The tourist town of Kas (pronounced in Turkish as Kasch) is located on the Lycian coast about 180 kilometers from the provincial capital of Antalya.
The picturesque bays of the former fishing village remained undiscovered by tourism for a long time. Only the construction of a road in the 1970s made the coastal town accessible by land at all.
The small town has been able to retain its original atmosphere even with the rise of mass tourism in recent decades. That is why Kas is also one of the more alternative travel destinations in Turkey.
Table of Contents
- Holiday in Kaş
- How long should you stay in Kaş?
- Weather in Kaş and the best time to visit it
- Essential sights to see in Kaş in one or more days
- Day trips from Kas
- Beaches in and around Kas
- The Food Scene – Bars and Restaurants in Kaş
- Is Kaş worth visiting?
- How to get to Kas
- Renting a car in Kas
- Hotels & holiday homes in Kas
Holiday in Kaş
Kas has everything you would expect from a great Mediterranean beach holiday. This includes basic conditions such as fine sandy beaches, turquoise blue sea water and perfect bathing weather in the summer months.
The town center invites you with its narrow streets and old Greek houses. The place is surrounded by 3000 meter high mountains.
In Kas you will quickly get used to the Mediterranean way of life. Only tourists who want to party in discotheques until the morning like in the big holiday resorts of Alanya, Antalya, Kemer or Bodrum will be disappointed by Kas.
But there is a completely different culture with small pubs, bars, restaurants and lounges in the old town and at the port.
A special feature are the islands of Kastellorizo and Strongyli which are only 3 kilometers from the coast and belong to Greece.
There you can see the influence of Greek architecture on the older buildings. The most memorable are the blue, wooden window frames, narrow streets and large terraces.
How long should you stay in Kaş?
The town of Kaş is very small and is usually devoid of tourist crowds. Despite that, there is enough to see here.
It is the perfect point to make a stop and get to know the beautiful Mediterranean surroundings. So I would stay here for at least 1 night, preferably 2 or even 3 nights.
The sea around Kas is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen! More beautiful than in Greece or Mallorca!
Here you can also stop at the side of the road at every bay and jump into the turquoise blue sea.
If you are driving your own car, you can park the car for a few days and to do some excursions in the area.
Weather in Kaş and the best time to visit it
The southern coast of Turkey has a Mediterranean climate. This is characterized by more than 3,000 hours of sunshine on 300 sunny days a year.
The daily temperatures in the months of June to September are consistently above 30° in Kas. On average, less than one rainy day per month can be expected.
On some days in the summer months it can happen that the thermometer comes close to the 40° mark. The highest water temperatures can be found in the months of July, August and September with 25-28°.
In April, the first beach holidaymakers already dare to go to the approximately 20° warm Mediterranean Sea on the Lycian coast. Daytime temperatures vary between 20 and 25°C throughout the month. Towards the end of the month, the conditions improve very quickly.
October still offers travelers water temperatures around 24°C.
The off-season is the best time to spend a vacation away from the beach in Kas.
From April to mid-June and late September to October there is hardly any precipitation and temperatures do not reach the peak values of summer.
In winter, many long-term vacationers can be found in Kas, who spend the cold months in Central Europe in Turkey. Between November and January, the maximum daily temperatures rarely drop below 15°.
Essential sights to see in Kaş in one or more days
1. Old town with numerous small shops
If you have been to Antalya and were fascinated by its old town, you will get the same feeling in Kas.
It is true that as the day progresses it fills up with people, but if you take advantage of the first hours of the morning, you will be able to enjoy it almost alone.
The lush and rich Mediterranean vegetation in and around Kas offers a variety of vegetables and fruit, which are sold at numerous weekly markets or small street stalls.
The colorful and bright white shops and houses in the old town are built in the Greek style and richly decorated with colorful flowers.
The shops that are now located in the old houses in the city center mainly offer local and handcrafted goods for tourists.
Here you can buy carpets, jewellery, spices, antiques and of course a lot of Turkish honey.
If you want, you can just let yourself be carried away and stroll through the many narrow streets and let yourself be swept away by the offers.
Of course you can also sit down in a coffee house every few meters. There is no shortage of nice cafes and restaurants in Kas!
You can rely on public transport to explore Kas and the neighboring towns. Small buses go back and forth all the time. They are called dolmus and are a kind of shared taxi.
