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Our prices do not include your flights or your transfers to and from the airport. This website includes links to make booking your flight easy from most European destinations. Click on the picture.
The closest airport is Dalaman but Antalya is also available. In winter months there are more flights to Antalya than Dalaman.
If driving from Europe you can save a major part of the journey by taking a ferry from Ancona or Brindisi in Italy across to Cesme (Izmir). There are also options to fly to Rhodes (Rodos) and then take a ferry to the Greek Island of Meis (Kastellorizo) and then across to Kaş. These are described below.
Transfers can be (and usually are) arranged by us. You pay when you get here. Return prices at the end of 2009 are: For 4 or less persons in private air-conditioned car for Dalaman £150, for Antalya £160. For larger parties, up to 10 persons, a private air-conditioned minibus can be arranged which costs £170 return for Dalaman transfers & £180 for Antalya transfers. These prices are about half what it would cost to get a taxi (or 2 taxis!) from the airports. Even better, if you hire a car they will reduce the transfer cost to the price of the fuel, currently £70 return for a car and £80 for a minibus.
If you are driving yourself from the airport to Kaş please follow the directions given here. PDF downloads are included so that you can print out a copy to bring with you.
The speed limit in Turkey is 90km on single carriageway trunk roads and 50km in built-up areas and villages. Where the latter start and end is a bit hard to determine so be careful. 110km on motorways and proper non-urban dual carriages. There are none of the latter on the way to Kaş. The police are quite active with radar guns. Fines are large, related to the excess speed and taken immediately on the spot if you are a tourist. Your car may be impounded if you can’t pay cash, your passport will usually be retained until you pay. There are also spot checks on driving documentation. You must have the car documents, insurance and your Driving Licence with you wherever you are driving.
Generally the standard of driving in Turkey is poor. Overtaking is done in the most improbable situations. There are often unlit tractors, farm animals and pedestrians on the road. You are quite likely to meet a motorcycle coming the wrong way down the verge! Villages are badly lit at night, there are no pavements, few white lines on the road and no “cats eyes” to aid night driving.
In the cities people drive crazily fast on the urban dual carriageways. Road works are not well signed and deviations around them can lead to an amazing journey!
On roundabouts the traffic entering has priority!
Outside of towns, when turning left, drivers will indicate left then pull over to the right or stop in the middle of the lane and wait for the road to clear in both directions! So, when turning left, if you indicate and move to the crown of the road as you do everywhere in Europe, don't be surprised if someone overtakes you! It will your fault if there is a nasty accident when you turn into the overtaking car! If you wait behind a car that is about to turn left you are considered crazy and the driver will get all confused ... but it is the safest thing to do!
There is only one exit road from the Airport, so this is simple. Stay on this road and drive into and through Dalaman until you see a sign for Antalya where you turn right.
There is a cut through to avoid going north out of Dalaman centre. This saves about 4km, but this is not signed.
At Dalaman centre there is a shopping area on the right of the road leaving the airport with a Yapi Kredi Bank around the corner; if you need to change money for petrol purchase.
After this the road is straight through to Kaş via Goçek and Fethiye (both bypassed) and many villages.
Just before Goçek there is a tunnel which will cost you a 2 lira toll. If you want to avoid this you can still take the old road which winds steeply up and down a high ridge and adds about 10 minutes to the journey. From Fethiye to Kalkan the road is wide, level and good.
Some way after Fethiye there is one set of traffic lights where the road is signposted both ways to Antalya (one goes over the mountains the other around the coast). Take the right hand coast route which is signposted to Kaş.
Kinnick, Patara and Yesilkoy are the next places of any consequence. All are bypassed. Then you will reach Kalkan. If in doubt follow the directions to Antalya.
Going through Kalkan the road is poor and narrow, with major roadworks ongoing. Currently you will be diverted via the bus station (Otogar). If you miss this you will travel via the town centre. Don’t worry you should easily find the road out to Kaş! A new road is currently under construction, which will be a welcome improvement. It may be open for the 2009 holiday season.
