Kalkan Day Trips For An Enjoyable Holiday In Turkey
The vast range of Kalkan day trips sold throughout summer ensures anyone on holiday sees the best of Mediterranean Turkey. From historical ruins to relaxing sailing to cultural experiences, no matter what your preferences, there are many things to do.
Get cameras ready to capture memories of Turkey’s beautiful scenery, including the Mediterranean coastline and inland Taurus mountain range. Excursion shops sell all excursions or pre-book before leaving home. Most include lunch and guided transport, so you can sit back and enjoy. They are also good value for money.
Kalkan Day Trips for an Enjoyable Holiday in Turkey
1: Daily Boat Trips from the Harbour
Kalkan’s beach clubs count themselves as some of Turkey’s best, but they are no match for the daily boat trips cruising the coastline. Without a doubt, this tour is also the most popular across the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.
Departing morning time from the harbour, boats cruise the coastline to scenic bays and hidden coves where they drop anchor for swimming breaks. In between, sunbathe because it is a quick and effective way to get a bronzed suntan look. Also, enjoy a delicious BBQ lunch cooked onboard.
2: From Kalkan to Kekova Sunken City Ruins
Local excursion shops sell this trip as a boat trip or for a closer look of Kekova sunken city sea kayaking is the way to go. If doing the latter, depart from Ucagiz village to kayak across to this protected city sunk many centuries ago by a devastating earthquake. Skeletons of houses are visible through the blue sea and although prohibited diving stops you seeing it up close, imagination evokes an image of how the city looked.
After, take a sharp turn left to rustic Simena, a quaint village with amazing peninsula views from its Byzantine castle. The delicious homemade ice-cream that makes this small, unique destination a hidden gem of Turkey melts in your mouth with an intensity of flavours and shouldn’t be missed.
3: Myra Ruins and Saint Nicholas’s Church
A one-hour drive east along the D400 highway takes day-trippers to Myra, a marvellous ancient city showing off brilliant remains of a large theatre and Lycian rock tombs cut into the mountainside. The tombs location reflects the ancient Lycian civilisation’s beliefs that a winged creature took them to the afterlife, so their hillside position made it easier for them to get there.
Heading back into the modern-day town, the next stop is Saint Nicholas’s Church. Also known as Santa Claus, pilgrims from all over the world make the journey to see the church that once belonged to history’s most famous man.
4: Roughing it on a Daytime Jeep Safari
Day-trippers with an acute sense of adventure would do well to sign up for a jeep safari exploring mountain roads, small, traditional villages, hidden places of natural beauty and some fantastic Mediterranean coastline views.
Ask around because tour providers often have different routes but almost always end up visiting Saklikent Gorge. If embarking on a jeep safari, remember a hat and your sun cream because this day captures the sun’s full intensity.
5: Saklikent Gorge, Tlos, and Yakapark
Both young and old alike love this daytime tour visiting some of Southern Turkey’s best landmarks. Saklikent Gorge, a natural landmark formed thousands of years ago, is a perfect camera moment. Most people walk a short section with a river flowing through it before enjoying riverside refreshments in traditional restaurants.
Combined with a trip to historical Tlos, a ruined city with traces of Byzantine and Ottoman architecture, the views over Xanthos valley are to die for. Break up the day trip with lunch in Yakapark, a high mountain retreat serving up fresh trout for lunch.
6: Horse Riding or Quad Biking in Patara
West of Kalkan, Patara wows everyone who visits her. Back in the 80s, the original rustic village was a tourism pioneer, but its main attractions, the ancient city, and a long stretch of fine sand that is Turkey’s longest beach are the highlights.
Most people walk around Patara, but two other options are horse riding and quad biking. Perfect for beginners because qualified instructors guide you, it adds a different dimension to exploring this ancient Lycian stronghold.
7: Xanthos and Pinar
This day trip is for history lovers. Xanthos, combined with Letoon, are UNESCO World heritage sites and like many other ancient cities of southern Turkey, portray traces from the Lycian Empire. When the population of Xanthos grew too big, locals set up home in nearby Pinar, and landmark buildings include baths, theatre, Agora, Odeon, rock tombs, upper acropolis, and lower acropolis. Pinar is also another ancient city with the ancient sarcophagus and Lycian rock-cut tombs.
8: Fethiye Market, Oludeniz, and Kayakoy Ghost Village.
Within an hour’s drive, the whole family can enjoy this top touristic destination. Shop in a Turkish weekly market, the highlight of social agendas, where vendors sell souvenirs, clothes, household goods, food and pretty much everything else en-mass.
A short drive away, Kayakoy Ghost Village reflects what happened during the 1923 Turkish Greek population exchange that changed thousands of people’s lives in an instant. House skeletons, three abandoned churches and a school are landmark buildings to discover. Last, see Oludeniz’s Blue Lagoon, a top photographed site often appearing in international travel magazines.
9: Scuba Diving in Kalkan, Turkey
While exploring the surrounding coastline is much fun, mix it up by discovering shipwrecks and marine life in its natural habitat. For beginners, a qualified scuba instructor runs through the basic techniques and rules, so after a short try dive, in a pool, you can head out to enjoy the Mediterranean’s shallow waters. Those who catch the scuba diving bug can also work towards their PADI certificate.
10: Day Trips to Greek Meis From Kalkan
During summer, the ferry departs from nearby Kas and head across to Meis, a delightful Greek island that although off the mainstream travel market is still worth exploring. This is a top-rated day trip, to wander narrow streets, admire Greek house architecture, and indulge in Greek cuisine in harbourside restaurants.
First-time visitors should also pay extra for a ticket to head around the coastline in a speed boat, enter a remote rock and see the glistening Blue Cave interior, a natural light phenomenon. This natural landmark of stunning beauty leaves everyone with life long memories.
11: Pamukkale: Turkey’s Top Visited Day Trip
Pamukkale, one of Turkey’s top visited attractions, is home to white calcium pools that have solidified against a hillside. It seems like a white mass, hence its nickname as the cotton castle. Sitting next to the ancient ruined city of Hierapolis, both are UNESCO World Heritage sites. It is a long day for families with young kids, but private tour excursion companies also sell private overnight trips, so visit Fethiye or Dalyan on the way back.
12: Paragliding in Kas
Last, on our list of Kalkan day trips, para-gliding in nearby Kas gives off a stunning bird's-eye Mediterranean view and will evoke vivid memories of your time in Turkey. After receiving a safety briefing and getting kitted out in gear, run off a mountainside with your qualified instructor to soar into the air. They take the reins leaving you free to experience flying like a bird. Landing harbourside, enjoy the rest of your free time by exploring the quaint town of Kas.
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