Where is Kalkan and what is it like?
Number 5 is located in Kalkan, the charming jewel on Turkey's Turquoise coast. Boasting a climate that welcomes visitors all year round, it is small, sophisticated resort and you are always assured a warm and friendly welcome.
Kalkan is a place like no other - and we've searched many resorts in an attempt to find the similar "magic" that Kalkan conjures up. We first fell in love with the place in 2011 and have been frequent visitors ever since. Whether it's the climate, the views, the culture and amazing sights nearby, or the spectacular food, it's hard to say. But probably, more than anything else, it is the warmth and welcome of the people.
It's fair to say, we caught Kalkanitus on our first visit, and we're sure you will too!
For everything you need to know about Kalkan please visit Visit Kalkan Online.
Restaurants & bars
If you look on TripAdvisor, there are over 200 cafes, bars and restaurants. What struck us was the wealth of choice, amazing views and quality of the food and service. Whether it's enjoying lunch by the harbour, or a sundowner as the boats return from the daily excursions, or a gourmet meal in one of the amazing rooftop terrace restaurants, Kalkan offers something for everyone.
To find out where some of our favourites are located download this map. And for lots more information about Kalkan food and drink visit the Visit Kalkan page.
Beaches & beach clubs
Kalkan has its own shingle beach right next to the harbour and is just a short 7 minute walk from Number Five. There are also at least five beach clubs all within walking distance from the apartment and each offers a range of facilities including watersports, sun terraces and great food and refreshing drinks.
But you must also visit the amazing Kaputas and Patara beaches, just a short drive away from Number Five.
Find out more about the beaches and beach clubs Kalkan can offer here. And here's a map of where they are located.
Excursions
It's easy to stay and just enjoy the comforts of Number 5 but there a some wonderful experiences to enjoy.
Boat trips are our favourite way to take in the turquoise coastlline. You can do a 4x4 safari, visit ancient sites, enjoy walks, paraglide, or just relax in a traditional Turkish hamman and spa.
Kalkan really does have everything for everyone, and it's all on your doorstep.
Here you'll find out more about the different excursion options, boat trips and watersports available.
Culture & history
Shopping
Whether it's fresh produce and spices, designer clothes or jewellery, or local art & handicrafts, Kalkan has a vast array of options to satisfy all tastes. And unlike many places, it's all done in a friendly, no-hassle environment and there are amazing bargains to be had. Find out details about shopping and the local markets here.
What the travel writers say
We know Kalkan is a small, cosmopolitan resort which offers a rare, sophisticated holiday experience for discerning travellers. Don't take our word for it - here's what some of the best travel writers said...
The Telegraph
Until the 1920s Kalkan was a tiny Greek fishing village; by the 1980s it had morphed into a bohemian resort for arty Turks fleeing big city life. Some of its past has clung on despite its transformation into a sophisticated resort favoured by Brits. They are drawn by its beguiling setting, dropping down a hillside to a small yacht harbour fronting a picturesque bay, pretty fishermen’s cottages, cosy restaurants and chic café-bars. Kalkan is also appreciated for what isn’t here – no rowdy bars, no clubs, no full English breakfasts. The village beach is small, but the sands of Patara are very close, as is stunning Kaputas.’
The Times
It’s a little town on a beautiful mountain-fringed bay on the country’s south coast. In September the mercury will be hovering around 30C — optimal for basking, unlike the asphyxiating 40C madness of July or August. The skies will be blue. The mountainsides will still be speckled with lush green, in contrast to those of parched brown in Greece. The sea will be silky warm. The temptation to send smug WhatsApp messages to friends at home will be overwhelming (we managed to resist it, but in the week we were here it was 10C in London and there had been a month’s worth of rain in one day — there was flooding — so gloating photos might have made us unpopular).
Daily Mail
Patara's hidden depths sit comfortably beside nearby Kalkan's more obvious charms. The little port is packed with gulets, converted fishing boats and assorted pleasure craft touting for human cargo with the promise of 'dining under the stars', 'all-day trips of magic' and such like. Banked steeply above the harbour - with the Taurus mountains behind - the rest of the mainly car-free town variously purrs and fizzes, its limestone streets and alleyways polished to a sheen by millions of feet over hundreds of years. Roof-top restaurants vie for business but you never feel hassled by frontmen wearing dodgy bow ties as you do in other tourist hubs.
METRO
Twenty years ago, Kalkan was a small harbour town, a handful of seafood restaurants dotted on winding, cobbled lanes.
Now, Kalkan is a lively holiday destination with more than 350 restaurants and bars, cute cafes and eclectic shops selling everything from diamonds and textiles to ‘designer’ handbags and football kits.
The atmospheric town runs down to indigo water dotted with colourful boats and gulets, traditional Turkish wooden sailing boats.
Salty Lips — "Kalkan: a place that draws you back time and time again"
The best recent account of Kalkan we've read, written by a family who keep coming back — which is a feeling most of our guests will recognise. It's refreshingly specific: real restaurants they actually ate in, from Baharat and Belgin Kitchen to Luna and the Pasta House, plus honest notes on the beach clubs and where to get a decent coffee. If you want a sense of what a week here genuinely looks like rather than a brochure version, start with this one.
HopOnWorld — "Where to Stay in Kalkan, Turkey"
The clearest explanation we've found of how Kalkan is actually laid out. Mariza breaks the town into its distinct areas — the Old Town, walkable and close to the harbour, and Kışla up on the hillside, quieter but a steeper walk home — and explains what you're choosing between. If you're booking your first trip and trying to work out what "central Kalkan" really means, read this before you book anything.
Best Before End Date — "Vacay Vibes: Kalkan, Türkiye"
Sharon Sinclair-Williams flew out from Manchester and wrote up Kalkan for her newsletter about life after sixty. She gives the town eight out of ten and is straight with her readers about the trade-offs, including the hills, which nobody else seems willing to mention. Good, practical recommendations too — Porcini, House Kitchen & Bar, and the rooftop at Kalamaki.
The Hopeful Veganista — "Your Ultimate Kalkan Travel Guide"
Updated at the start of 2026, so the most current guide of the four. Hope writes about travelling as a vegan and makes a point most visitors miss: Turkish food is far more plant-based than people expect, and Kalkan is easy to eat well in whatever you do or don't eat. Also strong on the day trips — Kaputaş, Patara, Saklıkent gorge and the boat over to Meis.