Çamyuva→Kalkan

Leaving the pine-shaded resort lanes of Çamyuva for the whitewashed hillside of Kalkan means swapping one side of the Lycian coast for the other. The trip is 104 km, and the journey takes about 109 minutes, which most people round to an hour and fifty minutes. That is long enough to stop thinking of it as a quick hop and short enough that it still fits comfortably into a single morning or afternoon. There is no direct dolmuş worth the bother, no train, and a self-drive day spent wrestling hairpins above the coast is a poor use of a holiday. A private car from Turkey Transfer handles all of it while you watch the Taurus mountains fall into the Mediterranean.

Çamyuva sits just south of Kemer, on the stretch of coast between Kemer town and Tekirova. It is a ribbon of hotels, small apartment complexes, markets and fish restaurants running along the coast road, with pine forest climbing the slope behind and the long Tahtalı massif, the ancient Mount Olympos, standing over the whole district. Your driver collects you at the entrance of your hotel, villa or apartment, loads the luggage, and joins the coastal D400 road. The first minutes are the familiar resort landscape: hotel gates, bus stops, shuttle minibuses, the odd tractor coming down from a hillside orchard. After that the buildings thin out, and the road starts to behave like a mountain coast road.

From here the journey follows the western Mediterranean coast of Turkey, which is among the most dramatic coastlines in the country. The road runs on a ledge between steep, forested mountains and the sea. In places the hills drop to the water in a single sweep; in others the road drops onto flat plains full of greenhouses and orange groves, where whole valleys are covered in plastic and glass. The towns you pass or skirt on the way are the ones every traveller on this coast learns the names of: Kumluca, Finike, Demre and Kaş.

This is not a motorway. Much of the way is a two-lane road with bends, climbs and the occasional slow lorry, and that is exactly why the journey is rated at 109 minutes for 104 km rather than the much shorter time the distance alone might suggest. The pace is set by the terrain, not by the car. A driver who knows the road does not fight it. He uses the passing places, slows for the villages, and keeps the car smooth on the long descents so that nobody in the back seat feels the bends more than they need to.

For a drive this long, the time of day matters more than the exact kilometre count. Early morning departures are the quietest. The road is free of day-trip coaches, the light on the sea is soft, and you reach Kalkan with the whole day still ahead of you. Mid-morning departures are the most popular and are still comfortable. The roads through the towns on the way become busier in the middle of the day, especially in July and August when local traffic and holiday traffic overlap, and a slow tractor or delivery lorry on a single-lane climb can add a few minutes. Afternoon departures add a little more of the same, and the evening run is often the prettiest, with the low sun lighting the cliffs, though you arrive after dark in the shorter days of autumn and winter.

The 109 minutes on this page is a realistic planning figure for a normal clear-road run. On a busy summer afternoon, allow a little extra, and if you have a dinner reservation in Kalkan or a boat the next morning, build in a cushion rather than counting on arriving at the minute. We plan around the busy windows when we agree a pickup time with you.

The vehicle is air-conditioned, which matters from May to October on this coast. The driver speaks English, and bottled water is on board. If anyone in your party feels the bends on mountain roads, tell the driver and he will adjust his pace.

A transfer does not have to be a straight line. Because the route follows the coast, there are natural places to break the journey, and the time they take is small compared with the length of the trip. Mention any stop when you book so we can allow for it in the schedule.

The harbour town of Kaş sits close to the end of the route and is one of the most attractive small towns on the Turkish coast. A short stop is enough for a coffee on the waterfront, a walk through the old streets with their bougainvillea and balconies, and a look across the water at the Greek island opposite. If you want a proper meal on the way, Kaş is the most natural place for lunch. It also has a good selection of small cafés where you can sit with a Turkish coffee and watch the ferries and excursion boats come and go.

Kaputaş is a narrow gorge that opens onto a small, strikingly turquoise beach between Kaş and Kalkan, reached by a flight of steps down from the road. It is one of the most photographed beaches on this coast, and a swim here on the way to Kalkan is a very good reason to take the trip by private car. The beach is small and gets crowded in high season, so an early stop in the day works best. The steps back up are steep, so bring a light bag rather than your luggage, and allow time for the climb. The driver can wait by the road while you go down.

Kalkan is a small town on a steep hillside above a bay, with a harbour at the bottom and the old town climbing the slope above it. It started life as a Greek-speaking fishing village known as Kalamaki, and the old stone houses with their carved doors, wooden balconies and flowering vines still define the centre. The modern town spreads along the hillside with villas, apartments and small hotels, many of them with a sea view and a private pool. The overall mood is quiet and design-minded rather than loud: boutique places to stay, rooftop restaurants, small galleries and shops, and an evening scene that stays relaxed.

