Kaş, pronounced 'cash' (roughly speaking), has recently transformed into a popular tourist destination in the Antalya region of Turkey. Until the 1970s, the small fishing village was only accessible by boat due to its high mountains. Its inaccessibility has preserved its charm over the years, and even now, as the town has expanded, it has managed to avoid overdevelopment and the resorts that often chase mass tourism along the Turkish coast.
Kaş is also becoming increasingly renowned as Turkey's prime diving spot. Situated in a substantial Marine Protected Area with interesting wrecks, warm turquoise waters, and quality dive infrastructure, Kaş is an ideal diving location for all levels of experience. But Kaş has more to offer than what's underwater; it's a fantastic travel destination in its own right. Love history? Kaş has millennia of it, from Lycian tombs to a Roman Amphitheatre and a charming Ottoman centre. For what was once a small fishing village, it boasts a significant amount of cultural heritage.
We first travelled here in 2020, almost entirely by luck, during the first summer of the pandemic when those of us itching to leave the country were heading to the few nations open to the UK, and Turkey was one of them. We were looking for a place to relax and dive during our travels around the country, and some online research led us to Kaş. In short, we loved it. It was small but bustling, a stunning coastline, good food, independent shops, and a town patrolled day and night by very important cats (VICs). However, like much of Turkey, the cost of food and accommodation has risen significantly in the three years since our last visit, in part due to the country's inflation. While it's still an affordable location for those from the UK, it's no longer as cheap for tourists and is on par with its neighbour, Greece. A pint of Effes will set you back around £3-£3.50, and a main dish in a mid-range restaurant is £8-£10.
Where to Stay
There's a reason Kaş wasn't accessible by road until 40 years ago: the mountains. Kaş's harbour is nestled between steep cliffs, and the town climbs rapidly just a few streets from the centre. Nowadays, the newer and expanded sprawl of the town weaves its way up these steep cliffs and provides tourist apartments with incredible views of the coastline. However, be warned that what may look like a 15-20 minute walk on Google Maps could actually require a form of motorised transportation due to the steepness of the roads. For a couple of days, before our long term accommodation was available we were staying in a studio only halfway up the residential outskirts and this was almost unwalkable for us, even though we're relatively fit and go by foot at every opportunity. This place is very steep, so I recommend taking extra care when choosing your location and only opt for higher properties if you're willing to take regular (and quite cheap!) taxis back from town or hire a scooter/car for the duration (walking down is very doable).
The small town centre itself lies mainly at sea level, and there are many hotels and apartments in the town itself. To the west of the harbour, towards the peninsula there are more accommodation options and it is a fantastic location choice for accessing the town and Small Pebble beach and it is the flattest part of Kaş for those who struggle with hills.
To the east, there are plenty of accommodation options near Big Pebble Beach. It's about a 20-minute walk into town from there, with a couple of rather steep hills, but it is walkable, peaceful, and close to one of Kaş's best beaches.
For our longer and more substantial stay, we rented an amazing apartment just up from the Tomb of the Kings. Yes, there's a short steep hill, but the stunning basement flat with a garden is just before the hill climbs exponentially, and the daily commute to the dive centre was about 5-10 minutes by foot, which was perfect for us.
Finally, we met many backpackers on our way who spoke very highly of the camping in the region, specifically glamping to the east of town, which offers luxury tent and camping options near Big Pebble Beach. There's also a tent and motorhome campsite out on the peninsula with a private beach, and while we didn't stay there ourselves, it appeared well-equipped from the outside, with lots of shady spots to pitch.
Things to Do
1. **Stroll through the town.** It's impossible not to fall in love with the quaint town centre. Shiny cobbled streets, independent shops filled with local arts, crafts, and fashions, coffee shops, bars, and even a Lycian tomb. Not to mention, it's a great place to meet all the cat friends who own the place!
2. **Walk to the Amphitheatre.** Just to the west of the harbour, about a 10 minute walk from town, is the Antiphellos Amphitheatre. Dating back to the 1st century BC (but likely restored about 300 years later), this well-preserved amphitheatre could host 4,000 people and boasts lovely views of the harbour and coast.
3. **Relax at the beach.** Kaş is not a 'beach' destination like its neighbour Kalkan, as it doesn't have long sandy beaches. However, this is what has helped maintain its relatively sympathetic tourism. It does have incredibly clear, calm, and warm waters and plenty of options for swimming. The main public beaches are 'Big Pebble Beach' and 'Small Pebble Beach,' to the east and west respectively but there’s also lots of platforms for accessing the water from the town itself, some which require a small fee.
4. **Dive into the blue.** This is what brought us to Kaş – diving! We loved our experience with Dragoman Diving, chosen specifically for their environmental credentials, but we stayed for their fantastic instructors, passion, and the community atmosphere.
5. **Visit Kokova.** Enthralled by the tales of Atlantis? Kovova island, in the Mediterranean, is home to a sunken ancient Lycian city, Dolchiste, now almost completely underwater. The underwater spectacle is only accessible by boat, with multiple trips offered from the harbour, or you can try kayaking tours offered by Dragoman, allowing you to paddle around the ancient city.
6. **Rock and roll nights out.** For such a small town, Kaş has a buzzing nightlife with a love for rock music. There isn't a night where a local (and really talented) band can't be found playing a mix of classic rock and their own tunes in one of the local pubs, and it's all free of charge (more on our favourite bars below). Make sure to check our fantastic Air BnB hosts band, Blues on Wheels.
7. **Hike the Lycian Trail.** Kaş lies on the Lycian Way, a long-distance route of over 500 km of marked hiking trails. From the city itself, you can pick up parts of the trail that will take you past Lycian tombs and onward to local beaches only accessible by foot or boat. WARNING: It gets hot in Kaş, and we made the mistake of thinking hiking would be possible in August, but we tried, and I wouldn't advise it. But it's a perfect shoulder-season activity.
