Practicalities & Car Hire

Weekly Markets

The Kalkan market is held on a Thursday and the Kaş market on a Friday. Traders set up their stalls in both market places from about 08:00, and the markets go on until dusk. You’ll find an extraordinary mixture of fruits and vegetables, cheeses, honey, olives and much more. As well as traditional fabrics, there’s also a whole range of T-shirts, jeans and bags. There are several places to eat, overlooking the market place. Here, you can take a break while you watch the hustle and bustle.

Getting Out & About

Kalkan is ideally located for exploration of the Lycian coast, whether by dolmuş, taxi, car or on foot. 

Walks, Treks & Drives in the Region

Detailed information on the plentiful variety of walks, treks and drives is available prior to your departure in our informative Exclusive Escapes Guide.

By Dolmuş

Dolmuş are little mini-buses, and they’re a colourful feature of Turkish life. They’re also the cheapest way to get about. Dolmuş means ‘stuffed’ and you’ll soon appreciate how apt the name is when you see one in action! They tend to fill up quite quickly, especially on market days when it seems as if the whole world piles in – livestock and all. Dolmuş run from early morning to late evening over a specified route to the destination displayed on the front windscreen, or as announced by a boy on the bus (who will also collect your fare). There are no dolmuş stops – just stand on the side of the road and flag one down. At the point where you wish to get off, you’ll need to exclaim ‘Inmek istiyorum’ meaning ‘I want to get off’. If this seems too intimidating, the drivers will usually respond to a loud, ‘Stop, please!’ Please be warned that the local dolmuş service can be somewhat irregular.

The dolmuş (mini-buses) run from the centre of town to Patara beach/ Kaputaş beach. The larger buses go to nearby towns like Kaş and Fethiye and depart from the bus station at the top of the town. Dolmuş also run from this bus station, but it’s generally more convenient to use the dolmuş stop in the centre of Kalkan if you want to go to Patara or Kaputaş beach. 

By Taxi

Taxis are in plentiful supply and are easily identified. The bright yellow taxis operate either a meter system (with a supplement after midnight) or a fixed tariff. It’s a good idea to agree the price in advance if it’s not a metered taxi.

By Car

If you want the freedom of having your own vehicle, you can hire a car (see below).