Kalkan Out & About

Ways of getting around whilst you’re in this beautiful country.

By Dolmus

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. Dolmuşrun 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.

Kaş: Daily every half an hour from 09:30 to 12:00, then every hour on the hour until 18:00. The trip takes about thirty-five minutes

Patara Beach: Every half an hour from 10:00 to 12:00 and then every hour on the hour until 18:00. The trip takes thirty to forty-five minutes. On top of the cost of the dolmuş, there’s a small additional entrance fee to the beach which subsidises the conservation area

Kaputaş Beach: Daily every half an hour from 09:30 to 12:00 and then every hour on the hour until 18:00. The trip takes approximately fifteen minutes

Fethiye and Antalya: Buses to Fethiye and Antalya go on an hourly basis.

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. (prices can be seen in our car hire section.

Distance Drive (approximate)

Kaputaş Beach 7 km 10-minutes

Patara (site & beach) 16 km 20-minutes

Xanthos 18 km 20-minutes

Letoon 20 km 25-minutes

Kaş 27 km 30-minutes

Fethiye 80 km 1 hour

Olu Deniz 89 km 1 hour 10-minutes

Kekova 45 km 1 hour 15-minutes

Dalaman 130 km 1 hour 40-minutes

Dalyan 145 km 2 hours

Pamukkale 266 km 3 hours 45-minutes

Ephesus 357 km 4 hours 15-minutes