Kalkan is built on a slope, and the streets in the old town are narrow, steep and in places one-way or closed to ordinary traffic. Parking in the centre is limited, which is one of the reasons arriving by private transfer is so much more comfortable than arriving in a hire car. The driver knows which streets can be reached by vehicle and which cannot, and will take you as close to your door as the local layout allows.

• Hotels on the main road or near the harbour can usually be reached directly.
• Villas on the hillside are often reached by narrow, sometimes unmarked lanes. Send us the villa name and, if you have it, the pin location or the owner's contact number, and keep your phone on in the last half hour of the trip so the driver can call if the lane is hard to find.
• Properties in or immediately above the old town may need a short walk with luggage. The driver will help with bags and tell you plainly how far the last stretch is.
• If the property is up a steep private road, tell us beforehand so that the right size of vehicle is sent.

We confirm the pickup the day before, so there is no doubt about the meeting point on the Çamyuva side, even if your accommodation is down a lane that does not show on every map.

Kalkan is small, but the part of town you stay in changes the feel of the holiday. Because you are coming from Çamyuva, where the setting is a resort strip along a pine-backed beach, the contrast is part of the appeal. These are the main areas.

The old town is the heart of Kalkan: stone houses, steep cobbled streets, rooftop restaurants and small shops, with the harbour at the foot of the hill. Staying here puts you within a short walk of dinner, shopping and the waterfront. It suits couples, friends and anyone who wants to leave the car behind and wander in the evening. The trade-off is that streets are steep, access for vehicles is restricted and some places are a walk away from the nearest drop-off point. If you have heavy luggage or reduced mobility, tell us so we can plan the closest practical approach.

Kalkan is not a long-sandy-beach town, and it is worth knowing that before you arrive. Its main appeal is the sea and the setting rather than a wide strip of sand. The town's sea access is largely made up of swimming platforms, beach clubs and small pebble coves, which suit people who like a quiet swim and a sun lounger more than a day of sandcastles.

• Kalamar Beach is a small bay close to town, with platforms and facilities, and is the easiest place for a swim without leaving the centre.
• Kaputaş Beach, just up the coast toward Kaş, is the famous turquoise cove at the bottom of the gorge steps and is best visited early.
• Patara Beach, a short drive to the west, is a very long sand beach backed by dunes, and is the place to go if you want a proper stretch of sand for children and long walks. It is also a nesting area for sea turtles, which is why the beach has rules about the hours and the use of lights and umbrellas.

On land, the old town is itself the main landmark. Spend an evening wandering the lanes, look into the small shops and galleries, and walk to the harbour at sunset. The Lycian Way, the long-distance walking trail around this coast, passes near Kalkan, and short stretches of it make good morning walks even if you have no plans to do the whole route.

Kalkan has a reputation for good eating, and for a town of its size it has a high number of restaurants. Many are on rooftops, with views over the bay and the lights of the harbour. The cooking leans toward fresh fish, meze, grilled meat and Turkish home cooking, with a few places adding a modern twist. Coming from Çamyuva, where the evening scene is mostly hotel restaurants, fish places along the beach and the marina bars of nearby Kemer, you will find Kalkan more compact and more focused on dinner.

Evenings in Kalkan are relaxed. People tend to eat late, linger over the meal, and then move on to a quiet bar, with live music in some places. It is not a late-night clubbing town. If that is what you are after, you are better placed elsewhere on the coast. For most visitors the quiet evening is the point.

A few practical tips for evenings. Reserve a table in high season if you have a favourite rooftop. The streets are steep after dinner, so wear sensible shoes. And if you are staying in a villa on the hill, ask your hosts about a taxi for the ride home, because the walk back up can be harder than it looked on the way down.

Çamyuva is a family-oriented place, and many guests arriving in Kalkan are travelling with children. Kalkan can work very well for families, with a few things to plan for.

• Child seats. We provide child seats on request. Tell us the ages and weights of the children when you book so the right seats are in the car. On a long drive like this, the correct seat makes a big difference to comfort.
• The drive. With children, the journey is long. Plan a break halfway, bring water and snacks, and think about the time of day. A mid-morning departure often fits best after breakfast, with a stop for lunch on the way.
• Pools. Many Kalkan villas and hotels have a pool, which for many families is the main attraction. Check fencing and depth if you have small children.
• Beaches. For young children, Patara's long sandy beach is more practical than Kalkan's small coves and platforms. Kalkan's steep streets can be hard going with pushchairs.
• Evenings. Kalkan's restaurants are generally relaxed and welcoming to families, particularly earlier in the evening.

