Kaş is a vibrant and thriving community of some 6000 people. The site has been continuously occupied since before the 5th century BC with the Lycians, Hellenistic Greeks and Romans leaving significant remains, both in Kaş, and SW Turkey. The town has grown several times over since the coastal road was built and with the advent of tourism as a viable means of employment. Many locals still split their time between Kas and the villages according to the season.
Celebrations to mark the beginning of the tourist season >>
Kaş is a regional administrative center and so is well equipped with eight bank branches, PTT post office, several police stations, customs office, its own newspaper, cultural and adult education center, bus station with connections all over Turkey and a daily ferry service to Meis and coastal historical sites. The town is very safe and restaurant touts are generally well behaved as the vast majority of vistiors are other Turks from Istanbul, Izmir and Ankara. A significant proportion of the resident population have migrated to Kaş from these cities attracted by the climate and bohemian atmosphere and set up shop serving the tourist industry with crafts, restaurants and adventure facilities.
<< Lycian tombs in the town
Kaş really does have over 300 days of sunshine a year. Rainstorms do occasionally occur and the volume of rain can be very heavy. January to the end of March are the wettest months but it can also be very pleasant, as the temperature makes it perfect for walking to the many sites which is difficult in the summer heat. April to June and October/November are our favourite, months being cooler but sunny. June, July August and September are hot and it can be uncomfortable and humid by the coast.
View of the Svarona, Ataturk's private mini-liner, with the Greek island of Meis in the background >>
The geography of Kaş is stunning. The seascape is dotted with islands and two significant peninsula. The landscape retains a fair degree of greenery even in the driest months and is fed by hundreds of underground aquifers many of which emerge as springs underwater to keep the sea lovely and cool. Development of housing in Kaş has been restrained to a significant degree by the steep hillside on which it is located and the absence of a nearby airport. Long may this continue as Kaş is a place uniquely unspoiled along the Mediterranean coast.
<< View from the lighthouse
Activities in Kaş:
Kaş offers all things to all people: an adventure holiday paradise for the more energetic souls, or a place to lie in the sun with a good book or take long lunches with a bottle of local wine for those who enjoy a slightly slower pace. It is a relaxed and cosmopolitan resort and a traditional, unspoilt Turkish harbour town. It is offers mountains, canyons, and rivers; islands, beaches and coves; a gleaming modern marina and ancient archaeological sites; wildlife and nightlife. Whatever your passion, you are likely to be spoilt for choice in this region.
I recommend that you take a look at these websites to give you a flavour of what is available:
^ Wonderful cycling and hiking in the nearby Taurus mountains
^ The view down over the Çukurbağ peninsula, where our apartment is located
^ Carpets for sale in Kaş
^ Paragliders coming in to land by the harbour
^ The Kaş Amphitheatre
