Kalkan by night is
exciting. The town center transforms at dusk as it
begins to bustle with activity - there is much to do:
shopping, dining, cafés, excellent bars, or just going
for a stroll along the twisting active streets or by the
peaceful harbour.
Shopping
There are plenty of shops in Kalkan, all of
which open early in the day and stay open until at least midnight. And unlike
other resort towns, shopping in Kalkan is completely hassle-free. An evening
spent strolling about the winding streets and alleys while window shopping can
be very rewarding as there are so many things to see and buy in the many
specialty shops.
You
can find almost anything in Kalkan, from carpets to t-shirts and boxes of
Turkish Delight and the traditional blue-coloured glass "evil eye" for
warding off evil spirits. Gold and silver jewelry is a great buy in Turkey as it
is sold by its weight. Lovely antiques, collected selectively from
all over Turkey during the winter months, are very attractive as well.
Other items include:
intricately-decorated ceramics, hand-blown glass, hand-carved Meerschaum pipes
and backgammon sets inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Enjoy shopping for excellent clothing. Several
tailors are ready to make you made-to-measure clothing of excellent Turkish
cloth. Affordable boutiques offer high fashion clothing, hand-knit articles
and leather goods (for excellent prices). You can even buy that belly
dancing
costume you've always wanted.
Beautiful Turkish kilims (hand-woven rugs) and
carpets (traditional knotted rugs) are very beautiful and will last well
over a century. Take your time to find the one which fits you perfectly.
There is a vast number of types which come from many regions of Turkey with
different styles and stories which your salesperson can describe to you in
detail. If you can't afford a carpet or kilim this time, there are also
shops which offer lovely high-quality articles made of kilims, such as cushion
covers, bags, purses, wallets and slippers.
Prices in Kalkan are
very affordable and shopkeepers are happy to accept your
foreign currency.
Dining and Drinks
Kalkan is said to have the highest number of
restaurants and bars per inhabitant or per square meter on the Turkish coast.
Almost every hotel or pension has its own roof-top or terrace bar serving all
kinds of international drinks and cocktails. Kalkan is also renowned for
its roof-top restaurants which offer a wonderful view of the town, sea and stars.
There are over forty restaurants in Kalkan
offering everything from traditional Turkish meals to international cuisine.
Most restaurants offer an open buffet with a large choice of meze (starters)
which is followed by fish or grilled meat. The Turkish way of dining is to begin
with a selection of three or four starters, followed by the main course, and
ending with fruit or dessert plus the famous Turkish coffee ("shekerli"
if you like it sweet). Meals can be lingered over for hours in the refreshingly
cool evening air, often finishing close to midnight. All prices are displayed
near the restaurant’s entrance except fish which can be subject to bargaining.
Kalkan also has all sorts of bars which give
the town an exciting after dinner life. You might choose to listen to a gypsy
band while sipping your raki (the strong Turkish aniseed drink) and smoking a
hooka while reclining
Ottoman-style upon cushions (and maybe getting up for a belly dance or two).
There are also jazz bars, other live-music bars, several popular small dancing
bars with comfortable seating for non-dancers and two disco bars -one
located outside of the center of Kalkan and another open to the public at Pirat
Hotel. Because of Kalkan’s strict codes, a large amount of noise from the bars
is avoided, ensuring a peaceful sleep.
Many
Kalkan hotels hold special “Turkish nights”
once a week. These are special events and you need not
be a guest of the presenting hotel to attend. Delicious
Turkish feasts are held on the rooftop terrace or
regular terrace under the stars, often with a belly
dancing show, live Turkish music and/or regional folk
dancing by children's groups - a very festive night.
