KAS

Kas is a Turkish tourist town, situated in the country's southern end, near the Mediterranean coast. Kas used to be a simple fishing village, yet it is true that one cannot keep beauty hidden, especially to adventure-hungry travelers.

Even with several new hotels and pension houses, Kas still retains its simplistic charms and unhurried ambience. Perhaps, it is this unhurriedness that enabled Kas to remain true to what it was despite the influences of visitors.

Surroundings

Kas is several hours away from Turkey's major airports. It is at the southeast of Turkey's Fethiye, while it is southwest of Antalya.

Attractions

Kas is actually Turkey's second most popular resort town. But then again, with its distance from the rest of the tourist sites, it still has comparatively less visitors. Kas's coastlines are rocky and dramatic. It does not have the long stretches of sandy beaches often associated with paradise. But then maybe, this has enabled Kas to maintain its pristine waters. While in Kas, there is so much to do outdoors. Likewise, the town has a very vibrant nightlife.

One of the things that can be done while in Kas is to go in one of those glass-bottomed boat trips in Kas's Kekova Island. The island is the focal point of several sunken cities. These cities can be viewed from the surface through the glass-bottomed boats.

Even the town of Kas itself holds many curiosities. For one thing, Kas was built on the ancient settlement of Antiphellos. Remnants are seen in several places. There are the Hellenistic theatre ruins, which are very interesting. Likewise, there is the Lion Tomb monument and ancient hillside rock tombs.

Nearby Kas are several archaological sites, such as Demre, Xanthos Valley and Myra.

Little do people know, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas once lived and served the people of Kas as a bishop. A church in Demre was once home to his remains. These were however stolen by thieves.

St. Nicholas was actually born in Kas neighbor Patara. He then moved to Myra to work for his faith. The Church of St. Nicholas in Kas neighbor Demre is actually one of the most visited sites in the town.

Transport

Kas is accessible via minibuses or national buses. Minibuses would come from Antalya or Fethiya. National bus lines pass through Kas on their trips to Ankara, Izmir and Instanbul.

Boats can be hired to access the small peripheral island close by.

Recreation

Patara beaches offer a good alternative to Kas beaches. While Kas beaches are stony and can get crowded, Patara town has beaches that provide better ambience and less crowding. The Patara beaches also have beach side coffeehouses and restaurants. From here, one can take a quick boat ride to get to Blue Cave, Ucagiz or Kaleköy. These places offer amazine water fun and a lot of alternatives to travelers. Likewise, one can head on to Kalkan for another Turkish village experience.hikes can be arranged in the nearby mountaints to view cliff tombs and break a sweat.