A small peaceful Mediterranean resort and fishing town on the beautiful Turquoise Coast of Turkey, Kalkan has not been touched by mass tourism. More sophisticated than the usual resort town, Kalkan appeals to travelers looking for more than a "sun and sea" holiday.

Kalkan curls snuggly around an ancient harbour sheltered at the foot of the towering Taurus Mountains. The town overlooks a beautiful bay in which islands seem to magically float upon the shimmering sea. Narrow streets twist down to the harbour through the historic town and are lined with listed whitewashed villas with shuttered windows situated alongside small local specialty shops and restaurants. Overhead hang original ornately carved Ottoman timber balconies garlanded with brilliantly coloured bougainvillea cascading to the streets below. It is a very special place.

Kalkan has been a place of settlement since antiquity with the important location as the only safe harbour between Kas and Fethiye. Kalkan was a very important port during the 19th century - even more so than Fethiye or Antalya, its two larger neighbors. The Kalkan you see today was settled 150 to 200 years ago by people of both Greek and Turkish origin subject to the Ottoman Empire. Camels brought goods to Kalkan from the nearby Xanthos valley and from as far away as the mountain highlands near Elmali. Cargo ships were then loaded in Kalkan's harbour to sail for the far reaches of the Ottoman Empire carrying charcoal, silk (you can see many mulberry trees in Kalkan today), olive oil (still produced in Kalkan) and wine, as well as cotton, grain, sesame seed, flour, grapes, acorns used for dye, and lumber from the vast cedar and pine forests. By the early 20th century Kalkan had become quite a sizeable village. At the turn of the century it had its own custom's house and in 1915 there were reportedly seventeen restaurants, a goldsmith, a shoemaker and several tailors. The first local elections were held in 1928 and in 1937 the present elementary school was opened.

Following World War I, the exchange in population between the new Turkish Republic and Greece took place in 1921 during the Turkish War of Independence. Most of the Greek origin people then living in Kalkan left Turkey (some going to the nearby Greek island of Meis), but trading continued until it faded away in the 1950's due to the improvement of the Turkish road system and the adoption of overland transport. With no more sea trade, the population of Kalkan trickled away as people moved to larger coastal cities to find work. Luckily, Kalkan was saved by the arrival of wealthy English yachtsmen in the 1960's and tourism eventually became the main economy of Kalkan. Because of this, Kalkan has retained its historic charm. Strict building and preservation codes are enforced and many of Kalkan's buildings are listed. Because of the determination to keep Kalkan beautiful, Kalkan has a specialness to it lacking in many other towns along the coast.

Despite the changes tourism has brought to the people of Kalkan, traditional life still continues for many of the local residents. Historically, many locals of Kalkan have owned land both in Kalkan and in the nearby mountain village of Bezirgan, set in a beautiful valley. Today many of these residents continue to follow the pattern of their ancestors, spending summers in the coolness of the mountains and winters near the warm coast.