, spacious landscaped gardens. The best estates are a short walk from the old town’s cobbled streets. As you walk up the hill (a stiff walk for even the fittest among us) housing prices drop - but so does rental income as renters are reluctant to do the climb in the blazing sun.

2: Beautiful Beaches and Pristine beach clubs

If you can drag yourself away from your private pool, the idyllic coastline is simply incredible. Patara Beach, with its 20 kilometres of white sand, is right on your doorstep. Also, home to the ancient city of the same name and a quaint little village, Patara should be on everyone’s bucket list. Sitting nearby, the lovely Kas peninsula makes for a great day trip (and sailing enthusiasts can moor their boats at the beautiful Kas marina). Sign up for a blue cruise and sailing tours, or the best diving spots in Turkey. Kaputas beach, one of Turkey’s most photographed stretches of sand, is also popular with locals and holidaymakers. Meanwhile, if sand in between toes is not your idea of fun, think beach clubs in the Kalamar district. Renting out sunbeds and umbrellas, they also host top-notch restaurants for food and drink.

3: Upmarket Mediterranean lifestyle

Since houses have fantastic sea views, rooftop dining al fresco style leads the way of the dining scene in summer. Its coastline position also makes it a haven for fresh seafood and fish cuisine. Restaurants specialising in this type of food, offer serene settings, especially at sunset, which makes Kalkan popular with couples especially. Wander through the old part of town, to see traditional stone houses with their wooden balconies, trawling with pink bougainvillaea. Alternatively, stroll along the harbour, where the mosque is, to see anglers coming in with their catch of the day. Sitting aside them, many large, luxury yachts come from international waters. This reflects Kalkan’s prominence and strategic position on the Turkish riviera. Indeed, you cannot get more Mediterranean than Kalkan. It just offers that touch more luxury and finesse in everything it does.

4: Investment and rental

Kalkan’s exclusivity, coupled with its reputation for a sophisticated lifestyle, means villa rental homes are in hot demand. Owners earn roughly 6 to 10 per cent of their value each year in rental income, with some properties booked up to three years in advance. Of course, the better the villa, the higher the rental. The best luxury holiday villas tend to be modern builds with sweeping picturesque sea views and private pools. The areas closest to the centre are popular with renters: Ortaalan, which perches above the harbour; Kisla, a seaside suburb a short walk from the Old Town; and quiet Kalamar Bay with slightly lower prices than the town centre. Property values rise quickly, at around 10% each year. Wise investors have cottoned onto this quickly, quietly buying up some of the best Contemporary real estate.

5: Exclusive Neighbourhoods

Six neighbourhoods all stem around the bay offering up breathtaking sea views. They include the old town, new town, of Ortalaan, Kalamar, and Kiziltas that offers the best sights overlooking the bay. However, two neighbourhoods remain slightly off the grid with an exclusive reputation because of their large beachfront homes, some of which fetch more than six digits on the real estate market. Look at Komurluk and Kisla sitting side by side on the bay’s eastern part, for the ultimate luxury lifestyle in Turkey. See examples of the villas for sale in our portfolio of Kalkan property.

Also Read

More About Kalkan: This article explains why the town boasts of one of Turkey’s most sophisticated reputations, but for more information including history, the turquoise coast, geography, how to get here and what to do, this starter information guide is packed with advice, hints, and tips. As well as helping holidaymakers, a short section explains why many foreigners buy villas here and what to do if you want to become an ex-pat of Kalkan in Turkey.