The places to visit in Kas Turkey have an atmosphere that will fascinate even those who are not interested in history. Once, you swim into the sunken ancient city of Simena you will find the sarcophagi that are located in the sea, you will also pass by the king’s tomb in the Long Bazaar on the way to the hotel!
As soon as you arrive in Kas, the King’s Sarcophagus and tombs at the center will attract your attention. These are only a small part of the historical richness of Kas. Having the sun almost throughout the year, Kas was the capital city of the Lycians, known as the “Land of the Sun” in history. Many ancient buildings and ancient cities in Kas have been included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO. Antiphellos, Patara, Xanthos, Phellos, Isinda, Pirha, Nisa, Apollonia, Kekova are just a few of them.
Many names have been given to Kas over time such as; Habesos, Antiphellos, Andifli which are just a few of them. According to rumors, Kas gets its current name from the shape of the region’s beaches. Just in the middle of the crescent-shaped beaches, they named Kas because of the eye-shaped Meis Island (Kastellórizo).
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Places to Visit in Kas
Antiphellos Ancient Theater
The Lycians really knew their job. Did everything they should do in order to have a beautiful view 😀 There is not much of a building that has survived from Antiphellos to the present day. Outside the Antiphellos Antique Theatre. When you enter the theater, it has an atmosphere that isolates you from your surroundings. When you go up to the top seating area, it is a pleasure to set the sun in the view of Kas and Meis Island. The one who grabs his beer towards sunset comes here anyway. Click for location .
Long Bazaar and King’s Tomb
The streets of Kas, which you can think of as a more decent bazaar than Bodrum bazaar, and a little more shabby than Alaçatı, are full of jewelers, design and souvenir shops selling handmade products, boutiques and small cafes, cobbled and wooden houses with historical bay windows, are worth seeing. Click for location .
When You start walking in Uzuncarsi; you will start looking at the colorful shops, handcrafted jewelry, all kinds of souvenirs, restaurants, and cafes, you come across the majestic Sarcophagus, known as the Tomb of the King. We admit that this place can truly be worthy for a king.
Patara Ancient City
The ancient city of Patara, which is about 40 kilometers from Kas, is as famous as its beach. In Patara, which was also the capital of the Lycian League, meetings were used to take a place at the parliament building, as we can see its ruins now. Patara, which is one of the six cities with three voting rights in the Lycian League, has always maintained its existence as an important center.
The Museum card is valid. It is open every day of the week from April 15 to October 2 from 08.00 to 19.00, from October 3 to April 14 from 08.00 to 17.00. Click for location .
Xanthos Ancient City
There are enough historical artifacts in this ancient city, which is about 50 kilometers away from Kas, to make it worth visiting.
This ancient city, which is on the UNESCO world heritage list, has been destroyed many times, burned and rebuilt. We said that this is the place where the most artifacts in the region are found so the excavations are still continuing. Again, there is a sad story that is told here and written on the surfaces of the works. When the Xanthos people, who did not surrender and fought during the Persian occupation, realized that they would be defeated, they entered the palace with all their families and burned themselves. In the meantime, let us note with regret that many of the artifacts here were smuggled to England and exhibited in museums there.
The Museum card is valid. Every day of the week from April 15 to October 2, 08.30 – 18.30 hours, Click for location .
Sleeping Giant
One of the greatest legends in Kas Turkey, is watching each detail that has its special beauty, as the Sleeping Giant. The mountain surrounding Kas, resembling the silhouette of a sleeping giant, that gave it this name. However, there will be love in the legend of a place with love in its name. According to the legend, one of the Olympian gods got angry with Prometheus, who was fishing and separated them from his lover. He imprisons his lover in Meis, on the opposite island.
The fisherman does not give up and goes with his boat to save his lover. Angry at this, the cruel god lovers turn them into mountains, one in Meis and the other in Kas. It is said that since then, lovers exchanged glances and waited for the day they would meet. Even if you don’t believe the legends, I tell you that you should go out on the sleeping camel and soak up the day in the magnificent view. Who knows, maybe an acquaintance from Meis will wink at you. 😉
Don’t miss these places that are not in Kas but very close to it:
Demre
Demre, home to the Myra Ancient City, St.Nicholaus (Santa Claus) Church and blue crabs, is 40 minutes away from Kas. St. Nicholas Church, which has an important place on the pilgrimage route of the Christian world, holds Santa Claus events on December 6 every year. Click for location .
Lycian Civilizations Museum
If you happen to be in Demre, you should visit the museum that belong to the Lycian Civilizations. Located in the Andriake Ruins, which opened its doors in 2015 after its agora, cistern, baths, churches, and synagogues were restored, the museum was created by transforming the granary, built in the 2nd century AD into a museum. It contains artifacts belonging to Lycian cities. The ancient city of Andriake, which retained its functionality as a port city until the 7th century AD, also has an antique period merchant ship reenactment on its unused quay. A fiction was made showing how liquid materials such as olive oil and wine were transported on the ship at that time. Click for location .
Batiksehir and Kekova
The Sunken City is the area around Kekova Island, just opposite Kaleköy, full of remains from the ancient city of Dolkisthe, which was destroyed by earthquakes in the 2nd century. The famous shipyard bay, where boats and yachts anchor, is at the tip of this island. The apse of a Byzantine church, the stairs descending to the sea, the plans of shops and houses can be seen. Click for location .
Kalekoy (Simena)
Since most of this area, whose it ancient name was Simena at the Lycian period, is closed to go on a canoe from Kaleköy, to explore the treasures of the sunken city right across by canoe is by far the best thing to do here.
Afterward, you will see the tomb monuments of the Lycian period, which come out from the land and the sea in large and small sizes around the port of the village. Moreover, the best part is that you can swim in the sea here.
On top of that, you can have a meal at the restaurants lined up on the hillside of Kaleköy. At the top, the castle with a wonderful view of the sea and a small amphitheater is the ideal spot to soak up the day. Click for location .
Ucagiz
It is a small town where daily tour boats or boats from Antalya-Kas depart from Kekova and Kaleköy, a marina and tiny pensions, shabby but enjoyable raki-fish restaurants and the best of freshly burnt ice cream. Click for location .
Saklikent Canyon
The canyon, which have been formed as a result of an earthquake, has a unique beauty. Its unique beauty also draws the border between Muğla and Antalya.
There are many Aunts making pancakes in front of their house, which we call a business, and uncles sell walking shoes.
Riding a canyon is an adventure. Don’t forget to take a pair of walking shoes with you, as it will be hard to talk with slippers. Getting into the icy water and seeing the unique waterfalls and landforms around you is definitely one of the most beautiful things to do in Kas Turkey. Especially in the summer heat of Kas!
We came on a tour in Kas. This was one of the places we stopped by. If you wish, you can join these tours and spend 1-2 hours here. Or if you want to spend more time, you can come in your private car. There are lots of private parking around. Click for location .
Shield
Is it okay to go to Kas without visiting Kalkan? Kalkan is a town about 25 kilometers from Kas, founded by Greek sailors 200 years ago and bearing the traces of the Lycian Civilization. Kaputaş Beach and Patara Beach are two of the world-famous beaches within the borders of Kalkan.
Another feature of this place is that the majority of the population is British. Yes, you heard right. The British, who own villas in Kalkan, make up almost 80% of the population. You can find more calm atmosphere in Kalkan than in Kas. Nightlife is more like a Kusadasi bar street. For example, there is no shabby boutique hostel culture like Kas here. Luxury small hotels and villa tourism are more incommon. Click for location