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Kas is one of my top beach destinations in Turkey. It offers all the things you need: good local food, loads of things to do, and most importantly, the beauty of the town and its surrounding areas are just breathtakingly awesome.
However, since Kas is a small coastal town, the best way to get there is to road trip from Antalya city, which is also a great place to visit.
If you want to experience this once-in-a-lifetime Turkey road trip but don’t know where to begin, we’ve got you covered. This is everything you need to know about your next Antalya to Kas road trip.
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Your best bet is to rent a car from Antalya airport, preferably from an international company. Most of the big guys are available in Turkey.
In the past, I have used Sixt, Hertz, and Avis in Turkey with no issues. If you would like to know more about driving regulations in Turkey, check out our post about Driving in Turkey.
If you enter Turkey on a tourist visa, you can use your international license for 6 months.
Your second option is to hire a taxi or a private transfer from the airport to your hotel. The airport is about 14km away from the city center of Antalya.
Antalya offers a host of different accommodation options that are tailored to your travel needs. For a short trip, you could opt for an all-inclusive beach resort.
If you are planning a longer stay in Antalya you might want to consider a budget-friendly hotel or apartment. Here are some of the best accommodation options in Antalya.
- Let’stay Panorama Suites
- Adam Apart Hotel
- Aspendos eXtra
- Güden-Pearl
Booking.com
Ideally, you want to spend a day or 2 in Antalya, just to make sure that you see the main attractions that the city has to offer. These are:
- Duden Falls
- Lara Beach
- Kaleici (the old city)
Antalya Old city, Turkey.
This is, I would say, the main beach in Antalya city. It is centrally located and it’s a lovely place to swim. The sand is a soft caramel color and the water is dark blue. What I most love about Lara Beach is that it has some strong waves.
I’m not a fan of waveless beaches. The beach is long with hotels and beach cafes where you can rent umbrellas and chairs. It is going to be one of your best swimming beaches.
Lara Beach in Antalya, Turkey.
Duden Park in Antalya is a must-see. It is a lovely walk along the seaside. Along the way, you will see tourists taking pictures and families having picnics.
The atmosphere is really touristy and relaxing. In Spring, the weather is amazing. Hot but not overwhelming. And of course, the highlight of Duden Park is the magnificent waterfall. The site of the Duden River gushing off a high cliff directly into the sea is breathtaking.
Duden Falls in Antalya, Turkey.
The location has amazing views of the river, the sea, and the waterfall. You could spend hours there just taking pictures.
At one point, we could even feel the droplets of water as they were gently carried along by the wind.
Adjacent to the sea there was a traditional market selling all sorts of eats and souvenirs. There were also some activities available near the river like boat rides.
By this time we were both quite sweaty and salty, not to mention hungry so we headed back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner.
To make the most of your time, it’s a good idea to pass through the Kaleici on your way out. It is literally on the way to Kas and you can cover the whole city in less than 2 hours.
A quick way to scan the whole old district is by taking a horse and carriage ride.
The setting is iconic and it made us wish we had stayed here. The city is surrounded by these old buildings separated by ancient narrow streets and boutique cafes and restaurants.
The view from a café in Kaleici, Antalya, Turkey.
We walked through the traditional market. It looked like a much smaller, more friendly, and hospitable version of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.
In the same way, Antalya seemed like a more relaxed, more quiet version of Istanbul. I can remember when I first visited Istanbul that although I fell in love with the city I just felt that there was too much of everything, good and bad, in Istanbul.
On our Antalya to Kas trip, we decided to hire a car, as we feel more comfortable traveling at our pace. But there is also the possibility of booking a private transfer from Antalya to Kas.
The drive from Antalya to Kas takes around 3-4 hours. The route consists of some parts on a big highway and other smaller roads through villages.
At some points towards the end, you will be driving along the edge of steep cliffs with the Mediterranean sea on your left and mountains on your right. This is the most challenging and at the same time beautiful leg of your journey.
Amazing views on the road to Kas, Turkey.
If at any point you feel that you need a break, you can stop in a village cafe for tea, coffee, fresh juice, or snacks. These local cafes also sell some of the fresh produce of the region.
At one stage, we found ourselves on a narrow hilly road surrounded by the most enchanting hills, forests, and farmland. Then we started seeing cars pulled over in front of these traditional-looking stores.
We noticed that they were selling honey and oranges and had small tables with benches for people to have a quick snack. We had to stop and investigate. What we found was rare and spectacular.
I ordered a fresh orange juice and F ordered a Turkish Coffee. The coffee was hot and the juice was well chilled. We were seated at a table adjacent to the store that had a lovely view of the surrounding hills.
The air was fresh and cool despite it being a warm Summer’s day. It was a real treat. And what was more surprising was the price. I was expecting to pay some ridiculous tourist price for these beverages because that’s usually how it is. However, the price was very reasonable.
When you enter Kas, you are welcomed by this relaxed feeling of peace and relaxation. Everything just seems to be moving slower and the people all seem to be having a great time.
The beautiful view from our hotel, Kas, Turkey.
