Things to do in Kaş
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kaş
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring, best in May: 20 to 27C by May, Lycian Way in flower, Saklikent full, superb diving visibility, town fully open by May and sea comfortable by late May.
Summer peak: 30 to 36C, bath warm sea and everything running, crowds and costs peak late July to August, walking early morning only.
Autumn, best September and early October: warmest sea into October, crowds gone and prices softer. November brings rain and closures.
Winter locals Kas: 13 to 18C between rain, quiet harbour and good walking between fronts, not a beach holiday and many businesses closed.
What's on
- Kas Lycia Festival late May/early June
Music, dance and exhibitions, dates move so check the municipality programme.
- 19 May holiday weekend 19 May
Domestic surge around the 19 May weekend.
- Kas Jazz Festival late August/early September
Open air marina nights, verify the year's dates before booking around it.
- Lycian Culture and Art Festival September
Held in September in some years; check that year's dates before timing a trip.
- Republic Day 29 October
National holiday listed among events worth timing around.
Best things to do in Kaş
Kekova Boat Day
Boat east to swim clear bays, glide over the sunken Lycian city and land at Kalekoy village and castle.
Antiphellos Theatre
Free Hellenistic theatre in town facing the sea and Meis, best shared with locals at sunset.
Kaş Old Town
Steep cobbled lanes of whitewashed houses, boutiques and cafes dropping to the harbour square.
Kaputaş Beach
Pale sand in turquoise water at a gorge mouth, reached by about 190 steps from the coast road.
Büyük Çakıl Beach
Broad white pebble beach east of town with cold spring-fed water and low key beach restaurants.
Küçük Çakıl Beach
Tiny pebble cove east of the harbour with club decks, ladders and very clear deep water.
Hidayet Bay
Rocky aquarium-like bay on the peninsula with fish, clear water to six metres and possible turtles.
Limanağzı Bay
Sheltered olive-shaded bay reached only on foot or by water taxi, the quietest easy swim near town.
Where to stay in Kaş
Old Town / town centre (Andifli)
first trip, no car
Harbour, boats, dive shops, restaurants, bars and market all on foot, with steep lanes and bar street noise.
Küçük Çakıl / eastern edge of town
swimmers who want evenings in town
Swim platforms on the doorstep, town a ten minute flat walk away and quieter lanes.
Çukurbağ Peninsula
pool, platform, quiet and view
Villa and boutique finger west of town with sea platforms and big views, but taxi or car dependent for dinner.
Think twice about
- Çukurbağ Peninsula as a base without a car
Safe and upmarket but isolated, with no restaurant row or shops to walk to and a taxi needed for every dinner.
- Kaleköy and Üçağız as a Kaş base
Magical for a night but a dead end as a base for a Kas trip.
- D400 corridor east of town
Car for everything apart-hotels with road noise, sold on sea view photos.
- Kalkan listed as Kas area
A different town 25 minutes west. Check the map pin and dolmus route before paying for a Kas area room.
Best restaurants in Kaş
Zaika Ocakbaşı
Special occasion charcoal grill for smoked kebab, shashlik, kusleme and a fig, tahini and ice cream dessert.
Oburus Momus
Entirely vegetarian garden restaurant with sunset view, bang bang cauliflower, tofu and mushroom risotto.
L'Apéro Kas
French kitchen in a 150 year old stone house, escargot, tartares, Nicoise and profiteroles in a garden.
Keyf-i Dem Restaurant Meyhane
Big harbour meyhane for raki, a long meze case and grilled seafood, the group night in Kas.
Fıchı Restaurant
Smaller modern Mediterranean kitchen in the centre, a current local favourite to book in season.
Tzatziki Meyhane
Smaller meyhane for meze then fish kokorec, sole in milk, grilled octopus and buttered prawns.
Bahçe Restaurant
Family run garden restaurant whose meze case is the show, relaxed and no occasion needed.
Çınarlar Pizza Garden
Family garden for wood fired pide and pizza, kebabs and a broad gluten free offering.
Best bars in Kaş
Queen Bar
Three floors off Uzun Carsi with live music below and a roof terrace over the harbour and Meis.
Cafe Barcelona
Beloved small music bar in the old town, the local alternative first call for a night out.
Echo Bar
Small stone interior live music room in the old town bar quarter.
Deja Vu
Scruffier late night institution in the old town, open late in season.
