Kas – bohemian and charming

Kas is pronounced ”kash” and means eyebrow in Turkish. And that is exactly what Kas looks like; if you arrive to Kas along the breathtaking coastal road westward along the Mediterranean, from Antalya past Kemer and Olympia. Kas is situated in a hillside in a bay with two narrow bent peninsulas on each sides, like the egdes of an eyebrow. Right in front of Kas itself, lies the pictoresque Greek island of Meis so near that you can see the lights of the cars driving on the island. (The picture from Kas' charming streets is taken by dachalan)

Kas is one of my absolute favorite places to spend my holiday in Turkey. This because I prefer places which has something unique and different, and which is not overloaded by tourists. Kas is still the little village away from it all, it has a bohemian character and a little bit of what the tourists want, but not too much. There are some shops, bars and boat tours, just as much as you need.

Shopping: silver jewellery and handicrafts

(Photo taken by Marija&Kiza.)

You can say a lot of nice things about shopping in the bazaars of Istanbul, in Ortaköy or in any other touristic site in Turkey, but the fact is that you very often see the same items for sale everywhere. Even if the silver rings are nice, it gets a bit boring for those people who have been in Turkey a few times and maybe bought them last year. The good thing about Kas is that several silversmiths, antique sellers and handicraft makers have opened shops there, where they sell their own unique products. It is much more exciting than to buy something which half the tourists in Turkey also have bought. So enjoy wandering around the narrow, steep streets of Kas and the few but nice shops.

Hotels and pensions

The options for accommodation in Kas consist mainly of pensions and small hotels, and very few large luxurious hotels. Kas does not have any real beaches either, but a lot of possibilities for swimming straight from the rocks. I often stayed in a small hotel called Hotel Habesos; the rooms are very simple, but the location is great. The rooms have a view of the harbour entrance and the Mediterranean.

Lazy life on the cliffs with a cold refreshment

I usually wake up and skip the hotel breakfast. Instead I walk straight across the road and sit down at the tables under the olive trees. Here I order my Turkish breakfast; cheese, tomatoes, olives and fresh bread with extra fried eggs on the side. After enjoying the food, I just walk a couple of steps down at the cliffs and find myself a sun bed. Here I lie all day long, sunbathing, reading my book and watching the boats go in and out of the harbour. When I get thirsty I just signal to the waiter and get a cold drink, and whenever it gets too hot, I climb directly into the Mediterranean sea using the ladder on the cliffs.

When the temperature in the shadow in the Mediterranean region get really hot, usually the sea temperature follows. Sometimes the sea in Alanya and other places along the South Coast get so warm that you cannot cool down at all during the swim, and you long for cooler waters. The water in Kas in front of Hotel Habesos must have some kind of cold source because here the water is always fresh and cold - also in the hottest days! Lovely!

(Photo taken by Marija&Kiza)

Recommended excursions from Kas

Kas is situated in the middle of the area of Turkey which maybe has the largest concentration of antique cities and exciting sites, so it is a perfect location for the adventurous!

- Kekova and the sunken city
- The pictoresque island of Simena
- ”Saklikent” – the hidden city
- The Greek island Meis
- Myra and ”Santa Claus” St. Nicolas' church
- Patara beach: the protected sea turtle's beach
- The antique city of Xanthos
- Diving
- Paragliding
- Trekking in the mountains
- Boat tours with swimming and snorkling

(Photo taken by Marija and Kiza)