Kas sits at the bottom of a series of hills that surround the beautiful lagoon. Thus, the apartments and boutique hotels are scattered all along the hills in the most enchanting fashion. Chances are that you will have a great view no matter where your accommodation is located.
We felt really special and enjoyed having this little boutique hotel all to ourselves. It was different from any other place we have ever seen in Turkey. Everything about it seemed unique and had this beach paradise holiday vibe atmosphere.
Kas, Turkey in the off-season
The weather was amazing: hot, sunny, and humid during the day and cool with that sea breeze during the night. The narrow cobblestone streets flanked by quaint cafes and decorated stores selling arts and crafts really gave off this calm and laid-back feeling.
In fact, we spent the entire day strolling through the markets buying odds, taking pictures of the beautiful everything, and eating some good food along the way.
There are plenty of beautiful hotels, guesthouses, and villas in Kas. We stayed at a lovely guesthouse hotel just a few minutes’ walk from the center of the town.
The hotel was owned by an old couple and surprisingly we were the only guests in the place so we got all the attention and care from the hosts.
We booked the cheapest room but they gave us the best one instead. Our room had a huge balcony with an amazing view of the town and the seaside. Our hotel is named Lale Hotel check it out.
I have listed other options we considered during our hotel search in Kas.
- Suna Sun Hotel – Adult Only
- Hotel Aysima
- Kas Yoga House
Booking.com
Kas appears to be a natural bay of the most beautiful turquoise water surrounded by green hills and cliffs. There is evidence of its Greek history that can be seen in some of the old blue and white houses.
For some reason, this amazing seaside town has remained somewhat untouched and remains spectacularly traditional and localized. There are no skyscrapers there or international hotel chains. There is no MacDonald’s or Starbucks.
Turquoise water in Kas, Turkey.
Most of the businesses are locally-owned or looked like unknown small enterprises. However, we did manage to find a small Carrefour to get some basic groceries and necessities. This is one of the things that really set Kas apart from other places in Turkey. It was a place that had kept its individual character.
Kas is a great diving spot due to its clear, warm, and relatively shallow waters. Also, if you go in the off-season, you might find the offers pretty reasonable.
The instructor was very friendly and pleasant despite not being the most fluent speaker of English. So we boarded the small boat oozing excitement. The kind of excitement that is really unnecessary for two fully grown adults.
We were both going diving for the first time. And, in addition, I am not even a good swimmer so I was overjoyed when the instructor agreed to take me diving as well.
The instructor assured us that safety is a priority and that he would take the utmost care to make the experience enjoyable while safe and secure.
Fay struggling to get a picture for the blog- Kas, Turkey.
As the boat took off into this beautiful sea outlined by the equally beautiful green hills our instructor began taking us through the equipment and guidelines for the dive.
He took his time and meticulously explained everything so well to us using nothing but his survival English. That in itself was admirable.
Never had I seen these scenes so clear and up-close. It became silent and all I could hear was my breathing and bubbles. The instructor was always in control and made the experience really easy and enjoyable for me.
The underwater dive lasted around 30 minutes and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.
We were fortunate to have done our first diving expedition in Kas. We have since come to realize that Kas is a well-known diving spot because of its warm and exceptionally clear water. It is also home to a range of diverse sea creatures. We were lucky to spot just a few.
The entire diving trip took almost 2 hours. The captain of the ship also made us some tea after the dive which tasted really good and soothing.
We were really satisfied with the experience as a whole.
The tour operator and instructor were friendly and professional. The equipment looked new. It was a good value. The only thing I was not thrilled with, was some of the underwater pictures. But then again, I tend to be very fussy about this topic, photos of me.
Another great thing about living in Kas is that there is so much to do in the nearby areas.
A great way to make the most of a day is to book a day tour of the area with a local tour group. The typical day trip includes the following:
- a traditional breakfast with a local village family
- an indecorous trip to the Saklikent National Park
- stops at some of the best beaches, like the amazing Kaputas beach
- a nice lunch
- a brief tour of some of the historical sites: like the ancient Lycian city of Xanthos.
This amazing gorge provides a lot of activities and sites for tourists. You can go on a hike, explore the forest, have a picnic or, what we did, go on a tour through the gorge swimming and climbing through the icy mountain water.
Saklikent park Kas, Turkey.
Kaputas is as good a beach as any in Turkey. In fact, I rate it up there on my ALL-TIME LIST OF FAVOURITES.
You just have to go to Kaputas and experience it for yourself. I have attached some pictures to give you an idea. This beach was perfect in every sense of the word.
The water was deep blue. The sands were white and silky. The waves were moderately strong and enjoyable. The surrounding cliffs provided shade from the sun at certain parts. It was just so pleasurable.
Kaputas beach, Kas.
Even though I was quite tired by now I was suddenly revived when we were brought here. It was the perfect end to an interesting and unexpectedly entertaining day in Kas.
Kas is the ideal beach holiday destination in the South of Turkey.
Getting there can be a mission so the best way to go is to make a road trip out of it. The drive is pleasant with little traffic and there are a host of cool things to do along the way.
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