KAS
Kas is a small touristic town in the Antalya Province of Turkey. It is an ideal destination for people who love holidays in natural and quite settings, who wants to enjoy quality food, land love adventure and interaction with the nature. Whether it’s for a holiday or because you want to live there, the information you collect about Kas from internet is not enough until you see the town with own eyes.
Uniqueness separates Kas from hundreds of other towns. It captures your attention from the moment you arrive, and hooks you there for a lifetime. The town scattered over a hillside running down to the Mediterranean Sea has escaped the trappings of mass tourism that have blighted other holiday resorts around the world the mountains surrounding the town are said to mimic human figures in a laying position, called “Yatan Adam” meaning ‘Lying man’.
Whether it is the laid-back atmosphere, or gorgeous landscapes, or its disconnection from anything fast paced and frantic, its legion of hard-core fans, both travelers and expats adore it. Surely, the Bohemian population makes it easy for you to blend in among them. Kas has 54 neighborhoods scattered over the town centre and has many outskirt small but beautiful villages, The central location is Andifli Mahallesi (Andifli street) where day-to-day action goes on.
With a typical Mediterranean climate, Kas not only survives by tourism activities and fishing, but also year round lasting agricultural production. The crops produced by the farmers range from lemons, oranges and bananas to cut flowers, honey, and almonds.
HISTORY
Kas is located on the Teke peninsula and inhabited since the stone ages, However, it is a common idea that Kas was first discovered by the Lycians. The town was originally known as Habesos or Habesa and given the name Antiphellos by the ancient Greeks. Antiphellos is thought to have gained its reputation in the Lycian period as a port town, sustaining its significance through to the Roman period in which it was famous for exporting timber and sponges.
Unfortunately the town suffered from Arab incursions and was annexed to the Selcuks. When the Selcuks fell apart, the Ottoman Empire took over control. After the First World War, with the exchange of population between Greece and Turkey, the majority of Kas inhabitants, which were of Greeks at the time, returned to Greece.
ANTIPHELLOS RUINS
Since Kas was founded on the ancient town of Antiphellos, there is a monumental tomb, a Lycian sarcophagus mounted on a high base. Kas used to be filled with many of these sarcophagi, but over the years they have been broken up to be used as building materials throughout the town.
There is also a theater, only 500 metres outside of the main square.
ACTIVITIES
Besides the ruins, Kas offers a great diversity of adventure activities. These include; paragliding, diving, sailing, river rafting, sea-kayaking, and trekking through the countless mountains behind the coast. Kas is one of the best spots for scuba diving in Turkey, with many diving schools and scuba diving lessons on the offer. There are many underwater caves, ancient ship wrecks and a beautiful array of fish and other sea creatures, including octopi and dolphins.
Kas and the surrounding area, once named Antiphellos, is one of the prettiest harbours of the province of Antalya. On the slope facing the sea standing a well-protected theatre, behind that a necropolis, and on the hill there are rock tombs shaped like temples carved into the rocks.
Please check activities section of our website to try one or some of the exciting activities.
HOW TO GET TO KAS
The closest airport is Dalaman (DLM) and approximately 150 km away (or about 2 hour’s drive) to Kas center. DLM airport is one of Turkey’s main touristic air travel hubs during summer and there are many frequent international flights.
The frequency of flights during winter time scales down to DLM but residents also use Antalya Airport (AYT), which is a 3-hour drive away. Car drivers use D400 highway from east to west of Turkey.
You can either rent a car at DLM or AYT airports or use buses that can bring you to Kas. There is also a shuttle transfer service at DLM airport shared with other travellers and can give transportation at very reasonable price. Please call us if you want a private tranfer or want to rent a car. It is recommended that you rent a car to visit different beaches and historic places around Kas.
WEATHER AND CLIMATE IN KAS
Kas’s Mediterranean climate has long, hot summers and mild winters. Summer temperatures reach as high as 40 degrees in July and August, but its geographical location means a sea breeze often sweeps over the town to ease the heat. Expect 300 days of sunshine a year, and a rainy season between January to February.
CURRENT WEATHER AND WEATHER FORECAST
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POPULATION OF KAS
Kas is small – there are just over 7000 residents living in Kas town, and the whole district (comprising 48 villages) has 53,000 permanent residents. Over summer the population increases with visitors from Western Europe, There is a small community of expats who live in Kas all year round.
GALLERY
