Kalkan is located only 17 kilometers away from the beautiful yayla (high mountain valley) village of Bezirgan, elevation 700 metres. Historically, many locals of Kalkan have owned land both in Kalkan and in Bezirgan. Today many still follow the pattern of their ancestors, spending summers in the coolness of the mountains and winters near the warm coast. During the summer months about 650 people live here and this number drops to about 150 in the winter when the population moves back down to the coast.
Bezirgan is a completely different environment from what you see on the coast. It is an authentic working Turkish village and the people living here live much as their ancestors did 100 years ago. The village is nestled on an ancient lake bed of rich soil which supports a luxurious coat of fertile fields yielding grains and chickpeas, lush orchards and grazing land for sheep and goats.
There’s a lot to see in Bezirgan – charming village houses and gardens and depending on the season you will see planting, animals being shorn, wool processed, grain winnowed and fruit and vegetables laid out for winter use. Bezirgan is a relaxing place and its friendly people are full of traditional Turkish hospitality. The village makes an interesting daytrip. You can take walks about the village and observe Turkish country life with its slow pace or alternatively, walks in the mountains encircling the village. There are also several Lycian ruins to be seen within the village itself.
The village is reached after a scenic drive high above Kalkan with a spectacular view of the Mediterranean below as well as a look into the depths of the Kaputaş Gorge. A remarkable change in vegetation is seen before one reaches the crest of the mountain valley where Bezirgan lays below in all its beauty.
