Kalkan is an old fishing town, and the only safe harbor between Kaş and
Fethiye; it is famous for its white-washed houses, descending to the
sea, and its brightly colored bougainvilleas. It averages 300 days of
sunshine a year.
Until the early 1920s, the majority of its
inhabitants were Greeks. They left in 1923 because of the Exchange of
populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish Warand
emigrated mainly to Attica, where they founded the new town of Kalamaki.
Abandoned Greek houses can still be seen at Kalkan.
Kalkan was an
important harbour town until the 1970s as the only seaport for the
environs. It declined after construction of Fethiye road but revived
after the emergence of the tourism industry in the region.
Although
part of the Antalya province administratively, Kalkan is connected more
closely to Fethiye economically and for transportation.
British newspaper The Independent listed Kalkan among the best tourist
destinations for 2007. The paper recommended Kalkan especially for those
seeking a romantic vacation and who do not want to travel far from
their home country in Europe.
According to a 2012 survey 96% of
visitors to Kalkan during 2011 were from the United Kingdom. The
breakdown was: UK England (82%), UK Scotland (9%), UK Wales (3%), UK NI
(2%)
