IF YOU DECIDE TO BOOK, PLEASE CONTACT THE OWNERS WHO CAN ADVISE ON TRANSFERS, CAR HIRE AND EXCURSIONS ONE OF THE FINEST PLACES ALONG THE TURKISH COAST TO EXPERIENCE A RANGE OF WATER SPORTS AND DIVING Our air-conditioned ground floor apartment, set in a small secluded garden, forms part of the Patara Prince Resort, which is situated on a 60 acre secluded sea front estate along Kalkan Bay. With a private 200 metre coastal shore, this unique resort has been described as a classic in the Mediterranean. In the well-established gardens of the resort are jasmines, bougainvilleas, olive, rubber, palm and mimosa trees, nicotiana, hibiscus, datura, geraniums, banana plants and numerous varieties of cacti. Across the bay from the Patara Prince Resort lies Kalkan, a small, peaceful resort and fishing town, untouched by mass tourism and more sophisticated than the usual resort town. The narrow cobbled streets twist down to the harbour, with old whitewashed houses situated alongside small local specialty shops and restaurants. Some buildings still retain their original carved Ottoman Greek timber balconies. Unlike other Turkish coastal resort towns, Kalkans main economy is tourism and therefore its citizens put much pride and effort into the towns historic preservation. Good dining has always been the way of life in Kalkan and is especially renowned in Turkey for its numerous roof terrace restaurants and bars. We would personally recommend the Korsan Marina Restaurant, situated on the waterfront to the left of the harbour, overlooking the beach and Kalkan bay. They also offer a takeaway service and a wonderful drink called mint lemonade. Absolutely delicious and not to be missed! We would also recommend the Aubergine Restaurant, situated beside the harbour. Their food is delicious, especially the wild boar. The people of Kalkan are very welcoming and this, along with warm Turkish hospitality is the basis of life. Please dont hesitate to accept one of the many tulip-shaped glasses of tea you will be offered while you stroll along the winding streets of Kalkan. If you are looking for noisy, wild nightlife, you will not find it in Kalkan. Please note that as well as Cactus 220, we also have Cactus 223 (Ref: 31215), so if you view that site, you will be able to see more photographs. Whilst you are staying in the apartment, you will receive GUEST MEMBERSHIP CARDS, which will entitle you to use all the facilities at the Patara Prince Resort, so our advice is to try as many as possible! Guest membership of the resort also allows you a 25% discount on all restaurant and bar bills within the complex. There are THREE RESTAURANTS on site, the Patara, the Agora and the Apollonia, where you can enjoy international cuisine or traditional Turkish specialities. There is also the Jasmine Patisserie for freshly baked sweet snacks and ice cream. There is the Apollonian Night Club and Disco, or for those who like to take things a little more quietly, the Agora Bar and the Piano Terrace Bar. For those who like to be active during the daytime, water-based activities include DIVING, WINDSURFING, WATER-SKIING, SNORKELLING and SCUBA-DIVING. There is also a speed boat available for bay cruises and sunset charters. There is a HEALTH CLUB with a heated indoor pool, a whirlpool, a sauna, a Turkish bath or hamam, and a fitness area, also a choice of therapies and massages and hair and nail treatments to choose from. You could always relax by one of the THREE OUTDOOR POOLS, which include a family pool, an adult only pool and an infinity pool, or play VOLLEYBALL, FLOODLIT TENNIS, SNOOKER, CHESS, BACKGAMMON or TABLE TENNIS. You may also leave your children with the certificated teachers to enjoy water sports, pool games and a play area in the garden. There are plenty of activities to keep children amused. There is also baby sitting service and an evening disco specifically for the children. 220 Cactus Gardens is set in a small secluded garden, close to car parking and the tennis courts. The door of the apartment opens onto the KITCHEN, which includes a full size fridge, toaster, large kettle, microwave, hob unit and utensils and crockery for four. There is also an iron, ironing board and a drying frame. In the kitchen there is also an EMERGENCY LIGHT. It is a regular occurrence for the lights to fail in Kalkan, but the Patara Prince Resort has its own generator, which means that the power comes back on almost immediately. This, however, can be disconcerting, especially when cooking, or having a shower! We have installed an emergency light, which comes on instantly, switching off once power is resumed. Although you won’t be able to continue cooking until the generator kicks in, at least you will be able to see what you will be cooking in the next couple of minutes! In each room we have also installed ELECTRICAL INSECT KILLERS. In the kitchen there is also a welcome pack, including tea, coffee, dried milk, sugar, bottled water