28/04/2026
Kalkan, historically known as Kalamaki, is a charming Mediterranean town on Turkey’s Lycian coast, founded 150–200 years ago by traders from the Greek island of Meis. Originally a vital, safe harbor between Kaş and Fethiye for trading goods via camel caravans, it was predominantly inhabited by a Greek community until the 1923 population exchange. Following a decline, it revived in the 1970s and 1980s as a popular tourism destination.
Kalkan’s food history is a blend of Mediterranean freshness and Ottoman tradition, rooted in its past as a Greek fishing village (Kalamaki) founded around 150-200 years ago. Originally reliant on regional trade of local olive oil, sesame, and grapes, the cuisine evolved from rustic mountain shepherd fare to a unique fusion of seafood, meze, and traditional Turkish flavors, now celebrated in renowned rooftop restaurants.