Turkey · Mediterranean · Travel guide
What a week in the most relaxed town on the Turkish Mediterranean costs, why no package-tour buses stop here and which experiences are really worth it.
Photo: Arthur Shuraev / Pexels
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Estimates for orientation, not booking prices. Flights and hotels vary strongly by season: current prices are behind the links below.
Money & payment: You pay in Turkish lira (TRY). The exchange rate moves a lot, which is why all prices here are given in francs and euros. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; you need cash for the dolmuş, markets and tips. Flight time: 3 to 4 hours.
Nine options in three price ranges, each among the best-rated on Booking.com.
Budget
Small family-run hotel in the upper part of town with a roof terrace, pool and a view of Meis. The rooms are simple but clean and have balconies, and breakfast comes with produce from the region. The harbour is a five-minute walk. For years one of the most reliable addresses in Kaş for travellers on a smaller budget.
Simple family guesthouse in the middle of town, a few steps from the main square and the harbour. The rooms are small and plain but clean and have their own bathroom, and breakfast is served on the roof terrace with a view over Kaş and the sea. The hosts help with dive schools and boat trips. Popular with solo travellers and hikers on the Lycian Way.
Right on the water at Küçük Çakıl beach, with its own swimming platform and steps into the sea. The rooms are plain and a little dated, but you practically roll out of bed into the water and hear the waves at night. Five minutes on foot to the centre, and for this location the price is very fair.
Mid-range
Boutique hotel on Küçük Çakıl beach with a pool directly above the sea, its own swimming jetty and a breakfast that reviews single out again and again. The rooms are modern, with balconies, most with sea views. The centre is a five-minute walk. One of the best-rated addresses in all of Kaş.
On the Çukurbağ peninsula, a few kilometres from the centre, with a pool, a large garden and access to the sea via swimming platforms in a quiet bay. Personally run, with good food in the evening and a hotel shuttle into town. Ideal if peace and clear water matter more to you than lanes and bars on your doorstep.
Small hotel on the peninsula with a pool, several terraces and its own sea access in a sheltered bay. The hosts look after guests personally, breakfast and dinner are popular, and on Booking the place is consistently rated highly. To get to the centre you need a scooter, a taxi or the hotel shuttle, but in return it is completely quiet in the evening.
Luxury
Built in terraces into the hillside of the peninsula, with large sea-view rooms, a pool, swimming platforms and a restaurant looking out to Meis. The service is calm and attentive, and the hotel is popular with couples above all. On request the hotel takes you into the centre by boat, the nicest possible commute to dinner.
Elegant adults-only boutique hotel on Küçük Çakıl beach, ten minutes from the harbour. Design rooms with sea views, art throughout the house, a swimming jetty and a breakfast that reviews regularly praise. There is no pool, but the sea is right outside the door. For couples who want style without resort scale.
Luxury hotel at the tip of the peninsula with a large pool above the sea, spa, restaurant and its own bathing area on the rocks. The rooms are spacious, with views of Meis and the sunset. You come here for peace and the sea, the hotel shuttle takes you into the centre, and in the evening the peninsula stays pleasantly quiet.
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The classic from Kaş: a cruise along the coast, a view from the boat of the ruins under water, swimming stops in lonely bays and lunch on board. A full day on the water that is worth it in any weather. Do not forget sun protection.
Kaş is the best diving spot in Turkey: wrecks, walls, caves and turtles. Beginners can do discovery dives with an instructor, experienced divers get day trips with two dives. An Open Water course is considerably cheaper here than in Western Europe.
The turquoise beach between the rock walls on the way to Kalkan, the one on every postcard of the region. Come early in the morning or after five, in high summer it is packed at midday. Easy to reach by dolmuş, then 180 steps down.
Twenty minutes by ferry to Greece: a colourful harbour village, tavernas, a castle and the blue grotto that you visit by boat. Do not forget your passport, bring euros in cash, return in the late afternoon. A day that feels like a second holiday.
Paddle a kayak over the sunken walls and stairways of Kekova, where the big boats cannot go. Around two to three hours on the water, no experience needed, a guide comes along. The quietest way to see the sunken city.
Day stages from Kaş with sea views, for example to Limanağzı bay with a boat ride back, or from Üçağız via the castle of Simena. The trail is marked in red and white and stony in places. Bring sturdy shoes, a sun hat and at least two litres of water.
Day trip to the west: wade through ice-cold water in the 18-kilometre Saklıkent gorge, then head to the twelve-kilometre sandy beach of Patara with ancient ruins right in the dunes. Easy to do as a tour or with a rental car.
Tandem flight from Mount Asas over the bay of Kaş, with views of Meis, the peninsula and the turquoise water below. Cheaper than in Ölüdeniz and with fewer crowds, the adrenaline rush is the same. Landing right at the harbour.
