Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com
Kalkan Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: ebodevon on May 20, 2007, 05:42:41 PM
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Hi everyone
Can any anyone tell me about the beach clubs around Kalkan?
What facilities do they have, are they expensive, how you get there, which ones are good for children blah blah blah.
Which one is your favourite?
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:o :oHum beachclubs and children not sure about this, I love the Kalamar beach club, and Yali, Kalamar is quite large has water sports in a lovely spot, good sun beds umbrella's, great cafe toilets shower es etc, Yali is small again nice little cafe, toilets showers sunbeds etc. The only thing wrong with beach clubs ans little ones is they are concrete platforms so no beach, also straight into very deep water that can sometimes be choppy around the edge, so for young children or non swimmers not much fun, that is why although I love Kalkan it would not be my choice for a holiday with children. However you catch a taxi to them, once there the owner pays the taxi driver, then you pay for the day there which includes return fares and sunbeds, cant remember price but I would say less than £5 per day.
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Try the Kalkan Beach Park. Take the free boat across the harbour and once there the sunbeds and umbrellas are free of charge. There's a cafe for snacks & drinks which is good value. There's also a twirly slide thing that splashes kids out straight into the sea - lots of fun (it was 5ytl last year for unlimited use). Also, there's a small beach area so it's easier to get into the sea than at many of the other beach clubs where you have to climb down a ladder from the platform. Hope this helps,
Jen
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I suppose it depends on the age of the children. I think my son was about 10/11 when we first went and as he could swim I wasn't too concerned although still obviously had to keep a close eye on him. Younger children and especially toddlers I'm not so sure about. The entire area is concrete and as toddlers are notorious for falling over at the drop of a hat, they could hurt themselves and certalnly the depth of the water would be a huge potential danger. It all comes down to being really vigilant and realising that you couldn't take your eyes off them for even a moment.
The public beach at Kalkan is maybe a better choice as they could potter around on the beach and children don't seem to mind the pebbles as much as adults do!
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Yes - I agree it is all down to the age of the children - mine love it - but then they are teenagers now and are confident swimmers - our favourite is Kalamar Beach club - spend all day - get free canoes, snorkelling (nearly free) and a great giant trampoline in the water (well it was there last year!) - free transport there and back - not much to get in but drinks and food quite expensive. As others say - it is all concret - VERY nicely done and straight into deep water but if your kids are OK swimmers then it is fine. You can also do scuba diving here and banana boats and ringoes which my kids LOVED..we even let our 14 year old boy and his friend go off and spend the day there by themselves - they had a wail of a time!!
Enjoy!
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Thanks everyone
You've certainly given us food for thought.
My son is 8 and a confident swimmer, however not sure that my heart could cope with worrying about the concrete everywhere.
The Kalkan beach park sounds ok maybe we will give it a try.
What is the beach like for snorkelling?
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the town beach is where a lot of turkish youngsters go..chances are he will make little turkish buddies!!the good thing about there is you are just minutes away from numerous bars and restaurants for that cool ice cream or drink..try the tea garden (it's the one that juts out)your son will love the boats coming so close on the way in/out..
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Hi EboDevon - the 'concrete' is not as bad as it sounds - it is very tastefully done (at least in Kalamar beach club) and if he is a confident swimmer - I would try it out once - and yes do - go to the pebble beach in Kalkan - it is lovely oh and don't forget - Kaputas beach and my FAVOURITE Patara beach!!
enjoy!
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I read that Patara beach has no buildings and shops? Does this mean it has no cafe/restaurant either? Do we need to take a picnic?
Does the entrance fee include parking - or is that extra?
Just doing my research.... Two young children - so we may prefer the town beach and Patara - and perhaps Kalkan Beach Club with its slide and small beach. Wherever we go there have to be ice-creams!!
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Patara Beach has a beach cafe with snacks and ice-creams. ;D
The entrance fee includes parking too.
Kaputas Beach is the one down LOTS of steps and doesn't have a cafe. Maybe one to avoid with very young children.
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Thanks Jen. I picked that up about Kaputas - and no shade either apparently (or little of it). I think we'll leave that one alone - unless we can get there by boat!
Cheers.
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Do the beach club owners expect you to buy food and Drink from them or are you allowed to bring a picnic (with seven of us it can work out a bit pricey) ?
Thanks
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As most of the beach clubs don't charge for sunbeds, parasols etc yes, they do expect you to buy lunch, drinks etc.
