Kas

Mediterranean, Turkey 3 tours visit here

Kas is a small harbour town on Turkey's Lycian coast, in the Mediterranean province of Antalya, where pine-covered slopes drop steeply to the sea. It grew over Antiphellos, the ancient Lycian port that served the inland city of Phellos, and the two layers still sit side by side: rock-cut Lycian tombs stand at the end of ordinary streets, and a Hellenistic theatre survives on the western edge of town, its seats facing open water. The centre is compact and walkable: whitewashed houses under bougainvillea, a small square beside the old mosque, and a marina ringed by cafes and dive shops. It is quieter than the larger resorts along this coast; there is no long sand beach, and swimming is mostly from pebble coves and shoreline platforms. Most visitors use Kas as a base. It is one of Turkey's main scuba diving centres, with clear, deep water close inshore, and the usual starting point for boat and sea-kayak trips to Kekova, where the remains of a settlement lie half-submerged along the shore. The Lycian Way passes through the area, and the Greek island of Kastellorizo (Meis) lies just offshore. Kekova excursions normally take most of a day, and spring and autumn suit walking best.