A day trip to the very beautiful harbour town of Kaş

Kaş - a beautiful harbour town full of history

 When we abandoned all sense of responsibility to the winds and became holiday makers for a short while during the summer, one of the finest days out we had was a trip to Kaş. Together with David's cousin and partner who were staying with us, we set off in our hire car to explore pastures new. This was the furthest I had driven in Turkey, and I must confess to being a little nervous but it turned out that the road from Fethiye to Kaş was a fantastic drive and I didn't have any problems at all.

It always surprises us that in various directions from Fethiye, within a very short distance are very different terrains and lifestyles. The area on the way to Kaş was rural and very agricultural, and it made a change to pass through an area not geared to tourists. At one point en route as you climb the brow of a hill you are met by an entire valley of glass greenhouses and plastic poly tunnels. I have never seen so many in one place - we are talking dozens of acres. I can see why tunnels are used to catch early crops - mainly tomatoes, but it surprises me to see tomato plants in these in the height of the summer. Perhaps someone wiser than me can answer that question.
 

 Stunning views of the Mediterranean all the way from Kalkan to Kaş  

 The drive from Fethiye to Kaş is around two hours and probably around the first two thirds of this drive is through this rural, agricultural landscape, but as you approach Kalkan you swing south onto the most spectacular coastal road with views to die for. As we were on a day trip we did not have the time to stop at Kalkan - that is for another time - but pressed on to Kaş.



A sarcophagus sits
 amongst the shops

Kaş is a natural harbour town sat at the foot of the Taurus mountains. In Turkish kaş means eyebrow and it is obvious to see why the town was named this due to the shape of the bay where it sits. Kaş developed over the ancient city of  Antiphellos which was the port of the nearby Lycian city of Phellos. There is a well preserved ancient theatre, a sarcophagus and rock tombs which are situated on the hillside to the north of Kaş which are illuminated at night. The numerous ancient Lycian and archaeological sites around Kaş make it an ideal base from which lovers of historical sites can explore.
 
Across the sea to the south of Kaş is the Greek Island of Meis (Kastellorizo) only 2 kilometres (a 20 minute boat ride) away, it is easily reached by regular boat trips from the harbour. There are other boat trips available from Kaş of which a popular one is to Kekova where you can see the half submerged ruins of a Byzantine sunken city. Or you can hire a boat privately to take you to secluded bays and small islands to swim, snorkel or just laze in the sun. The new marina recently opened will be bound to attract the yachting fraternity and it will also be deep enough to accommodate the large liners which are en route along the Mediterranean. Other pursuits available are scuba diving, paragliding and walking.

As lovers of slightly less strenuous pursuits we enjoyed just wandering around this lovely town with its many narrow cobbled streets. There are some lovely waterfront cafes and restaurants to sit and while away your time and we particularly liked the fact that there are so many of what we call 'poky shops' where you see those unusual and lovely things that you didn't know you wanted until you saw them. We noticed some fabulous throws, scatter cushions, Turkish rugs and other decorative items. We loved the Bohemian feel of the town and have definitely decided that next time we visit we will stay overnight to allow us more time to browse and enjoy, but first we need to save up to buy some of the beautiful items we saw.

On the way home - the most beautiful place to sit and have drink