and biscuits. As we are very new to the rental market, we have not, as yet, been able to set up a system whereby this is replenished by the staff at PPR. At the moment, we ask that you be patient with us and replenish anything you use, ready for the next guests. Around the corner from the kitchen there a DOUBLE BEDROOM with two single beds. The SAFETY DEPOSIT BOX is situated in the wardrobe in this bedroom. The key for the safe is on the key ring with the apartment key. Next to the bedroom is a SHOWER ROOM with a hair dryer. The MAIN LIVING AREA, which faces west, is divided into two by a natural corridor to the French window. On one side is the living area, including a sofa and cable television and on the other, there is a double bed. The architect responsible for the design and building of the resort arranged them this way in order that the view from the French window could be enjoyed whist still lying in bed in a morning! It may seem a little strange at first, but rather lovely, once you get used to it! Have a look at the floor plan on the website to give you a better idea. Leading out from the living room through the French window, there is a TERRACE with recliners, a dining table and chairs. Please note that in the apartment, there are two Turkish flat weave kilims or rugs from Kayseri in Central Anatolia, one in the living room and the other in the bedroom. The Kayseri area is known for its excellent rugs, both carpets and kilims. The small town of Bünyan is particularly well known for its products. Traditional regional kilims are woven in slitweave, often in compartmentalized sections that repeat a common design using different colours. In the information folder in the apartment is the certificate of authenticity of the kilims, upon which are details of the shop in Kas where we purchased them. The two brothers who own the business are very friendly and their prices seem reasonable, although you will be expected to negotiate a price! All linen and towels are included in the price, which, incidentally, are all new. There are plenty of pillows, again, new and enough for two for each person. Housekeeping is provided, which includes a complete change of linen and towels. Before your holiday we will inform you of the dates of housekeeping. Extra laundry service is provided for personal items, the charges being clearly marked on the laundry list in the apartment. If you are SELF-CATERING, there is a SHOP near the tennis courts which sells a small range of produce. There are, however, a number of SMALL SUPERMARKETS and family run stores in Kalkan, where you can buy a good variety of provisions, including a range of delicious fresh bread, which is delivered daily from the next town along the coast. There is also a DAILY MARKET for fresh fruit and vegetables, which is situated behind the taxi rank as you enter Kalkan. There is a MARKET in Kalkan on a THURSDAY, held by the top mosque. The goods on offer range from spices, carpets, fruit, tools, vegetables, clothes, fish, kapok, Turkish delight, household goods galore, meat, jewellery, freshly cooked snacks, assorted fabrics, honey and shoes, to name but a few! Bartering is expected, so have a go, it is exhausting, but rewarding! Incidentally, the cabbages are the size of basketballs, the radishes, the size of oranges and the leeks about four feet tall! In the apartment there is a folder containing information which we hope will help you plan your ideal holiday, also a guide book of the area written by a local chap. AND FINALLY, PLEASE NOTE that the villas and apartments on the Patara Prince Resort have been built into the rocks on a steep hillside. Our apartment is situated at the top of the resort, the hotel is about three-quarters of the way down and the main pool overhangs the bathing platforms next to the sea. The terrace pool at the top of the resort is close to the apartment. There are three ways to reach the Agora Square, where the hotel is situated, by the small winding roadway inside the resort, by the steps which weave their way through the gardens, or utilising the free MINI BUS, which can be requested by telephoning reception from either the apartment or the vine arbour on the level up from the main swimming pool. The stopping points for the mini bus are just nearby the apartment, at the mini roundabout, known as the Palm Tree Stop, next is the Patara Stop near the security office, then the Bougainvillaea Stop and the finally the Apollonia Stop underneath the vine arbour. We try to walk down, to use up some of the calories we have consumed, but we do not usually walk back up! Be warned, it is very tiring, especially in the heat, although if you do use the steps, there are numerous walls to rest on. You will need them! Never be concerned about calling the mini bus. It is there for our guests to use. We want you to enjoy your holiday, not to return home exhausted! Some holidaymakers are quite content to relax by the pool and