LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

---

13 BEST THINGS TO DO IN KAS, TURKEY: A GUIDE TO VISITING KAS.

---

Is Kas worth visiting?

Kas, pronounced “Kash” is a gorgeous town in Turkey on the Turquoise coast. It was a must visit for us when we recently walked the Lycian Way.

We were mainly motivated to visit after seeing photos of Kas, it looked like an idyllic paradise by the sea. Kas did not disappoint -but there’s more to it than the beach.

Kas is definitely worth visiting for anyone looking for a peaceful Turkish town, with history, food and culture.

Best things to do in Kas

Here are 13 of the best things to do in Kas.

KAS OLD TOWN

Kas Old Town is beautiful and is probably the biggest draw of the town. A dense maze of white washed streets, full of craft shops and colourful shop fronts. Browse the Turkish carpets, stop for coffee and enjoy some people watching too.

EAT OUT IN KAS

We loved Kas at night, it has a wonderful romantic feeling in the air. In summer, the restaurants open late to entertain couples and families enjoying a meal out. You can find Greek influenced restaurants, laid back Turkish eateries and more upmarket restaurants too.

Bahçe Restaurant has a lovely setting and Pell’s is great for a cocktail. For something more low key, try Kas Gurme Falafel.

KAS AMPHITHEATER

A short stroll out of the centre of Kas, is Antiphellos Ancient City. Here you can find a nicely intact amphitheater with sea views. It doesn’t take long to visit, 10-15 minutes or so. But it is free to enter.

We would recommend visiting at sunset, with a glass of wine. Perfectly peaceful.

TURKISH BATH

Spa Marin is a delightful spa in the centre of Kas. They offer a number of packages, from couples packages to ones for ladies. For 2700 TL, you can enjoy a Turkish Bath, a 60 minute massage, reflexology and a face mask. Bliss.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SPA MARIN | Spa Programs | Massage | Hamam | Kas (@spamarinkas)

KAS SMALL PEBBLE BEACH

Kas has two beaches. Nearest to the town centre is Kas small pebble beach (Küçük Çakıl.) It is a very easy beach to get to from the town centre, just follow the coast and you will see the entrance.

We would suggest that this beach is not the best place to spend a full day – it really is tiny. But, to cool off after some sight seeing or for a short dip, it is perfect.

There are a few beach bars either side, these seem to have privatized an area of the beach and you will need to pay to use their facilities. But, rest assured the main beach is free to enter.

KAS BIG PEBBLE BEACH

The bigger beach in Kas is called Büyükçakıl Plaji. You can find this around a 10 minute walk out of the town centre. There is a small hill to climb to get there, but it doesn’t take long.

The Big Pebble Beach, does exactly what it says on the tin. It is an ideal place for a full day of lazing on the beach – you can rent sunbeds and umbrellas too.

GO ON A BOAT TOUR

A really nice way to see Kas and the surrounding area is to take a boat tour. One thing we noticed in Turkey along this area of the coast, is that boat tours are inexpensive compared to in other countries.

For example, you can take this full day boat tour, which includes lunch for around £40 per person.

TAKE A SHORT HIKE

Kas is right on the Lycian Way, a long-distance hiking path. This is ideal for anyone wanting to take a short hike during their trip to Kas.

We recommend the hike from Kas to Limanağzı Plajı, which is around 5km away. This is a small and private beach, only accessible by foot or boat. The hike is relatively straightforward, you can follow the red and white trail markings from the trail head (found here.)

There are some tricky bits as you get to towards the beach – you’ll need to use a rope to pass some rock tombs. Be sure to stop to look at them on the way down – very interesting.

GO PARAGLIDING

Paragliding is super popular in this area of Turkey. All along the coast we saw adventure junkies paragliding high above the cliff tops.

It is easy to see why it is so popular, the coast is stunning with one bay after another and I bet it is spectacular looking down on it from up above.

In Kas, get in touch with Kas Paragliding to arrange a tandem adventure.

MYRA RUINS – DEMRE

Around 45 minutes drive, or bus ride, from Kas is Demre. Demre is much less pretty than Kas, more of a functional town. But it does house the incredible Myra Ruins.

Myra is an ancient city, the remains of which can now be visited as a museum. Tickets are quite expensive, around £20. But, there is an amphitheater, tombs and other artifacts so you can spend around one to two hours there.

SIMENA SUNKEN VILLAGE

One of the highlights of visiting the Turquoise Coast in Turkey was seeing the sunken city of Simena. This area of Turkey has so much interesting history and Simena is definitely just that.

Simena is best accessed by boat, or kayak, but you can also get near to Simena by car. Just park up as near to the Simena Castle as you can and walk over. However, I do think entering Simena by boat is a special experience and something you should do if you can.

If you’d prefer not to organise a visit to Simena independently, you can take a tour by boat to Simena directly from Kas. This costs around £35 per person and is a full day trip with all transport included – find out more here.

Once in Simena, enjoy an ice cream and explore the island. Although there isn’t a beach, as such, you can swim in the crystal clear water.

SIMENA CASTLE

Simena Castle sits proudly atop the hill above the sunken village. It is well worth a visit if you are seeing Simena. The climb up is quite steep, but worth it for the views. Tickets cost around 30 TL (£1).

MEIS ISLAND, GREECE

Meis Island, a Greek island, is only 20 minutes away by ferry. So close that you can actually see it from Kas. Visiting Meis, is a popular day trip from Turkish mainland. You can book tickets in the city and take one of the regular ferries.

Meis is absolutely tiny, the main thing to do is visit a Blue Cave on a boat. We didn’t get a chance to visit Meis, but you can find out more about how to get there and what to do in this fantastic blog post written by Gallivant Girl.

Where to stay in Kas

Kas has something for every budget when it comes to accommodation. In terms of where to stay in Kas, we would recommend picking somewhere quite central and close to the old town. This is where the quaint restaurants and tavernas can be found – although it means that the beach is a short walk away.

Here are a few options that we like for accommodation in Kas.

BUDGET: Larex Otel is a 3* option, but offers budget rooms for less than 1000 TL per night. The location is excellent, near to the coast and in the old town too.

MID-RANGE: Lara Kas Hotel is also 3* but it feels quite upmarket, the finishing touches are really smart and we enjoyed the large balcony with sea view. In summer months, you can find freshly baked bread at breakfast too.

LUXURY: Arnna Hotel is an excellent high-end option close to the sea. It is near enough to the old town but offers a peaceful and quiet location.

How to get to Kas

Kas is a little tricky to get to, but not impossible with a hire car or public transport.

The two closest airports are Dalaman and Antalya. You can reach Kas from both airports by direct bus – from Dalaman it will take around three and a half hours, whereas from Antalya it is closer to four and a half.

Whether you have a hire car or you are taking public transport, Kas is worth visiting as part of a road trip in Turkey. We also recommend visiting Antalya, Cirali, and Simena.

Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

---

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• Pinterest

---

---

---