KAS
Kaş is a seaside town on the southwestern coast of Turkey. The town is located in the middle of the Teke Peninsula and is famous for adventure activities such as kayaking, hiking, diving and boat trips available for tourists. The old town is very pretty, along with the town square and the harbour.
A brief history of Kaş
People have inhabited the Teke peninsula since the Stone Age, but the town of Kaş was established by the Lycians, who named it Habesos, or Habesa in their language. In Roman times, the town was known as the port of Phellus. During the Ottoman age, the town experienced many Arab attacks and was annexed by the Seljuks, then taken back by the Ottomans.
During the Greco-Turkish War in the 1920s, the majority of the population were Greek, however many Greeks left the town to head back to Greece and the remains of their homes are still visible in the town today. Tourism arrived in Kaş during the 1990s along with many visitors, who were mainly the UK and Germany. The influx of people generated rapid development which lead to the construction of many illegal buildings and had a negative impact on the environment. The Çukurbağ Peninsula, situated to the west of Kaş was greatly affected and is now home to a complex of luxury hotels.
Things to do in Kaş
The remains of the former Greek settlement, Antiphellos, are still visible in the town today. Antiphellos acted as the port for Phellos, the Lycian town located further up the hill. There is a relatively well preserved ancient amphitheatre to explore, as well as some Lycian rock tombs cut into the cliffs. Kaş is also one of the most popular places in Turkey for diving, there are a few centres, such as Dragoman activity centre, where you can complete a PADI course. The surrounding waters are very clean and also contain many fascinating shipwrecks. There are also sea kayaking tours, paragliding and abseiling excursions available from Xanthos Travel Agency. Boat trips are relatively inexpensive in Kaş and you can charter a boat for 8 people to explore the islands just off the coast from around 35 euros! One popular place to travel to is the pretty island of Kevova, just around the coast from Kaş.
Beaches around Kaş
The best beach around for swimming is ‘Big Pebble Beach’, as the name suggests the beach is mainly pebbly but has some sand at one end, the water is clean and there are cafes serving refreshments as well as places to rent sunbeds and umbrellas. It is also possible to do a day trip to a Greek island called Meis (or Kastellorizo) where the beaches are fantastic!