Kaş

Kas, even when you look at it from a distance, has an irresistible attraction.

With its whitewashed houses, Kas stretches over large and small coves of the Mediterranean blue and the Cukurbag Peninsula, and is almost within a stoned throw of Meis Island.

The town of Kas was built on the site of the ancient city of Antiphellos. The Lycian sarcophagus at the beginning of the road leading to the port and the central shopping and entertainment district has almost become the symbol of Kas. Antiphellos became important in the Hellenistic period as a port city, remaining active in the Roman era. It was a member of the Lycian Union.

 

The Hellenistic theatre, on the west side of Kas on the way to the Cukurbag Peninsula, is in good condition. The city’s necropolis is northeast of the theatre and consists largely of rock-hewn tombs. The Doric tomb with female figures is interesting.

Beaches

 

In central Kas, built on rocky outcrops, there are no sand beaches. However, you can plunge into the sea from terraces on the rocks. Even when there are waves, the sea is extremely clean. If you insist on a sandy beach, you should go to the cove to the west or to Kucuk and Buyuk Cakil (Small and Big Pebble) Beaches. You could also go to the port of Bayindir, some 1.2 sea miles to the southeast of Kas. Another fine sand beach is Kaputas Beach between Kas and Kalkan, about twenty kilometres from Kas. There is also the Mavi (Blue) Cave, a cavern worth seeing.

 

Bayindir Port and Cave

 

The port of Bayindir is 1.2 sea miles to the southeast of Kas. Access by land is very difficult, so the best way is to get there is by boaat. On the east side of the port the land rises sharply. Here you have many rock-hewn Lycian tombs. Bayindir Cave, at the mouth of the port, can be entered via a narrow gate. In the 60-metre-long cave there is running water and, right in the middle, the ruins of a small church believed to be from the early Christian era.

 

Cukurbag Peninsula

 

An asphalt road beginning in the port area of central Kas traverses the peninsula that juts out into the sea. There is an ancient theatre on the right-hand side of this road. The surroundings of the peninsula are rocky, but some waterfront hotels and pensions have provided steps allowing access to the sea for swimming.

 

Boat Tours

 

To discover the beauty around Kas and Kekova Island, you have to go on a boat tour. Tours starting at the port stop at Bayindir, Kalekoy (Simena), Kekova Island (Sunken City), and Tersane (Shipyard) Cove. Lunch is provided either on the way or at Kalekoy, and there are swimming breaks at Tersane and in the western coves of Kekova Island. Do not forget to pack swimming goggles
for viewing the sunken city, and a comfortable pair of shoes for climbing to the fortress at Kalekoy. These boat tours are mainly one-day trips, but yacht tours can be extended to a few days around Kekova. Longer tours allow you to visit Sicak Quay (the ruins of the ancient city of Aperlai); Ucagiz Quay, the ancient city of Theimussa; the Island of Agirli and its surrounding coves; and Cayagzi, the port of Demre. The unique beauty of these places and the blue cruise intertwining of history and nature will leave unforgettable memories. Private boats with just a few passengers are another option for touring the coves, Kekova Island, and its surroundings. Viewing the Sunken City of Kekova and the sarcophagi half submerged in the water, seeing the ruins of the ancient city of Aperlai, and discovering the amphorae scattered on the bottom of the sea is like watching an aquarium. For those interested in diving, these historic wonders can be seen up close on tours organised by diving centres.

 

High Plateaus of Gombe and Ucarsu

 

Gombe is a seventy- kilometers drive on the Kas- Elmali road through lush green farmland and pine forests. On the way, you can take a break at Sinekcibeli for the views from a height of 1,320 metres.

Gombe is a high plateau village with a stream running through its centre. Pensions, a well- developed sector, offer more than 200 beds to those who want to spend a night in the cool air of Gombe. In the Christian period Gombe gained importance as a bishopric, and the remains of a church can be visited.

The nomadic Yoruk lifestyle in the village still continues today. Excellent apples, pears, and walnuts are grown here. If your visit is in the months between May and September, turn your gaze to the 3,000-metre-high Akdag, where a waterfall, fed by melting snow and bursting from the summit, will catch your attention. The villagers named this waterfall, with its sixty- metre drop, Ucarsu (“flying water”). During a festival between the 5th and 7^th of June, locals from the moderate Alawite sect of Islam make wishes, offer sacrifices, perform whirling dances as a form of prayer, and take part in other folkloric dances. During the festival, visits are paid to the village of Tekke and the Abdal Musa Museum, a memorial to a religious figure from the region. In the region of Yesil Gol (“green lake”) you can get a close-up view of Ucarsu. Vehicles can travel the six to seven kilometres along the Yesil Gol road.

However, there is a 1.5- kilometre walk after leaving the car. This crater lake covers an area of about 50,000 square metres and got its name from the colour of its waters. The area around the lake is pastureland with no trees. From Kas, you can get to the Gombe high plateau by shared minibuses (dolmuses) heading to Elmali and Gombe. There are also travel agencies that organise daily tours to Gombe.

The region between Gombe and Elmali, known as Kizlar Sivrisi, is a unique place covered by a forest of cedar trees and suitable for trekking, horse riding, photo safaris, and mountaineering.

 

Elmalı

 

Elmali, at 1,050 metres, resembles a high plateau town and is popular for its cool climate, even on the hottest of days. Its history goes back to antiquity and a cache of ancient artifacts, known as the Elmali Treasure, was discovered in a field near the village of Bayindir and smuggled out of the country. The oldest surviving monument in the centre of the town is a Seljuk period work, the Kesik Minare (“truncated minaret”). The Omerpasa Mosque, built in 1608, underwent restoration in a later period when a wooden elevated loge was added. The residential structures have mostly been preserved. In the old streets in the higher part of town, many houses have the traditional double-bay windows. Some of these houses have been restored. Four kilometres northwest of the town is Kizilbel. Seven kilometres farther is Karaburun. Another 1.5 kilometres to the south you come to the Boztepe tumuli, where many tomb chambers with colourful wall decorations were unearthed. Excavation and restoration work are continuing.