An hour east of Kaş: Lycian rock tombs and a large Roman theatre in Myra, plus the church of St Nicholas, the real Santa Claus, who was bishop here. Combines well with a Kekova day.
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Kaş eats Mediterranean and honest: meze made from local vegetables, fish and octopus from the day's catch, plus olive oil, lemon and herbs. The best places are not on the harbour but in the old town lanes around the Uzun Çarşı, and the mountain villages above town serve breakfasts that last half a day.
Eight to twelve small bowls: fava, grilled peppers, herb yoghurt, artichokes in spring, sea bass carpaccio, anchovies in lemon. CHF 2 to 4 (about EUR 2 to 4.30) per bowl, a table with six meze and bread costs CHF 15 to 20.
Tip:You choose the meze from the chilled counter, not the menu; ask what is fresh today and order in two rounds.
Grouper, sea bream or sea bass, grilled whole with rocket, onion and lemon. On the harbour a fish for one costs CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37), in the side lanes CHF 18 to 25. Prices are per kilo, weighing is normal.
Tip:Ask what came off the boat today and have the weight confirmed before the fish goes on the grill.
Grilled octopus, boiled tender first, then finished over charcoal with olive oil and thyme. CHF 10 to 14 (about EUR 11 to 15) as a starter, CHF 18 to 22 as a main.
Tip:Order it as a middle course after the cold meze; it tastes best with a glass of rakı.
Thin flatbread on the sac griddle, filled with spinach, cheese, potato or minced meat, rolled out fresh by women from the villages. CHF 2 to 3 (about EUR 2 to 3.20) each, two fill you up.
Tip:Friday morning from nine, with a glass of ayran, then buy cheese, olives and fruit for your boat day.
Long, thin and crisp from the stone oven, with cheese, minced meat or spinach and egg. CHF 5 to 8 (about EUR 5 to 8.50) per pide, with ayran and salad a full lunch for under CHF 10.
Tip:Go at lunchtime when the oven is hot; order them cut and shared if you want to try several kinds.
Village breakfast with twenty little dishes: sheep's cheese, olives, garden tomatoes, honey with kaymak, gözleme, eggs with sucuk, homemade jams and endless tea. CHF 10 to 15 (about EUR 11 to 16) per person.
Tip:Be there by ten at the latest, book at weekends, and walk a stretch of the Lycian Way afterwards, it pays off twice.
The anise spirit of the coast, mixed with water and ice, with meze and fish. A glass costs CHF 5 to 7 (about EUR 5 to 7.50), a small bottle in a restaurant CHF 25 to 35, far cheaper than wine.
Tip:Always with meze, never on its own, and slowly: rakı is an evening programme, not an aperitif.
Oven-baked rice pudding with a caramelised skin, served cold, often with roasted hazelnuts. CHF 2 to 4 (about EUR 2 to 4.30), in every pastane and most lokantas.
Tip:In the afternoon with a Turkish coffee, as a cheap dessert stop between beach and dinner.
In antiquity Kaş was Antiphellos, the harbour of the Lycian city of Phellos up in the mountains. The Lycians were a people with a mind of their own: their own language, an early federal state and a fondness for tombs. Their rock tombs and sarcophagi still stand in the middle of town, one of them right in a lane above the harbour, surrounded by cafés. Then came the Persians, Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Byzantines. The Hellenistic theatre on the western edge of town still looks out over the sea and the Greek island of Meis. For centuries Greeks and Turks lived here side by side, until the population exchange of 1923 moved the Greek community to Greece. Kaş stayed a sleepy fishing and sponge-diving village until backpackers and divers discovered it in the 1980s. Because the road from Antalya was bad for a long time and there are no big beaches, mass tourism never arrived. Today Kaş is a small town of around 8,000 people, with bougainvillea on white houses, a small harbour and a reputation as the best diving spot in Turkey. Off the coast lies Kekova, with the ruins of a city that an earthquake in the 2nd century partly sank into the sea.
Kaş has more than 30 dive sites within easy boat reach, visibility of 20 to 30 metres and water above 20 degrees from May to November. There are wrecks (an aeroplane, a freighter, a gunboat), walls, caves and, with luck, sea turtles. More than a dozen dive schools sit in town, many with instructors who speak German and English. A discovery dive costs around CHF 50 to 60 (about EUR 55 to 65), a full PADI Open Water course CHF 350 to 420, noticeably less than in Western Europe or Egypt. For certified divers a day trip with two dives costs CHF 60 to 80 including gear. Do not book on your first day at the first shop by the harbour; ask about group size and the boat instead. Small groups of four to six are the norm at the good schools. Wednesdays and Saturdays are often the busiest days.
