March 2025

We all had the same reaction when
our van pulled up to the Kalkan Villa…. WOW! The View is spectacular! With 4 levels, 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms, it’s the perfect lodging for a large group. Lots of common areas to gather, cook, play games, swim and/or hot tub. The rooms are spacious and comfortable…providing lots of privacy if desired. The entire villa is immaculate. It’s located within walking distance of the town and the numerous fun shops and excellent restaurants. The Villa property manager is extremely attentive and quick to respond. AND, the best part…it was FREE. Connie & I met a great couple from England when we were in the Amazon last year, so we agreed to do a house swap with them. They will be coming to our home(s) in New Mexico and Texas in May.

Our week in Kalkan passed quickly and included…

A day on the Mediterranean in a “gullet” ….and even though the water was very cold, most of the group enjoyed a bottle of rum in the ocean…of course not me…too cold natured! 14 years ago, I was right in there with them but now I’m wiser 😜 Wine on the deck for Connie and I was just fine.

We spent 2 of our days about 30 min down the road in Kas…my favorite ocean port in this area. It’s full of little shops with lots of handmade items and very reasonable jewelry…especially silver with Mediterranean turquoise and cool gemstones. The 2nd time we ventured over to Kas, we went to a resort built outside of town that terraced down to the water and allowed us to admire the amazing view while we taught them how to make margaritas. All of us being Texans were very educated in this area.

The restaurants were all fabulous and we never found a bad meal…including when they cooked for us on the gullet. There was a special spot in Kalkan near the ocean that John and Melissa discovered one morning …so we ate breakfast there several times and watched the local lady make traditional Turkish crepes.

And the SPA! OMG… the Roman bath where they scrub you down and then massage you…then you move into an area where they serve you tea and put a mud facial on you…and finally you get the real massage of a lifetime. I think almost everyone made a couple of trips to the spa.

Our last night, we had a private chef and his 5 helpers came in and cook for us a traditional Turkish meal. So many delicious dishes to try and enjoy…including chicken, fresh fish, and steak that they prepared on the grill. The mother also made a dessert we couldn’t resist even though we were stuffed.

One thing to remember is the village is built on the side of a mountain similar to most towns on the mediterranean, coast…so be prepared for LOTS of STEEP uphill and downhill walking…add that to the fact I was on the 4th level of the villa (my suite covered the entire top floor) with my bathroom consisting of a 2 person jacuzzi tub, 2 toilets and 2 sinks….then outside a hot tub and bar with 2 patios for lounging. I felt like royalty even though the 30 steps up from the kitchen and pool wore my legs out. 😩

No doubt about it…. This certainly was a week in paradise for us all.