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Nestling at the foot of a 1,000 metre high foothill of the impressive Taurus range Kas looks out across a calm blue bay to the Greek island of Meis. It guards the entrance to a small, eyebrow shaped, peninsula. (Kas, in Turkish, literally means eyebrow).
Sheltered by the mountains (which have fortuitously restricted its expansion) and south facing, Kas basks in the sun all day long.
Although now an established tourist resort, Kas retains much of its character and easy going charm. Ignored by the major tour operators, accommodation is found mainly in small hotels and pensions. After sunset in summer the town sparkles with many lights.
The narrow, paved streets, with overhanging, flower decked, Ottoman balconies are thronged with people strolling between the numerous convivial outdoor restaurants, bars and shops. A relaxed, lively atmosphere, as yet, sheltered from the frenzy of the large resorts.
The town has a laid-back, cosmopolitan atmosphere which has been retained since simple tourism started when the town was on the hippy trail in the 50s and 60s.
In those days Kas was a small farming and fishing community clustered around the harbour with access either from the sea, or by tracks over the Taurus; the coastal road not being opened until 1963.The ambience brought by the hippies is retained in several blues and jazz bars and by a liberal attitude prevailing throughout.
Add this to the seductive blend of a Turkish working town; rural family values; the many mysteries of ancient Lycia; a bustling harbour and marina; some of the cleanest and clearest sea water to be found and superb weather. One can see that Kas provides the possibility for one to enjoy history, sea, sun, fine cuisine and the simplicity and charm of the honest local people who offer a very warm and friendly welcome in an unspoilt, evocative setting.
A major plus point is that no construction work is allowed in Kas between 1 May and 31 October. No high rise buildings are allowed. No noise, no tower cranes. The builders sometimes bend these rules a little at the start and end of the period!
This link will open a PDF file giving more information on the history of Kas, Lycia and the many other historic sites which abound in the area. This is a 1.6MB document with many photographs. If you want to keep a copy it will take about a minute to download on broadband.
More photographs of Kas can be found in the photo albums at the end of this site. Click on the camera.
If you have time, click this icon to download a short video - "Turkish Dream". It's in AVI format and is 16.5MB in size. So don't try if you're not on broadband.
Several of the links given on the "useful links" page of this site also provide a lot of information about Lycia and Turkey in general.
