Kids and teens: The beach at Kalkan is pleasant but not large, so consider hopping aboard a fast and frequent dolmus (local bus) to either Patara Beach or Kaputas Beach, both of which offer great swathes of pristine sand and crystal-clear waters.
Grown-up families: Also at Patara is a grand patchwork of ruins that go some way to revealing the area’s illustrious past as an ancient maritime city. Children and teens with even the remotest interest in history cannot help but have their imaginations stirred.
Active types: A 45-minute road journey will deliver you into the spectacular vistas of Saklikent National Park, where one of the world’s deepest gorges presents an unforgettable hiking experience. Saklikent Gorge is only passable in its entirety during summer, once the snowy peaks of the Taurus Mountains have melted into the Med.
Free and cheap: The atmosphere seems to change as you enter the realms of Kalkan Old Town, where hot-pink bougainvillea hangs off wooden balconies and locals sit and chew over the day’s gossip. Take a seat and savour the ambiance.
Nightlife: Evenings in Kalkan are mostly kicked off in the lobby of your hotel or on your balcony as the sun goes down, followed by dinner at a rooftop restaurant and a relaxing nightcap at one of the harbour bars. If dancing is your thing, there are a handful of pulsating nightspots, but Kalkan generally lets its perfectly-coiffed hair down in a restrained manner.