In the middle of the old town, there is an unmissable statue of the king’s sarcophagus from Lycian times. It is about 2,000 years old.
2. Fishing port & marina
When you walk along the harbor, you immediately smell the salty sea water and freshly caught fish. The surrounding restaurants particularly benefit from the catches.
If you like seafood you will feel like in paradise. Fresh crab, lobster and a variety of fish are on the menu.
3. Antipellos Amphitheater
The theater is nestled between olive trees just west of the center of Kas. You can walk there in about 5-10 minutes from the port along the coastal road.
You will be rewarded with a great view from the upper tiers of Kas and the opposite island of Kastellorizo.
While it’s not as impressive as the big amphitheatres, for example in Aspendos, it goes well with Kas. Everything is a little smaller and cozier there.
Take something to eat with you and sit comfortably for half an hour and observe the surroundings. Admission is free of cost.
4. Adventure Sports & Excursions
The tour operators in Kas have also followed the trend of recent years and offer many different sports and excursions.
Whether it’s trekking in the mountains, canyoning, mountain biking, the Lycian long-distance trail or tandem paragliding from the mountains down to Kaputas Beach, you won’t get bored.
Kas is also one of the most beautiful diving areas in Turkey. If you haven’t learned scuba diving yet, the schools here will give you the perfect opportunity to do so.
In total, there are 15 diving points in Kas, each of which hides its treasures, whether it is a sunken plane, a torpedo bomber or antique anchors.
In addition, local waters are rich in marine life, among which you can find turtles, barracudas, stingrays, octopuses and many other representatives of the underwater world.
This island belongs to Greece and is only 3 kilometers away from Kas.
5. Kastellorizo Island (Meis / Megisti)
Boats run regularly from the harbors in Kas and Fethiye to the harbor on the other side of the coast. The island is perfect for enjoying good Greek food for a day.
It used to be one of the most popular destinations for emigrants in Turkey. You could stay in the country for 90 days without a visa. With a crossing to Kastellorizo you were in Greece and when you returned, the 90 days started all over again.
The Turkish government has now put a stop to this practice. You can only stay 90 days within 180 days without a visa (Ikamet) in Turkey.
6. Ruins of Kyaneai
Kyaneai was originally a Greek city. Later it belonged to the Lycian League, the Roman Empire and finally to Byzantium. Excursions to the well-preserved ruins of the ancient city are organized from Kas.
Day trips from Kas
If you want to spend more time exploring Kas, here are some trip recommendations.
- Myra & the Basilica of “Saint Nicholas”
- Ruins of Olympos and the Olympos Beach in Cirali
- Excursions to the sunken city on the island of Kekova
- Visit the Saklıkent Canyon National Park
We highly recommend the trip to Kekova.
It lasts around 9 hours, and during the journey you will be able to swim in amazing enclaves of turquoise waters, you will visit a sunken city and the town of Kaleköy where the ruins of Simena are located.
In Simena, you can visit the area of the citadel and the castle. The entrance is not included, but it only costs 17.5 TL.
Beaches in and around Kas
There are relatively few beaches right by the old town of Kas. But you will find more beautiful bays and long sandy beaches in the vicinity.
Most of the beaches on our list are just a few minutes away.
In the summer months it is sometimes not so easy to avoid the other tourists and find a really quiet stretch of beach. Below are a few insider tips.
1. Kaputas Beach
It is the most famous and therefore the liveliest beach around Kas. The water at Kaputas Beach contributes to the Turkish Riviera being called the Turquoise Coast.
The crystal-clear, turquoise-blue sea water and the sandy beach blend in perfectly with the cliffs near Kas.
You will find it lying below the coastal road that leads to Kalkan. Once you’ve gone down the steps from the road to Kaputas Beach, you won’t hear any passing cars.
You should definitely head to Kaputas during a holiday in Kas.
2. Limanagzi
The Limanagzi beach is in a small bathing bay that blends beautifully into the natural landscape near Kas.
It can be reached either by boat from the harbor or via a small hiking trail. As a result, you will find relatively few other tourists there even in the summer months.
There is a good Turkish restaurant on the bay. Parasols and loungers can be rented there.
3. Bilal’s Beach
Bilal’s Beach can be reached by boat from the harbor in a very short time.