8. **Day trip to Kastellorizo.** We entered Kaş via Kastellorizo; read our blog on how. You can also explore this island on a day trip. The MEIS express ferry runs at 9 AM and returns at 4 PM, which is ample time to explore the island and visit the blue hole.
9 ** Further afield. ** Outside of Kas, Antalya and beyond has so much to offer. I won’t be able to outline it all here but the city of Antalya and ancient Perge were real highlights on our trip.
Food and Drinks
Our month in Kaş was spent on a budget of under £100 per day, and in reality a lot less as we used the time to save for our adventure. That meant lots of home cooking and when we did eat out, mainly at lower-cost cafes and restaurants. So, this isn't a guide to fine dining, of which I'm sure there's plenty!
First thing to note, for those on a budget, is that the supermarkets are fantastic, offering plenty of options. Our favourite had to be Muhtar. Although it looked like it should cost more than the others, the prices were competitive, and the choice was plentiful. Also, make sure to check out local greengrocers for fruit and vegetables. The most cost-effective way to eat is to stock up on fresh produce and cook from scratch. For the vegetarians and vegans among you, meat substitutes are rare and VERY expensive (Migros carries a few options and blocks of firm Tofu), but for alternative milks, stick to the greengrocers where almond, hazelnut, and oat milk are half the price of the average supermarket.
Eating Out
Here are a few of our favourites:
1. **Freida Pub:** It's all about beer and burgers in a very cool location. The portions are HUGE, and they put a lot of love into their veggie burger. They also have a range of craft beers and Bonmonti on tap.
2. **Sahan:** A no-frills Turkish cafe that offers staples like Pide, Kebab, chickpeas, salad, and great courgette fritters. If you are on a budget, you can't beat this place for value for money. There’s no website but you’ll find it just down from the large central Muhtar supermarket.
3. **Bekos:** We only went here for breakfast, but wow, what a breakfast it was! Beautiful sea views accompany your Turkish breakfast sharing plate and Menimen.
4. **Bunbun Kas:** Fancy something a bit different? Bun Bun serves up XXL Bao buns with a huge variety of fillings. Really impressive vegan menu options too. I had the mushroom, and it was SO meaty.
5. **Kas Gurme Falafel:** A very pretty shop in a back alley near the Muhtar. The menu is small, serving only falafel, hummus, and fresh lemonade, but I would recommend them all.
6. **Lily’s Corner:** A great spot for pizza and pasta. There’s creative flair with a wide variety of pizza toppings (including goat's cheese and fresh fig - mmm) and the pasta rolled in a parmesan wheel is heavenly.
Drinking
There’s no shortage of places to enjoy a cool beer or a well-made cocktail in Kaş. Whether you are looking for peaceful sea views, buzzy courtyard gardens, or live rock and roll, for such a small town, Kaş nightlife is diverse without being overwhelming. Diving almost every day meant we didn’t indulge as much as we usually would, but we, of course, found the time to have a few afternoon or evening beers.
1. **Dragoman Beer Garden:** Yes, the dive shop has a beer garden, and it’s a beautiful courtyard space with natural wood tables, plenty of greenery, and a happy hour before 9 PM. You can also try the invasive lionfish, watch Murat Draman's underwater videos, and listen to live music five nights a week.
2. **Fredia Pub:** So good it gets named twice. As well as a burger joint, this place has a great selection of beers and is the perfect place for an after-dive pint, even if you don’t fancy a meal.
3. **Kayta Meyhane:** Situated on the late-night drinking street, this pub has very fair beer prices, and the high stools outside are perfect for people (and cat) watching an evening away.
4. **Quanta Rock Cafe:** If you love classic 80s and 90s rock, beer, cocktails, and cats, this is the place for you. We often found ourselves having one (or three) too many here as the tunes kept us in our bar stools until late.
Getting There and Away (by Boat and Bus)
We arrived in Kaş by ferry from Athens via Kastellorizo, which I firmly believe is the best way to travel! Find out more about our ocean adventure in Athens and into the Blue. The ferry from Kastellorizo to Kaş is only 20 minutes, and there are two a day (1130 and 1630 from Meis ferry lines). Both Kastellorizo and Kaş have small portacabin customs offices that will stamp your passport in and out between Turkey and Greece. There are also sea connections direct to Meis, where you can go onwards to Rhodes in 3-4 hours.
There is no train station in Kaş. Just out of town (about 15 minutes by bus), Kaş has a giant, shiny, almost empty bus station (as far as we could tell, far too big and empty compared to the demand from passengers). This newly built terminus means that to access most of the long-distance buses between major cities you will need to take a short taxi or local bus out of town first. Again, although the distance may not look that far, the steep mountain sides make it unwalkable. The station itself is well served with regular buses to most of the major cities, including three daily buses to Istanbul, which was our next destination. You can buy tickets from Flixbus, which is in partnership with Kamil Koc, the Turkish coach line, and the night bus will take approximately 14 hours. The bus was modern and spacious with electricity provided. There were only a few stops en route, and so we (well, I) managed to sleep pretty much through the night and arrived relatively fresh in the morning (for a night on a coach!!).
PS. The main purpose of our trip to Kaş was diving, so we’ll cover that in a separate blog. But if you’d like to check out some of Kaş’ diving opportunities, a fellow traveller and new friend Nevin has two fantastic videos on his YouTube channel, and you can always follow the amazing team at Dragoman for their updates.
PPS. I mentioned it briefly, but it’s impossible to overstate how awesome the cats are in Kaş. They very much rule the town, and the local residents dote on them accordingly.
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