Kaş

Introduction

Kaş and Kalkan lie 25 km (16 miles) apart on the Lycian coast of Antalya province. The coast road between them passes the Blue Cave and Kaputaş Beach. The town of Kaş, with its harbor, sea-facing theater and Lycian tombs, has its own page at Kaş. For tables and rooms, see the best restaurants in Kaş and the best hotels in Fethiye and Kaş.

Kaş stands on the site of an important Lycian city. Here you can go diving, canoeing, walking, paragliding and on boat trips to the islands. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild winters.

The district reaches well beyond the town. Patara and Xanthos lie in Kaş district to the west, while Kekova lies just past its eastern line, in Demre. The Lycian Way is a walking route of about 760 km (470 miles) between Ölüdeniz and Geyikbayırı, near Antalya. Kaş is one of its stops.

Quick facts

• Good for: the coast road between Kaş and Kalkan, boat trips to Kekova's sunken ruins, the Lycian cities of Patara and Xanthos, a day crossing to Kastellorizo (Meis)

Places around Kaş and Kalkan

Kalkan, the old fishing village west of Kaş

Kalkan was once a fishing village of Ottoman Greeks, and it has drawn visitors since the 1980s. Kaş and Kalkan both lie on the routes of Blue Voyage gulet charters.

The Blue Cave on the road between Kaş and Kalkan

Coming from Kaş, the Blue Cave is about 600 m (2,000 feet) before Kaputaş Beach and 6 km (4 miles) from Kalkan. The geologist Temuçin Aygen discovered it in 1972. It is about 50 m (164 feet) long, 40 m (131 feet) wide and 15 m (49 feet) high. Visitors reach it by small boat or by swimming. Just after the cave comes Kaputaş Beach.

Patara, capital of the Lycian League

Patara lies beside the village of Gelemiş in Kaş district, about 41 km (25 miles) from the town. It sits between Kalkan and Fethiye. After Lycia won its independence from Rhodes in 168–167 BC, Patara became the capital of the Lycian League. Because loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) nest on its beach, it is a protected site with seasonal restrictions. Patara is honored as the birthplace of Saint Nicholas of Myra.

Xanthos and Letoon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Xanthos lies in the Kınık area of Kaş district, about 45 km (28 miles) from the town. In 1988 UNESCO inscribed Xanthos and Letoon together on the World Heritage List as site 484. Xanthos was the capital of Lycia, while Letoon, about 4 km (2.5 miles) away in Muğla province, was its religious center.

Kekova and the sunken ruins of Simena

Kekova takes its name from the largest island off this stretch of coast, east of Kaş. It belongs to Demre district, so it falls just outside Kaş. Because land access is limited, boats reach its shores.

Simena, today the village of Kaleköy, stands on a peninsula opposite Kekova Island. Boats reach it from Üçağız or Çayağzı; check boat times locally. A castle in use during the Middle Ages crowns the hill, and a steep path with steps climbs to it from the shore. Inside the castle sits a small rock-cut theater. It has seven rows and held about 300 people. A large necropolis lies northeast of the castle.

Part of Simena is under water, lost in ancient earthquakes. Stairs, Lycian sarcophagi, a breakwater and the remains of buildings lie in the shallows. The region holds many sunken cities. At Teimiussa, today Üçağız, Lycian-type sarcophagi lie under water beside a submerged quay.

The whole coast from Ulu Burun, east of Kaş, to the Kale (Demre) plain is a protected area. Declared in 1990, it covers about 260 km² (100 square miles), and fishing is its main livelihood. Since a 2006 decision, its name has been the Kaş-Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area. Kekova has been on Turkey's tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage since 2000. Simena joined a later entry in 2009, the Ancient Cities of Lycian Civilization. Patara, Xanthos, Myra and the Church of St. Nicholas and Olympos and the Chimaera are among the other cities that entry names.

Planning days around Kaş and Kalkan

Our suggestion: west along the coast to Patara

Leave Kaş on the coast road toward Kalkan. Stop first at the Blue Cave, then at Kaputaş Beach a little further on. After a stop in Kalkan, continue west to Patara and its beach. Xanthos and Letoon can then follow Patara, or they can fill a day of their own. Our Kaş and Kalkan tour covers Kaş, Kaputaş Beach and Kalkan in one day.

Our suggestion: east to Kekova and Simena

Drive east toward Demre, then take a boat from Üçağız or Çayağzı. From the water, look for the sunken sarcophagi at Teimiussa and the drowned stairs of Simena. At Kaleköy, go ashore before climbing the stepped path to the castle and its small theater. Off Kaş itself, our Kaş diving day takes you under the water.

Lycia around Kaş

Antiphellos and Phellos in the Lycian League

Inside the Lycian League, Antiphellos, the ancient city under the modern town, had only one vote. Still, it minted its own coins and coins for the League from the middle of the 2nd century BC. Its trade grew in the Hellenistic period while Phellos, on the Felen Plateau about 12 km (7 miles) away, declined. The League was formally established in the first half of the 2nd century BC.

Lycia in dates

1. 546–545 BCthe Persian commander Harpagos besieges Xanthos
2. 334 BCAlexander the Great comes to Xanthos
3. AD 43Lycia becomes a Roman province
4. AD 74Lycia is joined with Pamphylia in one province

Go deeper: The Lycian League.

Kaş as an Ottoman district

In the 16th century, Kaş was one of five kaza districts of the Teke sancak. Later, after a reorganization in 1876, the town moved up from a nahiye under Elmalı to a kaza of its own.

Getting to and around Kaş and Kalkan

Updated: October 23, 2026.

Flying to Kaş and Kalkan via Antalya or Dalaman

Two airports serve Kaş and Kalkan. Antalya Airport is about 190–200 km (120–125 miles) from Kaş. Kalkan lies about 229 km (142 miles) from Antalya Airport. Dalaman Airport is 160 km (100 miles) from Kaş. At Antalya, you find HAVAŞ buses, taxis and rental-car desks. At Dalaman, there are HAVAŞ and MUTTAŞ buses, dolmuş minibuses, taxis and rental cars, so check connections to Kaş or Kalkan before you land.

Roads, buses and minibuses

From the west, the road comes in via Fethiye, while from Antalya the coastal road runs through Kemer, Kumluca, Finike and Demre. An inland road from Ankara runs via Korkuteli, Elmalı and Gömbe. It is about 100 km (60 miles) shorter than the coastal route. Kaş has a bus station (otogar). Dolmuş minibuses run to Patara from Kaş and from Kalkan. Buses between Kaş and Fethiye stop for Xanthos.

Ferries from Kaş to Kastellorizo (Meis)

Kastellorizo is a Greek island of the Dodecanese. Meis Ferry Lines and Meis Express both run passenger crossings between Kaş and Meis. Meis Express carries foot passengers only, and each operator sets its own seasonal timetable. Ferries to Kastellorizo (Meis) cross an international border, so bring your passport and check Greece's entry requirements before you go. We check the current timetables with the operators.