The loungers and parasols can be borrowed free of charge if something is eaten in the adjoining restaurant.
4. Big Pebble Beach (Buyuk Cakil Plaji)
A suitable name for the Big Pebble would be “The Hipster Beach”. It’s the beach where the fashionistas spend their days with an eco-picnic basket.
Still, once you get there, you won’t want to leave. The bathing bay is one of the best places to relax in Kas.
Bonus: The beach bars have set up free umbrellas and lounge chairs.
5. Little Pebble Beach (Kucuk Cakil Plaji)
You can walk to Little Pebble from the harbor along Hafenstraße in just 10 minutes. The path down to the beach is not immediately visible. Watch out for a sign directing you down the hill to the beach.
In the summer months it is often visited by locals with their children. They jump from the rocks of the rocky bay into the water.
The Food Scene – Bars and Restaurants in Kaş
Kas is known for its bars, restaurants and pubs in the old town. There is something going on in them every evening.
Especially in the summer months, the establishments are always bursting at their seams.
In addition, of course, there are bars and discotheques in the large all-inclusive resorts and club complexes. But nightlife in Kas is nothing compared to Kemer and Antalya.
Some restaurants are in the upper price segment. You just have to do a little comparison to find a good one.
Restaurant recommendations:
- The Panorama Restaurant offers Mediterranean cuisine with seafood and steaks. Be sure to sit on the terrace in the evening. From there you have a wonderful view of the sailing boats in the harbor.
- Not far away you will find the Meyhane Turkuaz. If you want to try traditional Turkish food, you’ve come to the right place.
Bars & Pubs:
- One of the most famous meeting places in the old town is the “BarCelona“. In the small and cozy bar there are excellent cocktails and many other drinks at moderate prices. After a day at the beach, it’s worth stopping by and having a drink there.
- In the Oxygen Pub at the marina you can end the day with delicious burgers and cocktails with good music.
Is Kaş worth visiting?
Kas is one of the most interesting tourist spots in Antalya province. It differs from the large all-inclusive package holiday strongholds in the east of the Turkish Riviera.
You will find more small guesthouses and apartments in Kas than hotels. But that’s not bad at all. As a result, everything seems a little more relaxed in Kas than in the other resorts in the region.
In addition, there is the beautiful natural landscape on the Lycian coast with its millennia-old history. This alone allows you to spend your vacation relaxing on the beach and exploring the ruins of long-gone cities.
Of course, sporting opportunities in the region are not neglected.
Kas to me is a mix of the ecotourism town of Cirali and the busier tourist towns like Side and Alanya.
As a result, you will find just the right holiday offer for every taste in the small coastal town.
How to get to Kas
There are two possible airports for you to get to Kas – Antalya and Dalman airports.
From Antalya Airport, the journey to Kas by shuttle bus takes three hours. You can book the buses with Shuttledirect.
Otherwise there are also private transfers. Compared to the 12 to 15€ in the shuttle bus you pay a little more. In return, you save yourself the waiting time at the airport for the departure and the stopovers along the route.
The second option is Dalman Airport. From there, the transfer to Kas takes about two hours. The flight connections are unfortunately a little worse than to Antalya.
In the summer months there are of course many direct flight connections. In the low season you usually have to change trains in Istanbul or Ankara.
Renting a car in Kas
You can book a rental car either at Antalya or Dalman airports or directly in Kas. The prices are about the same everywhere.
At the airports you pay more what you would pay for the transfer to Kas.
But then you can drive the beautiful coastal expressway D-400 along the Lycian coast to Kas itself. You will enjoy the route.
All you have to do is drive west from Antalya and you will see the sea most of the way.
If you want to rent a car at the airport, you should book it in advance. Otherwise you will have to wait longer at the airport or you may not be able to get a car in the high season.
You can use the usual websites Sixt or Eurocar.
Hotels & holiday homes in Kas
In Kas, care is taken to ensure that everything is neat and tidy. At first glance, you might think that hotel prices are in the upper range. But that’s not the case.
You can count on the same good value for money as everywhere else in Turkey. Although you pay a little more compared to the cheapest regions in the east of the Turkish Riviera ( Side to Alanya ).
You can find an overview of the accommodations on TripAdvisor. All hotels, guesthouses and holiday homes are listed there including reviews from previous guests and photos from tourists.
This allows you to get a good impression of the services offered before you book.
