The town of Kas along with the coastal drive to get there were highlights of the Turkish part of our trip. After spending a few nights in Fethiye, we headed out in the mid-morning towards Kas. After stopping at Xanthos and Letoon in the late morning and afternoon, we continued towards Kas and arrived just before sunset. Located near the south-east corner of Antalya, Kas was only an hour and a half from Fethiye. The best part was the last 45 minutes or so as it included some breathtaking scenery.

By now we well acquainted with the D400 highway as we took in in a new direction. Three years ago we also took this highway when we went south in our rental car from Antalya towards Phaeselis. At the time, it was as far south as we went, as we took a different direction back north towards Izmir. This time we were getting a much better experience along the southern coast.

The coastal road hugged the ocean and afforded great views as we headed east. We had to watch out for sharp corners and aggressive drivers,

We arrived in town and quickly set ourselves up at an Air B&B just below a large hill overlooking the town. Although cars do drive in the middle of town, it is mainly a pedestrian and scooter zone. Having driven around the town except the centre, I wouldn’t want to imagine trying to get around on the narrow cobblestone streets there.

There was evidence of the ancient Lycians in the town, including a tomb called “The King’s Tomb” dating from the 4th century BC. It had a three part sarcophagus with the main section cut from a single piece of rock and a separate arched “lid” on top.

Kas was a beautiful town, but navigating it with its ups and downs was a bit of an experience. Our Air B&B was close to the centre of town so there was a supermarket within walking distance. We drove up to the top of the town for trips further east, and discovered the adventure of driving up steep streets and narrow switchbacks in town while taking care to avoid cars coming in the other direction.

On another day we checked out some Lycian tombs on the hill overlooking the town, as it was just a two minute walk from our Air B&B. To find the entrance up the hill you have to look carefully for the sign, and then take a few flights of stairs up past quaint houses. Eventually we were behind the homes and facing the tombs scattered on the hill.

As with previous tombs in the region, there wasn’t much to see inside. Besides being empty, it looked like people used them for places to drink. After checking one out, we ascended to the next one. However, the trail became trickier as we got higher.

Although the views were good it was hot we’d done enough climbing so we headed back down. Back in the town, we visited one of the local beaches a bit later in the day. Confusingly named Küçük Çakıl, Cınarlar beach and Derya beach (probably marketing by the neighbouring restaurants), it was half-hidden between other pathways.

Although it was small and crowded on the tiny pebbled beach, there was more than enough water to enjoy. A unique feature was having the warm and cool currents flowing so I felt warm and cold at the same time. It was a great break from the summer heat.

We booked the Air B&B for five nights as we wanted to make a few day trips. We used Kas as an excellent place to drive to beaches and ruins along the southern coast. Although it was full of tourists, it felt more laid back than other summer destinations along the coast. Next up is a boat tour we did from Kas harbour.