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Kas was once one of the most important cities of Lycia,
and is now a small town with
a great history.
This quaint resort
has a rocky waterfront, with good beaches nearby. There
is plenty of opportunity for watersports
such as canoeing,
jet-skiing, diving and paragliding in
the area. There is
also cavern diving, which uses special
equipment to explore the deep, dark
caverns found nearby.
If you love the water,
you can go on a week-long Mavi
Yolculuk (Blue Voyage) tour along the beautiful
coastline to see remote coves and islands only accessible by boat.
There are also many other daily boat trips
to the surrounding islands
and beaches available, some in glass bottomed boats.
 History
Archaeological
evidence shows that Habesos is the earliest known name of
the ancient city. It later became known as Antiphellos
and was the harbour of ancient Phellos. Excavations
here have revealed a settlement dating back to the
4th century BC, and possibly
earlier, although it reached the height of
its importance during the Roman and Byzantine periods, when
it was a Bishopric. It
was also a significant
centre for sea-trade, and during the Roman era was
especially famous for its
exported sponges. It was attacked by Arabs, then added to the
territory of the Anatolian Seljuks, and took the name Andifli.
After the destruction of the Anatolian Seljuk state,
it became part of the Ottoman Empire. The name Kas means ‘eyebrow’, or ‘something
curved’, describing the shape of the town
under its backdrop of 500m high cliffs.
Climate
Summers are hot and dry in Kas, typical of
the Mediterranean region, and can reach around 35 degrees
during the day. Winters are warm during the day and
cooler at night, when it can drop
below 10 degrees.
How to Get There
By Road
Kas is accessible from Fethiye, or from Antalya. If coming from
Ankara, it is much quicker to take the route through Elmali and
Gombe, rather than the Antalya coastal route. There are
coach services to
Istanbul (12 hours), Antalya (4 hours), and Fethiye
(2½ hours), and dolmuses make the shorter journeys to the beaches of Patara, Kalkan
and Kapitas. The bus station is on the north side of town.
Bus Station Tel: (0242) 836 1020
By Air
Kas is 192 km from Antalya Airport and 160 km from Dalaman Airport.
Antalya Airport Tel: (0242) 330 30 30 - 330 36 00.
Dalaman Airport Tel: (0242) 792 5291
Where to Visit
Gömbe
An ideal place to escape the summer heat is Gombe, 60km north of
Kas, on the cool plateau of the Akdag mountain range,
3024m at its highest point. The
road winds through a pine and cedar
forest, which almost conceals the
village, famous for its cool springs and apple orchards. The herbs
which grow in this area are used in local cooking and there are
several restaurants in the main square. The local
Tahtaci people hold their famous festival
in June, and there is a farmers’ fair in late August.
The nearby
villages of Yesilgol and Ucarsu are good for trekking.
Kalkan (Kalamaki)
A well-maintained and quiet harbour town, Kalkan is 25km west of
Kas. It is an attractive town, once a fishing village occupied by
the Ottoman Greeks. It has become increasingly popular since the
1980s, with a huge holiday village covering the
southern hillside. The small town centre overlooking
the bay is full of traditional white-washed houses
with shuttered windows and
balconies with brilliantly-coloured flowers. The marina caters for
the requirements of visiting yachts, and there
are several restaurants and shops in the
town centre.
Yacht Marina Tel: (0242) 844 3204,
fax: 836 1030.
Saklikent Gorge
Beyond Tlos, Saklikent is a spectacular gorge cut into the Akdaglar
mountains. 18 km long, the sides are so deep and steep that no sun
penetrates, so the water always remains icy cold. Access to the
start of the gorge is along a wooden boardwalk
suspended above the water, then after crossing the river,
there is a
fairly straightforward scramble through the gorge for 6km. In the summer, there are tours
arranged from Kas and Kalkan. Opening hours: Daily 08.00 - 17.00.
ANCIENT CITIES
Antiphellos
This is the original name of the ancient Lycian town, although
there is little left of Antiphellos except a well-preserved
amphitheatre and Lycian rock tombs. One of the most important of these
ruins is the Monument Tomb, also called King’s Tomb,
an inscribed tomb
mounted on a high base, dating back to
the 4th century BC. Another
important site is the ancient theatre, dating back to
the 1st
century BC which once had a capacity of 4000 people.
This well-preserved theatre is the only one in Anatolia
which overlooks the sea. It lies 500m west of the main
town square. Northeast
of the theatre is a house-style tomb dating back to the 4th century
BC, cut 3.5 meters up
into the natural rock and
engraved with 24 girls dancing. Near Hastane
Caddesi, on the western edge of the town,
there is a temple whose
foundations date back to the Roman era.
OUTSIDE KAŞ
Patara (Ovagelemiş)
Once the principle harbour of ancient Lycia, Patara was the
birthplace of Apollo, according to Greek legend. This village,
41km from Kas, has one of the best beaches in the
Turkey, a 20km long
golden
stretch of sand. Declared a
Special Environmental Preservation Region by the Ministry of the
Environment, it is a major breeding area for the caretta-caretta sea turtles, and during
the mating season there are strictly applied restrictions to
preserve their habitat.
Patara gained importance during the
Byzantine period, because it was the birthplace of St Nicholas, the
4th century bishop better known as his alter ego,
Santa Claus. St Paul was also here and boarded a ship
from Patara to
Rome.