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all the beach clubs will charge an entrance fee that includes transport there and back where applicable, sun bed and umbrella. the price is between 5-10 lira depending on where you go. the only exception is kalkan beach park which is free entrance.
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Even though the beach clubs charge for sunbeds etc (apart from Kalkan Beach Park) I still get the impression that you'd be expected to buy food and drinks there, rather than taking your own.
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That's what I would have expected, but if the Taxi and Sunbeds are only that price then it's not too bad -We will give it a go.
Thanks for the respones
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Hı all. I'm lıve ın Kalkan and at the Palm Beach Club. It's fantastıc. Very new (opened last year) and ıs the closest to Kalkan - so not much of a boat rıde. Very frıendly staff and lıttle shıngle beach for the chıldren to play on. Great new loo block wıth automatıc soap dıspenser and hand dryer (the chıldren lıked that!). We're here for the second day ın a row. Thank you to Nuri and hıs crowd and havıng a lot of fun. Great landscapıng and a very good menu too. I'll be back later to log on from home. One week here now and fantastıc! Hı to all. Cheers. Donbon
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Hi Donbon,
I am so envious of you.....
We also loved Palm beach Club and spend most of our days there when we were in Kalkan for two weeks at the end of June. It really is fabulous and oh the views, the music, the food........all great.
Also the service is fabulous too. Say hi to Nurla and Sahat for us if you can. We are Jo and Rich who were staying at Pasha Apart Hotel and Sahat used to pick us up and drive us back each day. We will be back in September and will again be frequenting Palm Beach, probably on a daily basis!!
Jo
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Hi, sounds really good, we have just come back and have never been. We went to the YALI quite a few times, now managed by Murat and Kerri who have the Blue Marlin water sports. It's a great atmosphere, lovely food and service and a very tranquil place to chill out. You can get a free taxi ride there and back, so it's excellent value. We will definately be back in Sept...missing it already. Highly recommend it!
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Hello Jo and Rich.. As the Palm Beach crew, we wanted to thank you for making very kind comments about us. we're looking forward to see you again in september:)
we'll open a new topic with the photos of our club to give people an idea about here. we'll be more than glad to answer if you have any questions at our topic.
Best regards..
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Hi all,
I have just returned from a week in Kalkan and had such a wonderful time. I went to the Palm Beach and enjoyed the day, even though the sea was freezing! We tried the Yali Beach which was nice enough but the sun disappeared by about 3.30 so only good for half a days sunbathing.
Our favourite was the Kalamar Beach. The food is excellent and the staff were very friendly. I also liked it because you look accross the sea to mountains with no buildings on them! They have an inflatable trampoline - if you dare! There is a dive club and watersports there too. I have to be honest, I was horizontal for most of the week so didnt try them out, but they were always busy so must be a popular choice. We called the free taxi to our hotel and were brought back at the end of the day. Definately give it a go, I am booking for another week this year and I cant wait.
Flix.
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Yay...tha Kalamar beach club is our first stop when it comes to relaxing and being spoilt!
And the sun stays well past early evening...its easy to stay for a very long time, and drink lots of fresh lemonade!
Free use of the internet, wireless connection if you've dragged your lappy in your hand luggage!
Staff who remember your names year after year.
The boss coming out to drive you back to your apartment in his own people carrier cos the free transport had just left.
Lovely!!
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Hi all. Just back today after 3 hours flight delay and midnight home last night!! Now trying to pick up weeks of work emails - probably 500 of them - so will be quick!
We also visited the Kalkan Beach club - with its slide - and enjoyed that too - though it also suffers from the same chilly water (fresh water springs that mix with the warmer sea water - you're ok if you duck dive below 1m - but the surface is a bit cold!) as Palm Beach. We thought it was good for children though since the Belgian manager (lady and her Turkish husband I guess?) laid on drawing, painting and puzzles under cover for the children - which my two girls really enjoyed (200 piece Disney Belle puzzle kept the youngest out of the sun for a full hour in the afternoon!). The slide, at 5 YTL for the full day, was also very good fun! The food was reasonable - though not as good as Palm Beach I'd say - but it was a bit more run down. The loos and showers were not a patch on Palm Beach. It did have a little beach though - and that's really important for little ones who like to paddle - and not offered by Kalamar Beach club.
We visited Kalamar beach club once and got both girls out of the water and bouncing on the trampoline - they liked that too! I'll write separately when I've more time to provide more details on each of the beach clubs visited - as well as full trip report (I kept a diary....)
