Kalkan, Turkey is great for adults and children alike. With several sandy beaches and a range of exciting water sports you really don’t have to travel far in order to entertain the whole family. Kids in Kalkan, Turkey will have an amazing time at any of these child friendly attractions.
Searching For Santa
Turkey may share its name with our favourite Christmas bird, but it’s also the place that you’d least expect to find Father Christmas. However, Kalkan, Turkey is actually the birth place of the original St. Nicholas, but don’t go to the resort expecting to find any Santa themed souvenir shops or even a sign alluding to the fact that Mr Claus was born here. Instead the fact is very much kept a local secret. Patara Beach, which is claimed as Santa’s birth spot, is perfect for those who want to relax and unwind. The calm waters are great to take a paddle in and kids will find Patara’s sand sandcastle friendly. However, you may want to warn your children to watch out for turtle eggs whilst they’re playing in the beach; Santa’s seaside is also home to hundreds of loggerhead turtles and the beach closes at sunset to allow them to lay their eggs.
Canoeing the Xanthos River
Kalkan, Turkey has some great watersports and not all of them take place on the ocean. The Xanthos River is a great place to enjoy a laid back family day out whilst canoeing around the scenic and tranquil Lycian Way. The row is all downstream, so even children can have a go working the oars, once they’ve grown bored of searching for fish that is! The canoe excursion also includes a trip to a nearby mud bath, which is great fun for the whole family. Whilst mums may want to hear about the soothing and holistic properties of the mud, kids will have a great time covering themselves in the goo and pretending to be swamp monsters. The day ends with a barbecue and relaxing swim at Patara Beach.
Kayak in Kekova
The Lycian Way was once rife with tales of piracy and smuggling. One of the main caves believed to be used by pirates, and known locally as The Pirate Cave, can be explored by kayak on a trip taking in the sunken city at Kekova. Kids will find it fascinating rowing their kayak over three ancient cities, Aperlae, Teimiussa and Simena. With the almost transparent water you can easily make out the foundations of houses and the towers of Kalkan, Turkey’s old harbour building. Your children really don’t need to know anything about the history of the area to make the trip enjoyable for them. However, if they’ve recently studied the ancient Greeks or Romans at school then they might find the trip to Kekova’s sunken cities even more interesting. There are a few stops along the way where children and adults can stop for a snorkel and take a closer look at the colourful fishes and spiky sea urchins that cling to the old buildings.
Author Resource:-
Nick Wrightman is the founder and M.D. of The Tapestry Collection, specialist holiday tour operators who can arrange a stay in Kalkan Turkey (http://www.tapestryholidays.com/kalkan-holidays.html) as well as packages for Crete, Kefalonia and Morocco.
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