 Health Centre |
Kalkan has many excellent health centres, the nearest is only a 5 minute walk from the villa. It is located on the lower floor of the main hotel in the Patara Prince Resort, and is open to non-residents. The centre offers a health programme consisting of several steps which are usually done in a special sequence. This costs £25 per person, which may sound a lot - but it's the best £25 you'll ever spend! It is recommended that you telephone (Tel: +90 242 844 39 20) or visit the centre before going, as they can only manage a handful of people at a time, and it gets busy at times.
When you arrive you are given a towel to wear. It is up to you if you want to keep your swim wear on, but you will get much more from the programme if you don't. We suggest that girls should leave their bikinis on, and wear the towel around their tops.
The first part of the programme is the jacuzzi. But be warned - this isn't your usual warm jacuzzi, this is a cold one, which you get used to quite quickly. One word of warning: keep hold of your towel, as the bubbles are liable to rip it off and leave you 'au naturale'.
Next, it's into the sauna, which sounds a bit silly on a hot summer's day. It's hot, but a nice kind of hot. We were left there a bit longer than we were supposed to (I think they forgot about us!).
This is followed by a traditional Turkish bath. Having seen this on the television, I had some reservations about it. Boy, was I wrong - it was fantastic! First of all you lie down on a slab of warm marble, which is supposed to throw away the negative electric stress stored in your body, and washed. The first part is the peeling which removes old skin, stimulates the nerves and improves blood circulation. The second part is the foam massage. You are covered from head to toe in relaxing foam, which you can feel tingling over your body. Finally, you are washed clean and dried by the helpful staff.
The next part of the program is the full body oil massage. First of all you lie on your back, and your front is massaged, then you roll over and your back is massaged. I don't think I've ever felt so relaxed. The staff are well trained and respectful, and you never feel intimidated during the massage.
The final part of the program is the facial mask. Your face is painted in a green paste which quickly dries and tightens your skin. During this part, which lasts about 15 minutes, you are given a nice cup of apple tea.
I would definitely recommend a visit to the health centre. It is the most relaxing time I've had, and I've never felt better, or cleaner. For this price it is well worth the money, as this kind of treatment would cost you about £100 back home.
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Please allow about 4 hours for the whole health program. |
| Gulet Cruises |
Gulet cruises are extremely popular in Kalkan. There are several competing cruises to choose from, but there is very little difference between them. They all operate from Kalkan harbour, and offer pretty much the same things. You can actually visit the boats in the evenings and the crews will give you a tour before you decide which one to choose.
A typical cruise starts off at about 10.30am and returns by 5.30pm. One cruise we went on was with Romantik Cruises (Web: www.romantikcruise.com, Tel: +90 533 336 18 32). They had a lovely clean boat, which even Robbie Williams had been on. We requested a private cruise which cost a total of £130 for the day; it would have been cheaper if shared with others. The cruise starts off from the harbour towards Kisla Bay, then Kaputas Beach 03 and Snake Island 06 (weather permitting), then back round the bay and to Kalkan (see map below). |
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Be warned that cruises rarely follow this route in bad weather, and may often be cut short. |
At about 12.30pm the crew laid the table ready for lunch, which was included in the price - except for drinks. This comprised chicken, salad, chips, pasta, and bread. There was plenty of food for us all.
During the day the cruise will stop several times for you to have a swim in the clear blue sea. We stopped more times than usual because our trip was cut short by the bad weather further out in the bay, which was a pity, because a swim in one bay was pretty much the same as a swim in another.
Overall, a gulet cruise is well worth the money and ends up being a very enjoyable day. If you enjoy sunbathing, swimming and relaxing in general, then this is highly recommended.
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| Diving |
The waters around Kalkan have a coveted Blue Flag for cleanliness and are favoured by divers and snorkelers alike. There are a few good PADI diving schools to be found around the harbour:
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