Planning a Trip

Getting There

Because of the proximity between Kas and Kalkan, a selection of long-distance buses serves one, the other, or both. Pamukkale (tel. 444-3535; 12 hr.; 60YTL/$52/£24) leaves at 10pm nightly and from Izmir (8 hr.; 33YTL/$29/£13), also leaving at 10pm. Kamil Koç (tel. 0800/293-1115) serves the long-distance routes from Istanbul, Ankara, and locally, from Ortaca and Dalaman.

Minibuses leave regularly from Fethiye through Kalkan and on to Kas (1 1/2 hr.; 12YTL/$10/£4.80). The ride by minibus from Antalya takes as little as 3 1/2 hours (13YTL/$11/£5.20) if you leave early in the morning, longer during the day or when traffic is heavier. Kalkan is about a half-hour away (3YTL/$2.60/£1.20).

All the hotels and travel agents offer the service of airport transfers. Expect to pay 150€ ($218/£107) from Dalaman airport and slightly more for Antalya.

Visitor Information

The tourist information office is located on Cumhuriyet Meydani 5 (tel. 0242/836-1238). The number for the otogar is tel. 0242/836-1020. There are three taxi stands in town: Liman Taksi (tel. 0242/836-1489), Yat Taksi (tel. 0242/836-1933), and Çakil Taksi (tel. 0242/836-2448). Friday is market day.

Orientation

The otogar is at the north end of town. From the station, the sloping street down to the town center, the harbor, and marina is called Atatürk Caddesi. West of the marina (turn right before the marina at the minuscule roundabout) are the ruins of Antiphellos and the well-preserved antique theater. This road makes the circuit of the Çukurbag Peninsula and then dumps you back onto the road into town.

In the opposite direction, up the hill past the marina to the east is Hükümet Caddesi, which leads to Küçükçakil and Büyükçaki beaches.

From Cumhuriyet Meydani at the harbor, the street that heads north, Ibrahim Serin Caddesi, is lined with shops, cafes, and bars. There are several travel agencies along this street, and the post office and banks are at the end of the commercial stretch. East of Ibrahim Serin Caddesi are beautiful craft and jewelry boutiques in converted traditional old wooden houses. A lone Lycian sarcophagus towers above the end of Uzun Çarsi Caddesi. Rock tombs are located high above town, obscured by the increased building at the top of the hill.

Getting Around

Few places in Kas are more than a 10-minute walk away, but if your accommodations are on the peninsula, you'll have to rely on a hotel transfer to get you there, because there is no minibus service, and taxi fares are uncommonly high. To get out of town to the sites mentioned in this section, you'll need to use one of the following modes of transport.

By Bus and Dolmus -- Minibus service runs regularly from Kas to Kalkan (3YTL/$2.60/£1.20 daily service 8:30am-8:30 or 9pm), which you can take for day trips to Kaputas Beach, as well as to many of the surrounding sights.

By Taxi -- In many cases, local travel agencies will provide more comfortable, air-conditioned cars or vans for lower prices than the taxi fare. Expect to pay the taxi drivers around the following fares from Kas: Üçagiz 40YTL ($35/£16), Demre 50YTL ($44/£20), Antalya Airport 175YTL-200YTL ($152-$174/£70-£80), Kaputas Beach 50YTL ($44/£20), Kalkan 55YTL ($48/£22), and Dalaman Airport 150YTL ($131/£60).

By Boat -- Occasionally there is water-taxi service from Kas to Üçagiz (3 hr. by boat); from there you can then hire a boat to explore Kekova (10YTL/$8.70/£4 per person). Check with the tourist information office to find out if it's in operation when you get there, but most prefer to drive to Üçagiz. If you prefer to get around independently and you know how to haggle effectively, head down to the harbor at any port village and see whether you can hire a boat yourself for a reasonable fee.

By Car -- With everything within walking distance, you'll need a car only to go exploring out of town. You're out of luck if you expected to earn points with Avis, Hertz, National, or Europcar; only local companies rent cars in Kas. As a consolation for lost frequent-flier miles, the rates will be lower.