Two small harbour towns on the Lycian coast — the best base for Kekova, Patara, the Lycian Way and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean.
Last reviewed on 27 September 2026.
Kaş (pronounced roughly "kash") sits on a small bay on the far western stretch of Türkiye's Mediterranean coast, between Fethiye and Antalya, where the Taurus mountains drop almost straight into the sea. It has no long sandy beach and no big resort hotels, and that is exactly why people come: it is a compact, walkable harbour town of whitewashed houses, bougainvillea and small bars, with an outdoorsy crowd of divers, walkers and sea-kayakers. Kalkan, its neighbour about half an hour to the west, is quieter, steeper and more upmarket. Between them they make the most practical base for the central Lycian coast — Kekova, Patara, Xanthos, Myra and the Lycian Way are all within day-trip range.
A lively small town with a working harbour, independent restaurants, a strong diving scene and an evening street life that lasts year-round in a reduced form. Better for people without a car.
A former Greek fishing village climbing a steep hillside above a small marina, now dominated by holiday villas with pools and roof-terrace restaurants. Quieter, pricier, very popular with British visitors.
Kaş stands on the site of ancient Antiphellos, a Lycian port that served the inland town of Phellos. The Lycians, who inhabited this mountainous coast from at least the Bronze Age, are best known for their monumental tombs, and Kaş has examples of every main type without leaving town. Above the houses, tombs with façades imitating timber-framed buildings are cut into the cliff face; they are floodlit at night and visible from the harbour. In the old shopping street leading uphill from the harbour stands the finest single monument, a tall Lycian sarcophagus on a high plinth, its lid carved with lion heads — locals call it the Lion Tomb or King's Tomb.
A ten-minute walk west of the harbour, the small Hellenistic theatre of Antiphellos faces straight out to sea, with the Greek island of Meis (Kastellorizo) on the horizon. On the rise behind it is a rock-cut tomb with a plain Doric-style façade.
Kaş is one of Türkiye's best-known diving centres. The coast drops off steeply, visibility is often excellent, and the town's dive schools run courses from first try-dives to advanced certifications. Dive sites include reefs, walls, underwater canyons and wrecks, among them a sunken aircraft placed on the seabed as an artificial reef. Much of the sea around Kaş and Kekova falls within a specially protected zone.
Swimming in town is mostly off rocks and wooden platforms rather than beaches. Small pebble coves lie a short walk from the centre, and the hotels on the Çukurbağ peninsula west of town have their own bathing decks. If you want sand, go to Patara or Kaputaş (below).
The most popular day out from Kaş is a boat trip to Kekova, a sheltered stretch of water east of town, protected by a long offshore island of the same name. Along the island's northern shore lie the remains of an ancient settlement partly submerged after the land subsided, probably as a result of earthquakes in antiquity. From a boat you see house foundations, stairways cut into the rock and walls running down below the waterline. Swimming, snorkelling and diving over the ruins are prohibited to protect them, so the view is from the deck — or, on guided sea-kayak tours, from a kayak along the permitted route, which gives a closer and slower look.
Across the channel is Kaleköy, the village built over ancient Simena. It can be reached only by boat or on foot, which has kept it small. A medieval castle crowns the hill above the village, and inside its walls is a tiny rock-cut theatre; Lycian sarcophagi are scattered on the slopes below, and one stands half-submerged in the shallows by the shore, the most photographed image of the area.
There are two ways to do it. Full-day boat tours leave the Kaş harbour in the morning and combine Kekova, Simena and swimming stops. Alternatively, drive or take a minibus to the village of Üçağız, the closest departure point, where local boats run shorter trips and the kayak tours start.
The island opposite Kaş is Kastellorizo, known in Turkish as Meis — the easternmost inhabited island of Greece, so close to the Turkish coast that its harbour lights are visible from Kaş at night. Passenger ferries make the short crossing, and a day trip to its pastel-painted harbour, its small museum and its hilltop walks is a popular outing.
West of Kalkan, the village of Gelemiş gives access to Patara, which combines one of the longest sand beaches in Türkiye with a major ancient city. The beach stretches for many kilometres backed by dunes and is almost undeveloped, because it is protected: it is an important nesting site for loggerhead sea turtles, and it closes to visitors at night during the nesting season. There are no hotels on the sand, only a basic café and sunbed area at the main access point, and walking a short way along the shore puts you in near-empty space.