From Kalkan to Kaş the road is of good quality with reasonable width and surface; but is a coastal corniche hugging the cliffs and hence has many bends.
On reaching Kas
As you approach Kaş at the side of where the new Marina is to be built, there is a small piece of dual carriageway with oleanders and palm trees growing in the central reservation. Near to where this dual carriageway ends is a set of traffic lights which are always set to flashing orange. Turn right at these lights onto a new, block-paved road that goes around the top of the lagoon. This by-passes Kaş centre. At the end of the new road turn right again. Take care, this is a junction but does not appear to be – you do not have right of way! You are now travelling down to the Peninsula (Yarimada).
To download a PDF version of these instruction please click the icon.
Total journey is about 185km and will take about 2 hours depending on conditions. Traffic density is normally light overall and very light after Fethiye.
There are several service stations en-route most of which serve drinks and refeshments. They all have toilets.
There are two international and one domestic flight Terminals at Antalya Airport. Flights from Europe are usually at Terminal Two.
The overall journey to Kaş is simple, once you have got through Antalya. The airport (Havaalanı) is to the west of the city and Kaş is to the east. So a journey right across the city is required, as shown in the map.
There is only one exit gate from the Airport. After leaving the airport you will quickly see a sign for Antalya where you turn off to the right and go over and down onto the main Antalya – Alanya road. This is a large dual carriageway, which soon becomes a major six-lane highway with service roads on each side.
Continue down his road towards the centre on Antalya until you come to a large roundabout. Here there will be signs to the right to Kemer, Burdur and Mugla. Take this road named Gazi Bulvarı (you will be lucky to see a road name). This is an inner ring road around Antalya. You will travel across about four roundabouts / traffic lights. Keep following signs to Kemer.
Next you will go over a flyover. Immediately over this (and easily missed) take the exit to the right, again signposted to Kemer and go around the loop on to Dumlupınar Bulvarı. At the second intersection (flyover) take a right off the road. Make sure you get in the outside lane early. You will see a big Migros shopping centre across on the left and a fairground on your right. You are now on Atatürk Bulvarı. You are now on the road to Kemer and Kaş.
On leaving Antalya this road continues for many kilometres through the coastal fringes of the Olimpos Milli Parkı, with some spectacular scenery. After a stretch of single carriageway and a couple of short tunnels the road becomes mostly dual carriageway right up to Tekirova; but be careful, sometimes the road will change to single carriageway, especially where some bridges are being built, with no warning!
You will drive past the coastal resorts of Beldibi, Göynük, Kizıtepe, Kemer, Çamyuva, and then the historic site of Phaselis (well worth a visit) and finally Tekirova. Shortly after you will leave the coast and climb into the Taurus (Toros) Mountains above Olympus. You will see signs to Olympus and Çirali off to the left.
You will then descend down to a coastal plain and into the agricultural town of Kumluca. In the middle of this town, just after the main shopping area you have to take a left turn. It is a mini roundabout with a sculpture of vegetables! It is signposted to Muğla and Demre. Alternatively there is a bypass just past the Otogar where you enter the town, if you can find it!
You will soon be back near the coast on straight roads (mainly dual carriageway) and the next major town is Finike. Continue straight through all traffic lights and you will be on the road to Demre (also called both Kale and Myra – just to confuse – the place where Santa Claus lived). The road between Finike and Demre is a coastal corniche hugging the cliffs, it has many bends and it is a challenging drive.You almost bypass Demre on the coastal road and then climb away from the sea and the ancient port of Andriake. You will pass a couple of roads on the left leading to Üçağiz and Kekova (well worth a visit and within easy reach from Kaş by either road or boat). You are getting near! Keep on this road and you will eventually descend via Ağulla into Kaş.
