Kaş: Picturesque Town on Turkey's Turquoise Coast
Since arriving in Turkey over five years ago, the recurring refrain I have heard from everyone is “You have to visit Kaş!” (The “ş” in Turkish makes a “sh” sound, so the city’s name is pronounced “kash.”) Finally, in the middle of a global pandemic, Ginny Lou and I were able to make it to Kaş. Did it hold up to all of the hype? Absolutely!
Kaş may be my favorite place I have ever visited in Turkey. It is quaint, beautiful, and peaceful. With a street of old Ottoman houses it still retains a historical quality but includes upscale shops and restaurants that one would expect to find in the city. I enjoy galavanting around a metropolis with the best of them but I LOVE natural beauty. Kaş is simply stunning, propped up by giant evergreen-covered mountains from behind and facing a sea that is comprised of every soft shade of blue in the palette.
The journey began on a short 45 minute, $35 flight (yes, you read that correctly—$35) from Adana to Antalya. In Antalya we rented a car (one day I’m going to write a post about renting a car in Turkey because it’s my favorite way to travel around the country) and set off on the three hour journey to Kaş. There is a reason Kaş has remained in such pristine condition rather than teeming with tourists. It is NOT easy to get to. The three hour drive from Antalya was full of hairpin curves and windy roads. However, the drive is through the mountains and along the coast, so the scenery is never dull.
Kaş is built above the ancient city of Antiphellos, which was a member of the Lycian League. There are tombs, a theatre, and a few other remains from the ancient city that can still be seen and explored. The ancient harbor is also still in use today. Of course it has been modernized but if you are wanting to cruise around Turkey’s Turquoise Coast on a boat the Kaş harbor is one of a few places you can begin that journey. Many companies offer full day tours to visit a nearby sunken city, caves, and the best swimming coves around. We took a boat tour from nearby Kekova, which is another story for another day. There is also a swanky yacht harbor on the west side of Kaş.
Old town Kaş is where most of the shopping, restaurants, ancient ruins, and the harbor are located. Kaş also has a peninsula with many boutique hotels and villas. We stayed a few nights in old town Kaş at a family-run hotel, Smyrna Pansiyon, while we did most of our exploring. I wouldn’t call the place fancy but it was in excellent condition, and the owner, Gökşin, along with all of the staff were so friendly and helpful. Also, the breakfast was the best I’ve ever had at a Turkish hotel. After we did most of our exploring we moved to a villa on the Kaş peninsula that faced the Greek-island Kastellorizo (usually you can take a ferry to the island for the day but because of Covid-19 the ferry was not running) so we could just relax for a week. The villa had a path that lead directly to the perfectly clear sea and the water was immediately very deep. The clear water offered a great opportunity for snorkeling.
Writing this post makes me want to go back. Gökşin said she thought September was the best time of year to visit Kaş. Maybe one day we can meet in the delightful Kaş at the summer’s end in September.
To our friends in the West, keep looking East!
Leslie Connors
Leslie is a co-founder of West2East. Originally from Tennessee, Leslie has called Turkey home for the past eight years. To read more about her, click here.