Deco Stop
Bar on a converted dive boat where divers decompress after the day boats return.
Outdoor things to do in Kaş
Scuba Diving in Kaş
Top Mediterranean diving with 30 to 40 metre visibility, reefs, caverns, wrecks and turtles.
Kekova Sea Kayaking
Guided paddle at water level over the submerged streets of the Sunken City to Kalekoy for lunch.
Lycian Way
Red and white waymarked coastal trail through Kas, with day sections to bays and ancient Aperlai.
Saklikent Gorge
Wade and scramble an 18 km limestone gorge in icy water, the coast escape on a very hot day.
Patara Beach
18 km of dune backed sand by a loggerhead nesting beach, behind the ruins of ancient Patara.
Xanthos
UNESCO Lycian capital with theatre, acropolis and inscribed pillar tombs above the Esen plain.
Letoon
UNESCO federal sanctuary of three temples half standing in a water meadow, paired with Xanthos.
Meis (Kastellorizo)
Greek island 20 minutes by ferry for a pastel harbour, castle, tavernas and a Blue Cave boat.
Best hotels in Kaş
Peninsula Gardens Hotel & Beach
Peninsula design flagship with cascading terraces, pools and a sea platform, adults focused.
Lukka Exclusive Hotel - Adults Only
Peninsula luxury with private platform, large pool and gardens, the strongest rated in its tier.
Radisson Blu Hotel, Kas
International brand hotel on the Peninsula with spa, two restaurants and a beach shuttle.
Lures Hotel & Beach Club
In town luxury terraced down to its own beach club, keeping the walkable base at the top tier.
Club Barbarossa Hotel & Villas
Peninsula garden property with villas and rooms and its own sea access.
Hideaway Hotel
Town centre boutique by the theatre with panoramic terrace, strong breakfasts and a roof sushi bar.
Medusa Hotel
Mid price hotel at Kucuk Cakil with its own beach club across the road and sea balconies.
Olea Nova Hotel
Peninsula value pick in an olive grove pool setting, out reviewing many luxury neighbours.
Is Kaş expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TRY 2,200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TRY 5,500 a person |
| Splurge | TRY 13,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Kekova Boat Day: a few days ahead
- Scuba Diving in Kaş: a few days ahead
- Kekova Sea Kayaking: a few days ahead
- Saklikent Gorge: a few days ahead
- Meis (Kastellorizo): a few days ahead
- Tandem Paragliding Oludeniz: a few days ahead
- Coasteering, Canyoning and Mountain Biking in Kaş: a few days ahead
- Private Gulet Charter: weeks ahead
- Peninsula luxury and the best centre boutiques for July to September and festival weeks.
- Zaika and L'Apero tables in season, one to three days ahead. The Meis ferry in August, and private Kekova charters in high season.
- Day before: shared Kekova boat, sea kayak, Saklikent safaris and discovery dives. No need for Antiphellos, the market, beaches or ancient site entry.
Is Kaş safe?
- Town is safe and night walking is normal. Main risks are deep shelving water, D400 bends and scooters, heat on the Lycian Way and adventure operator standards.
- Use beach ladders, do not copy cliff jumping, take a taxi back from the Peninsula at night and heed wildfire instructions in pine areas. Emergency number 112.
Kaş travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Fish by weight: state the per kilo price, see it weighed and agree service before it is cooked.
- Harbour boats are not interchangeable: check the actual boat, passenger cap, swim stops and whether lunch is cooked on board.
- Accommodation listed as Kas that is in Kalkan, Islamlar or on the highway. Carpet and leather shops in Uzun Carsi open at multiples of value.
- Meis sold as a casual boat trip: it is a border crossing with passport, possible Schengen visa, port taxes and processing time.
Getting around Kaş: public transport and more
- Centre is walked, steeply. Dolmus runs town to Peninsula, to the Cakil beaches and along the Kalkan, Kaputas and Patara corridor in season.
- Taxis wait at the harbour rank, meter on. A hire car only earns its money for independent Saklikent, Patara and Kaputas days.
- Airports are Dalaman about 150 km west and Antalya about 180 km east, by prebooked transfer, hire car or otogar bus. No rail or direct airport bus.
- Cards are widely accepted, cash for dolmus, market and tips. Use branch ATMs and decline the conversion offer.
Who Kaş suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Good |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Kaş your trip
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