On reaching Kas
On entering the town you will pass a new large mosque on your left. After this there is a roundabout where you must bear right away from Kaş centre, past a few shops and you will then be on a very short stretch of dual carriageway with oleanders and palm trees growing in the central reservation. Near to where this dual carriageway ends is a set of traffic lights (the only ones in Kaş) which are always set to flashing orange. Turn right at these lights onto a new, block-paved road that goes around the top of the lagoon. This by-passes Kaş centre. At the end of the new road turn right again. Take care, this is a junction but does not appear to be – you do not have right of way! You are now travelling down to the Peninsula (Yarimada).
To download a PDF version of these instruction please click the icon.
The total journey is about 210km and it will take you about 3 to 3.5 hours depending on conditions. Traffic density is normally light once you are past Kemer.
The road surface is generally poor and telecoms cable laying works in the winter of 2007/2008 made it worse. We are told that new electric power cable will be laid in the winter of 2008/2009. After this we have hopes that resurfacing will be done! You will soon pass over the isthmus between a couple of beaches. Within a couple of km you will come to a fork in the road where there is a road maintenance depot and a large signboard advertising the hotels on the Peninsula. Keep to the right hand fork. You will first travel through green maqui and then into the area where the villas start. A short way into this area you will see a sign on the left, pointing to the Akropol (Bar/Restaurant) to the right. The track at the top of the hill to the right after this is the one that you want. It is also signposted to the Akropol. Turn into the track and then turn right again. Follow this track through a wide gravelled area and pull into the carport on the left when you can go no further.
You have reached Sundown Villa. If it is dark there are security lights controlled by an automatic sensor that illuminates the front area.
Phone us when you arrive, unless it is the middle of the night, in which case we will see you the following morning. Your transfer driver will have the key to the front door unless your are driving yourself, in which case we will make other arrangements. All other keys will be found inside.
Flights to and from Rhodes
This information is valid for travel to and from Kas via Meis (Kastellorizo) Airport (KZO) during the period April to October. Five times a week in the winter.
One regular scheduled flight to and from Rhodes each day, except Thursdays, on a DH8, 37 seater aircraft at the following times:
OA026 RHODES 16:25 KASTELORIZO 17:05
ΟΑ027 KASTELLORIZO 17:30 RHODES 18:10
PRICE: €26, flight time is about 25 minutes.
There is a Community bus at €1.50 per person to and from Kastellorizo port to the airport during the summer period and there is also a taxi all year round. (Price unknown.)
Reservation with Olympic Airways: Tel: +30 2241 083400, or +30 210 966 6666 www.olympicairlines.com. Or use
Papoutsis travel agency: 0030 22460 70630 /49356/49281 Fax: 0030 2246049286
papoutsis.travel@galileo.gr, paptrv@rho.forthnet.gr
Ferries to and from Rhodes
Firstly a boat from Kas to Meis. Now asking 40 YTL (€25) return due to the fees that the Greek and Turkish harbour masters impose on each other! Greek boats are a little cheaper. €20 return. Contact: Georgos Karagiannis: 0030 2246049092, gsm: 0030 6977855756. Greek boats leave for Kas at 8:00 on Monday and Friday but can be booked for other times. Both Greek and Turkish Captains deal with passport and Customs formalities.
Ferries go from Kastelorizo to Rhodes on Monday at 16:00, Tuesday at 14:00, Thursday and Saturday at 19:00. Ferries go in the opposite direction from Rhodes to Kastelorizo on Monday at 08:30, Tuesday 09:00, Thursday and Saturday at 14:15.
The ferry on Monday is a passenger only Catamaran operated by Dodekanisos Seaways. Journey time is two and a half hours. Price €37.
The ferries on other days are operated by ANES with vessel M/V Proteus www.anes.gr. Journey takes four hours and forty minutes. Price €18.
Online booking at http://www.danae.gr/ferries-Greece.asp and see http://www.gtp.gr/ for all Greek ferry schedules and information. Or use the Papoutsis travel agency.
