Why historic Kas should be your next Turkish holiday destination
Bypass the Turquoise Coast*'s busy beach resorts in favour of bohemian Kas, where Blue Flag beaches, Lycian ruins and Turkey's best diving await.
Lying between tomb-speckled mountains and the glistening sea, Kas's lantern-lit streets are a hippy tangle of Greek Ottoman buildings, bougainvillaea-shrouded boutiques and atmospheric rooftop restaurants.
Its crystal-clear waters, soaring peaks and dramatic canyons have made it Turkey's adventure capital. Adrenaline junkies can try everything from paragliding and rafting to some of Europe's best wreck diving, whilst those after a more leisurely trip can explore Patara's windswept ruins and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Xanthos and Letoon.
From kayaking through the Sunken City and popping to Greece for lunch, to tackling Turkey's longest canyon, this is why Kas should be your next Turkish adventure.
Getting to Kas: browse all current offers on summer escapes to Kas with Jet2holidays*.
It boasts Turkey's best diving
With underwater visibility to over 100ft and an impressive network of underwater caves, tunnels and canyons to explore, Kas offers some of Europe's best diving, where wrecks and ruins teem with parrotfish, rays and turtles.
Whilst local dive centres help beginners get that all-important PADI certificate, those qualified can dive straight in, swimming above 2,000-year-old amphorae in The Tunnel and exploring the wrecked cotton freighter lurking just beyond the coral-covered Canyon.
Seasoned divers can head to risky barracuda-ridden Flying Fish, home to an Italian torpedo bomber brought down in WWII. Those with less experience can check out the Dakota, which was intentionally submerged to create an artificial reef; keep your eyes peeled for daring freedivers.
Pop to Greece for lunch
Jump aboard a ferry to the Greek island of Kastellorizo* (officially named Megisti) and in half an hour you'll find yourself in the pretty, pastel-hued harbour, beneath the watchful eye of its medieval castle.
Feast on the catch of the day at a cosy taverna before roaming the streets to get a sense of the island's complex history; you'll find everything from an acropolis and Ottoman mosque to a Byzantine church and monastery.
Then jump aboard a water taxi and head to the Blue Cave to swim around the otherworldly cavern, engulfed by brilliant azure light.
It's surrounded by Lycia's lost cities
Built atop the Lycian port city of Antiphellos, evidence of Kas's former life is visible at every turn; from the ruins and sarcophaguses which riddle its streets, to its necropolis and vast Hellenistic amphitheatre* (a popular spot for watching the town's famous sunsets).
Its prime position at the heart of the Lycian Coast also makes Kas* the perfect springboard for exploring the rest of ancient Lycia, with four of the region's most important historic attractions just a short drive away.
Hit the beach and explore Patara's colonnaded streets and restored temples; set against the backdrop of windswept dunes, they're often totally deserted, leaving you to explore its sweeping arches, famous lighthouse and parliamentary remains at leisure.
The ancient city of Xanthos and the Temple Sanctuary of Letoon, both UNESCO World Heritage sites, are also nearby.
There's epic canyoning
The mountains surrounding Kas are streaked with canyons, but lots of the local organised expeditions opt for Kibris Cayi. An adrenaline-fuelled canyoning trip here takes you swimming through narrow gorges, jumping into icy pools and abseiling down waterfalls.
Alternatively, an hour's drive from Kas, in the heart of the Saklikent National Park, is one of the world's biggest gorges.
Offering 18 km of towering limestone cliffs, ferocious rapids and unspoilt vegetation, Saklikent Gorge has something for everyone; play it safe on its well-worn boardwalk, paddle the icy shallows or ride the river, in a raft, egged on by the cheering from excitable crowds.
Hike the Lycian Way
Love hiking? You've hit the jackpot. Kas is arguably the best place to join the Lycian Way, Turkey*'s first long-distance way-marked footpath.
Winding through the spectacular Taurus Mountains, it knits together over 500 km of shepherd's paths, time-worn roads and mountain tracks, connecting the ancient cities between Fethiye* and Antalya*.
Winding its way through pine forests and fruit orchards, the route is a relentless discovery of breathtaking waterfalls, deep gorges, Lycian settlements and hospitable mountain villages. The route passes famous sights, such as the mysterious burning rocks of Chimaera, Sunken City and Disney-worthy Butterfly Valley.
To hike the entire route would take almost a month, but with the path passing through the centre of town, Kas is perfect for those wanting to embark on day hikes.
Enjoy Turkey's best beaches
Peppered with Blue Flag coves, where pebbly shores give way to aquamarine shallows, Çukurbag Peninsula's hidden bays are the perfect antidote to Turkey's built-up beach resorts.
For more action, head to Big Pebble Beach or grab lunch at one of the seafront bars, where sunbed service and sea-access await. You also have two of the best beaches in the country just a short drive away.
Slashed into a deep gorge, accessed via almost 200 steps, is Insta-worthy Kaputaş Beach with its gleaming white pebble shores.
Continue for another half an hour and you will find Turkey's longest beach, Patara, boasting 11 miles of golden sands and fringed by spectacular Lycian ruins.
Thanks to the resident loggerhead sea turtles, who've been laying their eggs there for 40 million years, the famous beach is protected and remains undeveloped.
Kayak through the Sunken City
Kayaking through the Sunken City ruins of Simena is a surreal experience. Floating over its mosaics, navigating the protruding staircases and tombs with turtles for company, feels a little like paddling your way through a living museum.
Submerged off the island of Kekova*, the ancient Lycian settlement slid into the sea following a series of devastating earthquakes, dating back to the 2nd century CE.
Whilst day-trippers aboard the area's traditional gullets can anchor offshore, boats and swimmers are banned from the ruins, so a kayak is the best way to get close to this mysterious lost city.
Climate in Kas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °C |  10 |
11 |
 14 |
 18 |
 23 |
 27 |
 31 |
31 |
 28 |
22 |
 17 |
12 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  13 |
 11 |
10 |
 8 |
7 |
 5 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
8 |
13 |
| Sea temperature °C |  17 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
 20 |
 23 |
 27 |
 28 |
27 |
 24 |
21 |
 19 |
The above guide shows the climate in Kas. Find out more about conditions across Dalaman and the country with our complete guide to the climate in Turkey.
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