soak up the atmosphere, but others wish to be adventurous and see the sights. If you fall into the latter group, 40 minutes drive away from Kalkan is PATARA BEACH, a beautiful 18 kilometre stretch of sand backed by dunes. Entrance to the beach is through the ruins of the ancient city of Patara, with a triumphal gate, several baths, a theatre and a few temples. After the ruins, at the entrance to the beach near the dolmus drop-off, are a few basic restaurants to supply you with food, beverages, umbrellas and sun beds, as there is only one restaurant on the beach. The beach is closed for its own protection after sunset as it is one of the few places in the world where endangered Loggerhead turtles come to lay their eggs. It features regularly in brochures as one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful beaches and only recently was voted the second best beach in Europe by Joanna Symons of Telegraph Travel. The presence of nesting turtles has ring-fenced the area from developers and water sports are banned. Not quite so far away is ISAMLAR, a small village set in the Taurus Mountains, a twenty minute drive from Kalkan. The village provides a real insight into life as it has always been in rural Turkey with a çay garden, where the men of the village put the world to rights over glasses of tea. There is also a bakery which still uses an old mill stone. If you are feeling especially hot, then the place you should visit is the SAKLIKENT GORGE which delivers a rushing stream of pure limestone-filtered water. The gorge is 18km long and so steep and narrow that the sun does not penetrate, so the water is icy cold, even in the summer. The gorge is approached along a wooden boardwalk above the river and opens out to a series of wooden platforms suspended above the water, where you can buy and eat trout at one of the specialist restaurants. Enjoy the refreshing cool air, before you return to sea level! Please note that if you want to explore the gorge fully, you will need a change of clothing, as guides take visitors up to their waist in water. Although Kalkan has an excellent range of shops and restaurants, it is worth visiting KAS, which is larger than Kalkan, with life revolving around the town square by the harbour. It is worth noting that on the sheer rock mountain wall above the town there are a number of Lycian rock tombs, which are illuminated at night. The local fishermen are also happy to run a water taxi service to take you to a bay, cove or beach along the coast. From Kalkan or Kas you can also take a boat tour of the SUNKEN CITY OF KEKOVA. A standard boat excursion might start by passing Kekove Island. Along the shore of the island are Byzantine foundations and ruins, partly submerged in the sea - the Sunken City. The boat should stop in a cove, so that you can swim and perhaps explore those ruins that are on the land. Another lovely place to visit is KAPUTAS. It has a small sandy cove and beach nestled at the foot of a striking mountain gorge, so be prepared for many steps! The water is always a brilliant turquoise blue. Umbrellas can be hired here. Kaputas beach is about 7 km away from Patara Prince Resort and a dolomus from Kalkan will take you there in the summer months. A short swim from Kaputas is Mavi Magara or the Blue Cave, named for the colour of the boulders inside. Please be very careful, though, as the currents are strong and there are no lifeguards. It is recommended that swimmers go at least in pairs. Whilst you are basking in the sunshine, do not forget Christmas and that very special man, Father Christmas! St. Nicholas, born in 245 A.D. in Patara, spent his life in Anatolia. Son of a wealthy family and well educated, he devoted himself to others. When he was young, his father died and left Nicholas a great fortune. Instead of spending it on himself, Nicholas started anonymously giving the money to the needy, especially children. He travelled to Egypt and Palestine as a young man and then eventually became the Bishop of Myra, modern day Demre in Turkey. Today, St. Nicholas is the patron saint of children, sailors, teachers, students and merchants. After he died he was buried in Demre and a church was built there for his memory. Situated between Finike and Kas, Myra is 25 km from Finike and 48 km from Kas. Although it was originally a coastal town, it has retreated from the sea because of the alluvium from the Demre stream. The rock tombs, the theatre and St. Nicholas Church have survived to make it a place worth visiting. St. Nicholas was credited with many miracles including saving sailors from drowning and resurrecting three boys who had been killed by an evil butcher. In one legend he provided bags of gold to a poor man as dowries for his three daughters. In a number of countries the death of St. Nicholas on 6 December is commemorated by special ceremonies and by giving presents to children, and in fact it takes on the significance of a new year.