The ruins of the ancient city,
1km from the beach, include several Lycian tombs, a basilica,
Corinthian temple and a theatre,
and can be seen when entering Patara. From
the Vespasianus Hamam, constructed between 69 – 79 AD, the adjacent
footpath reaches the marble-paved main
street. At the
end of the street are the wide walls of the
Byzantine Castle, and
east of that is the Corinthian Temple.
At the foot of the hill lies Patara
Theatre, built in the 2nd century BC, capable of
seating around 10,000 people. Until
recently, it was filled with wind-swept sand but
when this was cleared away its structurewas
revealed and archaeological excavations are still
continuing.
Patara can be reached by
dolmus minibus from nearby towns, including Kas, during the daytime
only.
Xanthos
Along the east bank of the Esen River, 45km from Kas,
lies Xanthos, once
the capital and grandest city of the Lycian
alliance. Surface findings from the city acropolis reveal
that the settlement dates back to the 8th century
BC. The first
excavations were performed by Englishman Charles Fellows in 1838, which
probably explains why the Nereid and
Harpy monuments, the
Payave Tomb and Aslani Grave were taken to the British Museum in
1842! The city walls were repaired
and widened during the Roman and Byzantine
periods. At the south
end of the site, a gate dates back to 2nd
century BC, and behind this is
the Victory Arch of Emperor
Vespasian. To the
south-west, is the Lycian Acropolis, now badly
ruined, with a Byzantine Church.
Felen Plateau (Phellos)
In the hills
of the Felen Plateau, 12km from Kas,
lay Phellos a highly important city din the 4th century BC.
This was the city for which Antiphellos (Kas)
was the harbour, and some of the surrounding city walls
still remain. Also on the outskirts of the city is a tomb,
decorated with
carved reliefs and
some 4th century tombs and rock-cut graves.
Belenli (Isinda)
Isinda, on the hills near Belendi village, 13km from Kas, was a
small Lycian city surrounded by ramparts. The
main attraction is in the middle of the
city’s acropolis: two tombs with Lycian
inscriptions. There are also many other Lycian rock tombs from
the Roman
period.
Bezirgan (Pirha)
20 minutes walk from this plateau village
lie Pirha ruins, an ancient city 850m above the sea. There
are many irregularly positioned rock
tombs, all
facing the sea. The statues and reliefs that were uncovered here
are now in Antalya Museum.
Sütleğen (Nisa)
80km from Kas, this is another important plateau village, with
ancient Lycian and Roman ruins 15 minutes walk away.
The city’s Lycian name, Neiseus, is
written on the theatre wall. On the front of some of
the tombs there are images of spears, shields, women and
men. Coins found here are exhibited in Antalya Museum.
SPORTS ACTIVITIES
Diving
Kas has become an important diving centre for Turkish and foreign
visitors. Diving clubs operate from the harbour, and compete with
each other to get to
the oldest submerged ruins in the
Mediterranean. The area has possibly the best visibility and
variety of sea life along the Turkish coast, and the relatively
short distance to the dive sites means that half-day trips are very
popular. Weekends during the summer can get very busy, as
Kas offers some of the cheapest diving in the country. There are many
impressive sea caverns around Kas which are accessible through
diving. These include: Kekova Island, Asirli Island, Guvercin Inn,
and Mavi Cavern, which is the most famous.
Canoeing
The Esen river, 45km from Kas, is a great place for canoeing, with
several agencies in the area supplying equipment and organising
trips. Beginning at the Kinik region, a 15km paddle ends at Patara
beach. The river is quite calm so it is a relatively easy
journey and pretty, with trees and foliage
along the banks. Trips
usually
include breaks for food, swimming and mud baths. For canoeing in
the sea, the best place is the village of Ucagiz, accessible from
Kas by road. The four-hour organised trip involves paddling past
incomparable bays and the historical sites of the Submerged City and Simena, with breaks for swimming and food.
Trekking
As Kas and the Lycian cities are close to each other, trekking is a
popular way of exploring the region, with
planned routes and maps available. Paths
suitable for walking run around the peninsula
to Limanagzi, Gedife Hill, Phellos, Gokceoren, Mount Asaz
and the
Gombe plateau. Kas is a good place to start on
the Lycian Way,
Turkey’s first walking trail, which is a 30-day walk around the
coast and mountains.
Sailing
Kas is one of the most important stops on the Blue Voyage, as well
as a good starting point, and exploring the coast between Kas and
Bodrum on motor schooner or yacht is popular with visitors. The
boats for hire around Kas Harbour are usually well-equipped with
water, electricity, gas, shower and a laundry service
is often provided.
Para-gliding
Kas has proved to be one of the best places in Turkey for hillside
para-gliding, mainly due to
its geography and climate,
which provide plenty of thermals. There are
good, reputable companies operating from the town, with modern
equipment and qualified supervisors.
Fishing
Kas has the cleanest and clearest waters in the Mediterranean with
little or no pollution, so fishing has developed into quite a
lucrative industry. The most common in this area are
lobster, grey
and red mullet, lobster, octopus and tuna. In
recent years, trout farms
have been established around Gombe and Saklikent.
Beaches
On the south-eastern
edge of town are the
pebble beaches of Kucukcakil,
Buyukcakil and Akcagerme. One of the nicest
in terms of its tranquil location is Limanagzi, accessible only by
boat, and surrounded by a tiny cove with olive
trees. The tiny beach
of Kaputas is 19km away, and is reached by 192 rocky steps
from the road, giving it a unique setting when viewed from a
distance. It too is quite stony, and the current can be very
strong, but an attractive and relatively peaceful place for picnics
and sunbathing.
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