The ancient city lies on the road to the beach, and you pass through the archaeological site to reach the sand. Patara was one of the principal cities of Lycia and an important port; according to tradition it was the birthplace of Saint Nicholas, later bishop of nearby Myra. Excavation and restoration over recent decades have uncovered a theatre, a long colonnaded street, baths and the restored assembly building (bouleuterion) associated with the Lycian League — a federation of cities often cited as an early example of representative government. The remains of a Roman-era lighthouse near the old harbour are among the oldest known.
Close to Patara are Xanthos and the sanctuary of Letoon, which together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Xanthos was the leading Lycian city, and its pillar tombs and inscriptions — including a long inscribed pillar in the Lycian language — are central to what is known of Lycian culture. See the UNESCO sites page for context.
Roughly midway between Kaş and Kalkan, the coast road crosses the mouth of a gorge, and at its foot is Kaputaş: a small cove of pale sand and startlingly turquoise water, reached by a long flight of steps from the roadside. It is beautiful and very popular, and it gets crowded by late morning in high summer. Go early or late in the day, bring water and something for shade, and take care with the waves on windy days — the cove is open to the sea.
The Lycian Way is a waymarked long-distance footpath of over 500 km, created in the late 1990s, which follows old mule tracks, Roman roads and shepherds' paths along the coast between the Fethiye area and the outskirts of Antalya. Kaş sits roughly in the middle, and several of the most rewarding sections begin or end nearby. The stretch east from Kaş towards Üçağız and Kekova passes Lycian ruins and remote coves; the section between Kalkan and Kaş, via the hills above the coast, is another popular choice.
The trail is rough in places — stony, steep and exposed — and water sources are unreliable. Walk it in spring (roughly March to May) or autumn (October to November); summer heat on the open hillsides is dangerous for all but the shortest sections. Carry plenty of water, use an up-to-date guidebook or trail app, and tell someone your route.
Inland from the coast, closer to Fethiye than to Kaş, Saklıkent is a deep, narrow slot canyon carved by a river through the mountains. A walkway leads in from the entrance, after which you wade through fast, very cold water — even in August — and continue up the gorge between walls that rise far overhead. It is often combined with Xanthos or Patara. Flash flooding can close the gorge after heavy rain, which is why it is usually open only in the warmer, drier months.
About an hour east of Kaş, the town of Demre stands beside ancient Myra, where a cliff face carved with house-style Lycian tombs rises above a large Roman theatre — one of the most striking sights on the coast. Nearby is the Church of St Nicholas, associated with the 4th-century bishop whose legend later fed into the figure of Santa Claus.
Kaş has no airport. The two options are:
Private transfers run from both airports. By public transport, change at Fethiye or Antalya bus stations for regular intercity buses along the coast road (the D400); Kaş's bus station is a short walk above the centre, and minibuses connect Kaş, Kalkan and the villages. A car is useful for Patara, Saklıkent and Xanthos but not needed in Kaş itself, where parking is scarce. See getting around Türkiye and driving in Türkiye.
May, June, September and October are the best months: warm sea, long days and fewer crowds. July and August are hot and busy, but Kaş is less oppressive than the big resorts because it is small and the evenings cool a little. The sea is warmest from late summer into October, which makes autumn especially good for diving and swimming. From about November to March the town is quiet but lived-in — many restaurants in Kaş stay open, while Kalkan becomes very sleepy and a good share of its businesses close. Boat trips and the Meis ferry run on reduced schedules out of season. Winter and spring are ideal for walking. More detail on the best time to visit.
Kaş suits travellers without a car and anyone who wants restaurants, bars, dive schools and boat trips within walking distance. Kalkan is quieter and more villa-based, with a steep village centre and many holiday rentals with pools. The two are about half an hour apart and share the same day trips.
No. Swimming, snorkelling and diving over the submerged ruins are prohibited to protect them. You see them from the deck of a tour boat or on a guided sea-kayak tour along the permitted route, and boats stop for swimming at other bays nearby.
Yes. Meis is a Greek island, so the trip crosses into the European Union and the Schengen area. You need a valid passport and must meet Schengen entry requirements, and returning counts as a new entry to Turkey, so check that your Turkish visa allows it. Confirm ferry times locally.
Dalaman is closer, roughly two to two and a half hours by road. Antalya has more flights year-round but is roughly three and a half to four hours away along the coast road. Both have private transfers, and intercity buses run via Fethiye or Antalya.
Patara is the long sandy beach, protected as a sea turtle nesting site and almost undeveloped. Kaputaş is a small, very photogenic cove between Kaş and Kalkan reached by steps from the road. In Kaş itself swimming is mostly from rocks, platforms and pebble coves.
May to June and September to October give warm sea and fewer crowds. July and August are hot and busy. Autumn is especially good for diving because the sea is at its warmest, while spring and late autumn are best for walking the Lycian Way.