Unless you want to stay over in Kastelorizo then do not travel at the weekend as the Greek Customs there do not operate on Saturdays and Sundays. Also there are no Turkish boats travelling to and from Kas at the weekends. In winter there are usually boats between Meis and Kas only on Fridays so that the people in Kastellorizo can get to the Kas market.
For information about Kastelorizo see http://www.greeklodgings.gr/eng/kastellorizo/eng_kastellorizo.html
If you want to stay overnight in Kastellorizo then contact Monika or Damien (English/German speaking) at: Caretta Apartments and Rooms tel: +30 2246049056, +30 2246049109 gsm: +30 6978066375
The rooms cost between €28 and €45 per night depending of the season. When you arrive, you can always contact them in either their restaurant, Olive Garden, near the port, or their gift shop, Caretta, behind the market.
Onwards from Rhodes
easyJet fly from Rhodes to London Gatwick (LGW).
All flights are late in the evening. Book-in time on average will be at 21:00.so there will usually be a further 3 hour transit time to wait.
Coming back from the UK all their flights arrive too late for onward connection to Kastelorizo.
All scheduled Olympic Airways flights to London from Rhodes go via Athens or Thessalonika so they are not that convenient and expensive! Their flights can be booked straight through from KZO. www.olympicairlines.com
Aegean Airways fly into London Stansted, but again it is via Athens. http://www.aegeanair.com/
Thomas Cook fly in and out of Rhodes from LGW on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Wednesday flights are at reasonable times and hence more expensive, the flights on all other days are in the middle of the night. Unfortunately both the flights available on Wednesday leave too early to connect with the flight from Kastelorizo! Also as no ferries run on either Wednesday or Sunday, this only leaves the option of a very long wait in Rhodes if you use Thomas Cook to fly out to the UK on Thursday, having taken a ferry as there is no flight from Meis! http://book.flythomascook.com/skylights/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi
Thomas Cook fly from LGW to Rhodes on Wednesday and Saturday. Again all except Wednesday are late at night and are not good for snappy connections! But one of the Wednesday flights is about ideal for a short transit time …. 14:45 for 16:25.
There are also several companies offering flight only charter, some of these can only be booked starting with the UK outward leg.
Conclusion
If you want a few days in Rhodes (or Athens, Thessalonika) as part of a two centre holiday then the flights and ferries from Meis provide a cheap and convenient way of getting there and avoid the drive to Fethiye or Marmaris and the cost of fuel and parking fees. Also the flights and ferries from Meis are subsidised and are cheaper.
If while in Kas you would like a short trip to Rhodes, making the most of your time there, you could go on Monday on the catamaran ferry at 16:00 and come back on the 16:25 flight on Wednesday. There will be taxi costs to get you to Rhodes airport. You would need to make prior arrangements for a boat to take you back to Kas at about 17:30 and this may be expensive if you are the only person travelling!
If you have the time for a more relaxed trip to Rhodes it is probably best to go on Tuesday on the ferry at 14:00, having had a pleasant brunch in Meis and come back on the Thursday ferry. Perhaps stay one night in Kastelorizo and leave for Kas on Friday morning with the Greek boats. You give your passport to the Captain on Thursday evening and he will deal with all the formalities.
To get to the UK (LGW) from Meis the only option is the flight on Wednesday, or Friday to Rhodes and then use easyJet.
To get back from the UK use Thomas Cook on Wednesday leaving LGW at 10:05 (there is also a flight which leaves at 07:50) and then a flight to Meis arriving there at 17:05. You would need to make prior arrangements for a boat to take you back to Kas at about 17:30.
The price of the flights, ferries, et al, is about the same as the cost of a one-way transfer from Kas to Dalaman. This is mainly due to the exorbitant price charged for the short trip from Kas to Meis. So if there is more than one person travelling it may not make economic sense; but, if you are travelling light, it is more fun than sitting in a taxi for a couple of hours!
Meis harbour today.
Properous Meis Harbour in the days before the 2nd World War