Not every trip fits into a neat daytime slot. If you finish checking out of Çamyuva late, or if you have a flight arrival that puts you on the road in the evening, a night transfer to Kalkan is possible. Driving the coast road in the dark is slower and the bends are harder to read, so a driver who knows the road is especially valuable. Allow for the 109-minute journey time and a little more, and tell us the exact time so we can plan.

For early starts, the opposite applies. A very early departure from Çamyuva means a very quiet road and an earlier arrival in Kalkan, perhaps in time for breakfast on a rooftop and a first swim before the day gets hot. Some villas will not have staff to meet you at a very early hour, so check with your host that someone will be there to hand over the keys.

Many guests use the same route in reverse at the end of their stay, either back to Çamyuva or on to Antalya Airport for a flight home. Departing from Kalkan for the airport is a long drive, because Kalkan lies at the far western end of the Antalya province coast. It deserves proper planning, and the timing rule is simple: leave earlier than you think you need to.

Work backward from your flight. For an international departure, you will want to be at the terminal in good time for check-in and security, and the airport is busy in summer. Add the long coastal run from Kalkan on top of that, and add a margin for slower stretches of road. We build in a sensible buffer for the climb out of Kalkan and the long coastal run so that you reach the airport with time to spare rather than watching the clock on the cliffs. For an early morning flight, that can mean leaving Kalkan in the middle of the night, so plan your last evening accordingly and pack the night before.

The route retraces the coast road in the other direction, with the sea now on the other side of the car. The early hours are quiet and the scenery is as good as on the way in. The last part of the journey brings you onto the busier roads around Antalya, where traffic can build, particularly in the middle of the day in high season. Your driver tracks the schedule, helps with luggage at the terminal, and drops you at the departures entrance.

One of the pleasures of staying in Kalkan is how many interesting places lie within a short drive. If you plan to see several of them, ask us about transfers or private days out. These are the best known.

• Patara. The site of an ancient Lycian city with a ruined theatre, a triumphal arch, and a long, empty beach beyond the dunes. A morning at the ruins and an afternoon on the beach is a classic day.
• Xanthos and Letoon. Two ancient Lycian sites near each other, together recognised as a World Heritage site, inland from the coast and easy to combine in a half day.
• Saklıkent Gorge. A deep canyon in the mountains inland, where visitors walk through cold, shallow water between high rock walls. It is cool in summer, which makes it a popular excursion in the hot months.
• Kaş and Kekova. Kaş is the departure point for boat trips to Kekova, where parts of an ancient settlement lie under shallow water, and to the village of Simena with its small fortress above the bay.
• Fethiye and Ölüdeniz. Further west lie Fethiye and the famous lagoon at Ölüdeniz, a longer day but doable with an early start.
• Islamlar. A village in the hills above Kalkan known for its cool air, mountain views and trout restaurants.

From Çamyuva you will already know a different set of excursions, namely Phaselis, the Olympos cable car on Tahtalı and the trout restaurants of Ulupınar. Kalkan offers a quieter set of day trips, spread over a different part of the Lycian coast.

The Mediterranean climate means long, hot, dry summers and mild winters, and the seasons shape both the drive and the stay.

From April to early June the countryside is green, the wild flowers are out along the road, and the sea is still cool. It is a good time for sightseeing and walking the Lycian Way, and the roads are less busy. Some seaside businesses in Kalkan may be just opening for the year, so check specific restaurants and beach clubs if you have a plan.

July and August are hot, with temperatures that make a shaded terrace and a sea swim essential. This is also the busiest period, with the most traffic on the coast road, the fullest beaches, and a lively atmosphere at the restaurants. Book your transfer ahead, leave earlier in the day to avoid the hottest hours, and allow extra time for the afternoon traffic in the towns on the way.

September and October are often the best months. The sea is still warm, the crowds thin out and the evenings are comfortable. Daylight shortens, so part of the drive may fall after dark. In winter the coast is quiet and many Kalkan restaurants and beach clubs close for the season. Check opening times before you rely on one place, and choose a daytime transfer so you arrive in the light.

The journey is 104 km and takes around 109 minutes, or about an hour and fifty minutes, depending on traffic and the road conditions. Midsummer afternoons in the towns along the way can add a little, so we plan around the busy windows.

Yes. Both are on the route into Kalkan and make a natural photo or swim stop. Mention it when you book so that we can allow extra time in the schedule.