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Kaş The more bohemian town of Kaş is a 30 min. drive away. Kaş is situated in a sweeping curved bay. It was first mentioned in Lycian times (as Antiphellos) and the modern town was built on the ancient site. Lycian rock tombs, sarcophagi and a theater are worth to see. It is pleasure to wander through the streets, stopping to examine souvenir shops that offer Turkish handicrafts, leather goods, copper and silver items..
Kaputaş A little further afield, Kaputaş bay (between Kalkan and Kaş) offers a delightful sand and pepple cove at the mouth of an impressive gorge. Please be aware of the many steps!
Myra-Kekova Kekova, an island, gives its name to a whole ensemble of picturesque islands, numerous bays and ancient sites. These bays provide natural harbors. Along the northern shore of Kekova Island earthquakes have disturbed the land causing some of the ancient houses to sink under the clear water, thus creating a Sunken City. Kaleköy Castle (Simena) offers a bird’s-eye view of the bays, inlets, islands and colorful yachts sailing peacefully over the glassy water.
Patara 30 min. drive to the west of Kalkan lies Patara, regularly featured as one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful and undiscovered beaches. It is an uninterrupted eighteen-kilometer stretch of soft golden sand, punctuated with the evocative ruins of an ancient city.
Xanthos The ancient Lycian capital of Xanthos, today in the Turkish village Kınık, lies north of Patara. The theater, Tomb of the Harpies, Nereid Monument, agora and Inscribed Pillar, among a mixture of ruins from Lycian, Roman and Byzantine times, create a special atmosphere at this site.
Letoon There are three temples dedicated to Leto, Apollo and Artemis, familiar gods of mythology, await the exploring tourist at the Lycian cultic centre of Letoon.
Saklikent Saklikent (Hidden City) Gorge is the second-largest (20 km-long) gorge in Europe, the longest and deepest gorge in Turkey, about a 40 minutes' drive from Fethiye. It is a spectacular place, with sculpted walls soaring high above. Four km. of the gorge is walkable after April when most of the snow from the Taurus Mountains has melted and passed through the gorge on its way to the Xanthos River. Summer is the best time to visit as the canyon is deliciously cool and shady with cold water. Islamlar Islamlar is situated in a cool green valley adjacent to Kalkan. With its fresh mountain air and thickly forested mountainsides dotted with natural springs, it has long been a favoured hideaway of guests. The village itself has a rambling collection of wonderful old houses, a beautiful mosque and an original water-powered flourmill.
Bezirgan 11 km inland lies Bezirgan. Wit5h several ancient Lycian rock tombs to explore, it offers an interesting trip out of Kalkan.
Fethiye The town occupies a site of ancient Liycian city od Telmessos dating back to the 4th century BC. Nowadays there is little evidence remaining of the ancient city but the tomb of Amyntas perched high above the town and carved in to the side of the cliff is a fine example of this period. There is also a fortress built on a hill overlooking Fethiye that was thought to have been built by the Knights of St. John in the 15th century. In 1934 Fethiye changed its name in honour of a local pilot and war hero “Fethi Bey” who died in a plane crash. Prior to this, Ottoman times, the town was also known as Meğri meaning “far place” . Today though Fethiye is first and foremost a bustling seaside town, combining a working harbour, with touristic areas not forgetting the surrounding agricultural communities maintaining a real sense of Turkish life.
Kayaköy Kaya translated in to English means rock and was given this name because of its stone architecture. Following World War I and the Turkish War of independence in 1923, populations between Turkey and Greece, the Ottoman Greek population were exchanged. To this day they remain largely uninhabited and for this reason it is known as the “Ghost Village”.
Ölü Deniz Ölü Deniz means “dead sea” and derives its name from a Turkish legend. One day the handsome son of an old sea captain met Belcekız, a beautiful young girl at the bay where he had stopped to fetch water. They fell in love and would meet whenever they could. One day the father and son were caught in a terrible storm at sea and the son, knowing the area well, suggested taking shelter in the calm bay that he knew of. The old captain disagreed thinking that his son might be using it as an excuse to meet Belcekız and they had and argument that resulted in the captain pushing his overboard. Soon afterwards the captain came across the calm bay but by this time it was too late. Belcekız on hearing of her lovers death threw herself in to the see and drowned. The place where she died was called Belcekız and the watery grave of her lover was called Ölü Deniz These days it is the home to one of the most photographed and famous beaches in Turkey and has been a conservation area since the late 70’s.
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