Things to Do Around Kalkan & Kaş
Whitewashed lanes, Lycian ruins, a canyon to wade through and a sunken city seen from the water — the best days out around Kalkan and Kaş.
The stretch of Turkey's Turquoise Coast between Kalkan and Kaş packs a remarkable amount into a small area: ancient Lycian cities, one of the country's deepest gorges, a sunken city viewed from the deck of a boat, and mountain villages where the air is noticeably cooler than on the shore. It is a coastline made for a villa holiday — a comfortable base, a hire car, and a different world to explore each day.
This guide gathers the places most worth your time, from Kalkan's bougainvillea-draped lanes to the plateau villages above the bay.
Kalkan Old Town: Lanes, Bougainvillea and Rooftop Dinners
Kalkan's old town tumbles downhill towards a small harbour, its whitewashed houses draped in bougainvillea and its narrow lanes lined with little shops and galleries. It is a place for slow wandering: start at the top and let the streets carry you down to the waterfront, pausing wherever a doorway or a glimpse of blue invites you.
In the evening the town shows its most famous side. Kalkan is known for its rooftop terraces, and dinner above the rooftops as the sun drops over the bay is one of the signature experiences of the Turquoise Coast.
Ancient Lycia: Patara, Xanthos, Letoon and Tlos
This coast was the heart of ancient Lycia, and three major sites lie within easy reach. Patara, once a leading Lycian port city, combines an extensive ruin field — including the restored assembly hall of the Lycian League and a fine theatre — with one of Turkey's longest sandy beaches right next door.
Xanthos, the ancient Lycian capital, and the nearby sanctuary of Letoon are inscribed together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site; seeing both makes a rewarding half day. If you want more, Tlos — rock-cut tombs and a fortress-topped acropolis set dramatically against the mountains — pairs naturally with a trip to Saklıkent.
Saklıkent Gorge: Wading Through an Icy Canyon
Saklıkent is one of the deepest canyons in Turkey, a narrow crack in the mountains where sheer walls rise above a milky-blue, ice-cold river. Boardwalks lead into the gorge mouth, and in summer the classic experience is to wade on upstream through the shallows — on a hot day, the cold water is bliss rather than hardship.
Water shoes make the riverbed much kinder on the feet, and anything you carry should be happy to get splashed.
Kekova by Boat: The Sunken City and Simena Castle
A boat trip over the sunken ruins at Kekova is one of the most memorable days out on this coast. Ancient earthquakes dropped part of a settlement below sea level, and staircases and building foundations are still visible in the clear shallows along the island's shore — seen from the boat, since swimming over the ruins is not permitted.
Most trips also stop below Simena (Kaleköy), a tiny village reached only by boat or on foot, crowned by a small castle with a theatre carved into the rock. Boats depart from Üçağız and from Kaş harbour, usually with swimming stops in quiet bays along the way.
Kaş: Diving, Harbour Life and an Ancient Theatre
About half an hour along the coast from Kalkan, Kaş is a relaxed town built over ancient Antiphellos, whose small Hellenistic theatre sits just above the houses and looks straight out to sea. Lycian sarcophagi stand right among the winding shopping streets, which climb uphill from a lively little harbour.
Kaş is also one of Turkey's best diving areas, and its many dive centres cater to everyone from complete beginners to experienced divers — if you have ever wanted to try diving, this is the place on this coast to do it.
İslamlar and Bezirgan: Cool Air Above the Coast
When the coast swelters, head uphill. İslamlar, a village on the mountainside above Kalkan, is noticeably cooler and loved for its trout restaurants — fish raised in spring-fed pools, served with sweeping views down the valley towards Patara.
Higher still, the Bezirgan plateau is a quiet agricultural upland dotted with traditional wooden grain stores, and the Lycian Way long-distance trail passes this way. Even a short stretch of it makes a beautiful early-morning walk before the heat builds.
Practical Tips for Exploring
A few practical notes make exploring this area much easier:
- A hire car gives you the most freedom — the ruins, gorge and villages are scattered, and the driving itself is scenic.
- Summer midday heat is intense; visit ancient sites and the gorge early or late in the day.
- Weekly markets are held in towns around the region — ask locally which day is which during your stay.
- Carry water, sun protection and sturdy footwear for the ancient sites.
A Kalkan or Kaş Villa as Your Base
Everything in this guide sits within day-trip range of Kalkan and Kaş, which is exactly what makes a villa holiday here work so well: ruins or a boat deck in the morning, your own pool by mid-afternoon. Birvillas offers private pool villas in and around Kalkan, Kaş and İslamlar — quiet bases for travellers who like to explore hard and come home to stillness.