An introduction to the ancient coastal town of Kaş

Habesa of the Lykian world, Antiphellos of Greek antiquity or Kaş of modern day Turkey … The small coastal town is highly popular among foreign tourists who visit Turkey each summer.

Delal Aydın

Crystalline sunlight pours through the olive groves, wise goats cross small pathways, aqua-blue bays where hundreds of vessels have sunk throughout history sleep in silence and brightly colored summerhouses are scattered on the skirts of a steep hill near the sea. This is not the setting of a pastoral novella, but a picturesque description of Kaş, a small resort town situated on Turkey's Mediterranean coast.

In Kaş it is almost impossible to feel restless. The tranquil atmosphere embraces everyone, not only people sitting on a bench near the marina or couples strolling through the streets holding each other's hands.

From the begonia-rich veranda of a guesthouse in Kaş one can enjoy a panoramic view of the sea and of Meis, a small Greek island that one can swim to from Kaş in a short time.

Riding on a motorcycle or sightseeing on a boat

Kaş is situated on the southwestern tip of the Teke Peninsula. It is not only a coastal town but also the site of ancient ruins, which used to be called “Habesa” in the bygone Lykian Union, a confederation of 23 cities. It was named “Antiphellos” in ancient Greek times and played a central role in the timber trade during the Roman period.

A journey through this ancient resort town on the seat of a motorcycle can be greatly enjoyable for tourists. One can stroll through Kalkan, a small village with a small harbor, and then take a seat at one of the restaurants located near the harbor to start visualizing the “bad old pirates” of the glory days of the Lykian bays while enjoying a meal. Pirates used to attack the Phoenician vessels that passed full of commercial goods and Kalkan was one of the small bays where they used to hide and wait to ambush a loaded ship in the darkness.

The bay turned into a commercial center in the Ottoman period. Carried by camels, charcoals, silk, mulberries and olive oil from the Xanthos Valley and the mountains of Elmalı were loaded onto vessels at Kalkan's port and from there transported to other parts of the empire.

Visitors to Kaş should also go to nearby Kekova; though one needs to take a boat there. Once there, one is immediately enchanted with the greenery, the blue waters and the ancient fortress located on top of a hill in a village called Kaleköy. The village is home to untouched sarcophagi, remnants of an ancient city once situated there. Other remnants of the same ancient city, Dolichiste of the Lykian Union, are beneath the water.

Dolichiste was sunk into waters after a great earthquake in A.D. 2. One can still see the doors, walls and verandas of Dolichistean houses under the sea. The bottom of the sea almost looks like a cemetery of amphorae.

A small wonderland

Kaş is a small coastal town. One can explore it on foot in a few hours, as it does not take long to walk from one end to the other. One's vocabulary might not, however, suffice to describe the numerous beauties located in the area surrounding the town. Located on the way to the neighboring village of Kalkan, Kaputaş Beach is just one of these enchanting beauties.

Lykian cities

Kaş and the whole area surrounding it are home to various remnants of the ancient Lykian civilization.

[HH] Kekova

It would be a pity to miss Kekova when spending a holiday in Kaş. One can take a boat tour and see the sunken city of Simena in Kekova and climb to the highest spot of the small village of Kaleköy to enjoy a glorious scene.

Spots to be seen

Kaputaş Beach: a golden sandy beach and a turquoise bay located on the way from Kaş to Kalkan.

Patara: Voted one of the top beaches in the world, Patara is a combination of awesomely big waves and an immense sandy beach. When visiting Patara, one should not neglect to have a glimpse of the remnants of an ancient city located nearby.

Xanthos and Letoon: Xanthos was the capital of the Lykian Kingdom. Another ancient city, Letoon, is also located four kilometers away from Xanthos, which the Lykians used to call “Arna.” Xanthos has been on UNESCO's world cultural heritage list since 1988. In the sixth century B.C., the people of Xanthos committed suicide en masse rather than being ruled by the Persians. What remains are marvelous graves, perhaps the best examples of the art of burial.

Where to eat?

Mercan Restaurant: Located across the main harbor in Kaş, Mercan Restaurant is a favorite of tourists. Mercan is mainly famous for its cook, who is a genuine genius; so to see an Einstein cooking fish on a Turkish skewer, pay a visit to Mercan. Swordfish and Lagos are two specialties.

Where to drink?

Mavi: the most popular venue in Kaş, especially for those who want to listen to rock music from before the 1990s.

Déjà Vu: a place for some jazz, some blues, and some soundtracks from Jim Jarmusch films; especially good for those who want to get drunk on hard liquor.

What to do?

Scuba Diving: There are many scuba diving agencies in Kaş that provide quality service.

Tandem Paragliding: Floating in the sky with a glorious breathtaking scene of mountains and the sea, tandem paragliding is one of the most exciting experiences to have in Kaş.

Boat and safari tours: Kaş and neighboring town Kekova are two spots where boats set sail for secret bays on the coasts. One can swim in the waters of these aquarium-like bays and discover sunken cities and mysterious sea caves such as the Blue Cave. For those looking for a quiet tour during which their ears are not disturbed by loud music, a boat tour by Xanthos Tour can be a good alternative. The same tour agency also provides jeep tours in which one gets the chance to see the surrounding bays and ancient sites.

Where to stay?

Ankh Pansiyon (Ankh Guesthouse) in Kaleköy: Those who holiday in Kaş should spend at least one night at the Ankh Guesthouse, which is located near a sunken city.

How to go to Kaş?

The distance from Kaş to Dalaman Airport is 160 kilometers and the distance to Antalya Airport is 168 kilometers. After getting off the plane, one can rent a car to downtown Kaş or take a taxi from downtown Antalya to Kaş.

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