Emails now here - 330 to get through :(
Bye for now. Donbon
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Forgive me for being Mrs Dense on Dense Day in Dense Land, but I can''t quite get my head around the idea of the beach clubs - although they sound good... ::)
They charge for entrance - does that include a reserved sunbed? And what about music - I like the idea of chilled "cafe del mar" tunes, but not the stomp (as was played in Bitez 3 years ago every 5 minutes everywhere we went!) Are the clubs spacious with plenty of room, or are you crowded in a bit too close for comfort? Do you go by road taxi or by water taxi? How much are the extra water sports? Kalamar seems the most highly rated in this forum - but is it a bit big? Grateful for your thoughts as ever :D. Wish it was the summer and we were in Kalkan - it''s dreich here in Scotland...
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Oh yes, you get a sunbed. Land or water taxis depending on which beach club you go to (actually only water taxis for the Mahal). Very little music - thank god!
Have no idea how much you pay for water sports as always make my own sport in the sea! :D
Kalamar is not too big at all - but I''ve heard it can get a wee bit crowded in high season.
I''ve lived in Scotland (Aberdeen) so I know exactly what you mean by ''dreich'' - it''s the same here in SE England :D
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Hi Sally and co, personal choice, but of all the beach clubs I prefer the Yali beach; accessed by heading off down the little coastal road by keeping Sandals Bar on your right. Didn''t go last year and I heard it may have closed, which''d negate anything I''m about to say about it. But the food was gorgeous, didn''t usually get too crowded. Only downside was access to the water. Wouldn''t suit kids at all and getting out was a bit tricky but location wise, at least for me, hard to beat. Cost was not an issue last time I went.
Bill
p.s. spent last week in Scotland and had a great time; thinking of retiring up there. Am I crazy?? lol
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Hi,Yelkenite . I went to the Yali beach club last year as I love the water & swimming there as I love diving straight into deep water. However, it had become a little bit run down & tired - not swept very often & some of the sun beds were a bit broken. Also some of the steps between the platforms were crumbling a bit & could be hazardous if you didn''t watch your footing.The food was OK (not as good as a couple of years ago) & it was quiet but overall I prefered Kalamar. I think I heard a rumor that the hotesl was up for sale but am not 100% certain on that.
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Hey Yelkenite. Glad you enjoyed Scotland ;D. I''ve lived here for 20 years and love it. Even the damp weather and the midges haven''t put me off! It''s a great place to live and work and I can''t wait until I retire here, only another 15 or so years...aaagghh :(
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Hi Sally, sorry to hear the Yali had gone down hill a bit; I heard a rumour that the guy that owned the Asfiya was taking over the Yali at some stage - whether that''s a good thing or not I dont know. I''ll certainly be having a look when I get out there in June though. I''m 58 Rachey, retirement a bit closer for me - hopefully!. Bill
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We went to the Yali last summer didnt find it run down infact they had done a chill out area, snd they brought around free afternoon tea and cake, a very nice touch.
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I think all the beach clubs have their own merits and remember one man''s meat is another man''s poison...or something like that :laugh:
Kalkan, Palm and the town beach are the only places you could take little ones as all the others have too big a drop into deep water.
We also visited Yali last year and it does seem a little tired when you compare it to Mahal or Palm Beach clubs - but Palm is very new and Mahal is probably the most expensive of the clubs - but it was still lovely and the chill-out area/afternoon tea more than make up for it. We did find Kalamar a bit too busy (we were there in August) and very popular with teenagers - and as we''d left ours at home, we gave it a wide berth for the more peaceful locations.
I think it''s difficult to imagine what the beach clubs are like if you''ve never been to somewhere that has them. All I can say is it''s great to get home after a long day and not have to wash sand out of everything... ;)
Why don''t you try them all, Rachey? 8)
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That''s a great idea, Kalkan4eva - but how do we fit in every beach club and all the other things we want to do? - see unmissable/unforgettable thread. I want to to do them all - especially the peach ice-cream ;D. Spoiled for choice. Perhaps me and my OH will do something we''ve never done before - visit the same place more than once and go to Kalkan next year as well. Reading this forum Kalkan certainly seems to weave some magic on you all. I just hope I won''t be disappointed!
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Hi Rachey,
I am sure you won''t be dissapointed. Like you we never went back to the same place more than once until we discovered Kalkan. It really is a special place!