The boat trip to Kekova is the one thing everybody does in Kaş. You sail along the coast to Kekova island, where below you lie the walls and stairways of a city that an earthquake pulled into the sea. The water is so clear that you can see the ruins from the boat. Diving and snorkelling directly over the sunken city are forbidden, but there are swimming stops in the bays next to it. The day trip from Kaş costs CHF 35 to 55 (about EUR 37 to 59) with lunch, depending on the boat. The alternative: take the dolmuş to Üçağız (around an hour) and hop on a smaller boat there, which is cheaper and more flexible. If you have time, get off in Üçağız and walk to Simena (Kaleköy): a castle on the hill, sarcophagi in the water and a village without a road. The ice cream in Simena is overpriced, the view is not.
Kaputaş is the beach from the postcards, wedged between two rock walls around 20 kilometres west of Kaş towards Kalkan. The water is turquoise like in no other picture, but the beach is small and in July and August it is full from ten in the morning. The dolmuş towards Kalkan stops right above it on the road, from where around 180 steps lead down; the ride costs about CHF 2 (about EUR 2). Come before nine or after five in the afternoon, then you have space and the best light. Sunbeds and umbrellas cost around CHF 8 to 10 for two, and in summer that is enforced strictly. When there are waves, swimming is hard work, as the beach drops off steeply. If Kaputaş is packed: the beaches Büyük Çakıl and Küçük Çakıl right in Kaş are pebble beaches with crystal-clear water, reachable on foot, or you take a boat to the bays of the peninsula.
The Lycian Way is a long-distance trail of more than 500 kilometres from Fethiye to Antalya, and it runs straight through Kaş. You do not have to walk for weeks: the stages around Kaş are among the most beautiful. Popular options are the route from Kaş to Limanağzı bay (around two hours, then back by boat) or the stage from Üçağız via Simena to Kekova. The trail is marked in red and white, is stony in places, and in summer hiking between eleven and four is not a good idea because of the heat. The best months are April, May, October and November. Carry at least two litres of water, as water sources are rare. The dolmuş drivers know the trailheads and will drop you off if you name the stage. Sturdy shoes are enough, hiking poles help on the descent.
Directly opposite Kaş, only around 20 minutes by ferry, lies the Greek island of Meis (Kastellorizo). It is the easternmost point of Greece, the harbour village has colourful facades, tavernas and a blue grotto that rivals the one on Capri. The ferry from Kaş costs around CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37) return, leaving in the morning and coming back in the late afternoon. Important: you leave Turkey and enter the Schengen area. Bring your passport, and if you are travelling on a Turkish e-visa, check that it allows multiple entries. Travellers from Switzerland, the EU and the UK normally have no problem with this. Book the ferry at the harbour a day ahead, in summer it fills up. Meis uses the euro, so bring cash, as not every taverna takes cards.
The restaurants right on the harbour have the best view and the highest prices, a fish dish there costs CHF 25 to 35 (about EUR 27 to 37). The quality is usually fine, but two lanes further on at Uzun Çarşı and in the side streets you eat a full meal for CHF 10 to 15. Try the meze plates, grilled octopus and, in spring, fresh artichokes. The wine selection is good by Turkish standards, but wine is expensive in Turkey, a bottle in a restaurant quickly reaches CHF 25. Rakı or Efes is cheaper. Friday is market day in Kaş: fruit, cheese, olives and spices at local prices, ideal for stocking up for boat days. There is nightlife, but in bars with terraces, not in clubs. Around one in the morning Kaş usually calls it a night.
Five to seven days are ideal: one day for Kekova, one for Kaputaş and the beaches, one for Meis, one or two for diving or hiking, plus simply being in town. Kaş is not a place to tick off, it is a place to stay. With only three days you miss half of it.
May, June, September and October: 24 to 30 degrees, warm water, moderate prices. July and August are hot (up to 38 degrees) and the guesthouses are full. April and November are quiet and cheap, but the water is fresh then. For diving, September and October are the best months.
Fly to Dalaman (DLM), in summer direct from Zurich and many other European cities, otherwise with a change in Istanbul. From Dalaman it is around 150 kilometres and the transfer takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively fly to Antalya (AYT), from where it is around three hours. The cheapest option is the bus (Havaş or Batı Antalya) for around CHF 10 (about EUR 11), a private transfer costs CHF 90 to 120.
No. The town is easy to explore on foot, and dolmuş minibuses run regularly to Kaputaş, Kalkan, Üçağız and Demre. A scooter for CHF 20 to 25 (about EUR 21 to 27) per day is the most flexible option for the peninsula and the beaches. A rental car only makes sense if you want to drive to Patara, Saklıkent or Myra yourself.
Yes. Every dive school offers discovery dives with an instructor, usually to 6 to 10 metres. It takes half a day and costs around CHF 50 to 60 (about EUR 55 to 65). If you want more, do the Open Water course in three to four days. Children from the age of ten can take part.
For families who like doing their own thing, yes: boat trips, snorkelling, pebble beaches, short distances. But there are no kids' clubs, no sandy beaches right in town and no big hotel pools. If you want a resort with entertainment, you are better off in Side or Alanya.
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