Active Pursuits

Beaches

At the end of the day in Kas, you can collapse on a lounge at one of the cliff-side "beaches" to the southeast of town, where you're only a coral stone's throw away from a dip in some of the bluest and unspoiled waters this close to a major town. Küçükçakil Beach ("small pebble beach") sits to the east of the marina, protected by an outcropping of rocks upon which a number of private establishments (mostly the hotels that front the coastline) provide beach lounges and umbrellas. The rocky coast forms a small inlet, into which crazy local kids dive off the low craggy rocks. Farther out about a half a mile (800m) is Büyükçakil, or "large pebble" Beach, a small but amazing stretch of waterfront embraced and protected on three sides by low hills covered in Mediterranean brush. The beach is free and informal, but there are one or two basic facilities for showering and such, as well as lounge chairs for rent and a snack bar.

There's also the bay of Limangazi located on the other side of the bay and accessible only by boat. Ask a local fisherman or boat captain how much he's asking to take you there (and hopefully, back).

Paragliding

Skysports, Liman Sok. 10/A, Kas (tel. 0242/836-3291; www.skysports-turkey.com), the reputable provider of tandem flights off of Babadag, over Ölüdeniz, runs an adjunct shop in Kas, taking advantage of the 1,050m (3,445-ft.) summit Asaz Mountain. Pilots fly you off the ridge and over the sea, landing you safely at the marina in Kas. A 20- to 30-minute flight (believe me, it's plenty of time) costs 100€ ($145/£71). Bougainville Travel recently joined the paragliding fold, with the agency's own professional tandem pilots.

Scuba Diving

The waters off Kas have some of the best visibility in the Mediterranean and a wide variety of sea life. Sponge divers have been navigating these reefs for decades, and it was along the coast of Ulu Burun that a 14th-century-B.C. merchant shipwreck was discovered, now displayed in the Bodrum Underwater Archaeology Museum. There are also several underwater caverns, of which the Mavi, near Kaputas Beach, is most famous. Several dive outfitters with certified dive masters provide a gateway to the reefs, caves, and shipwrecks (there's even a plane wreck) for around 25€ ($36/£18), or 29€ ($42/£21) if you need to use their equipment. Bougainville Travel and Barakuda Diving Center, Hükümet Caddesi, on the hill above the harbor behind Mercan Restaurant (tel. 0242/836-2996; www.barakuda-kas.de), are two of the more established agencies, while the combined team of Hakan and Rico at Sirena Diving Center at Dogruyol Cad. 35 (tel. 0242/836-3995; www.sirenadive.com) has logged a combined 13,000 dives. All three offer much the same choices, while Barakuda also does wreck and deep-sea dives, technical dives, and nitrox dives. All can accommodate nondivers on their boats.

Sea Kayaking

Sea kayaking offers a low-impact opportunity to experience the magical waters of the Gulf of Kekova, past partially submerged sarcophagi and over the sunken cities. The prohibition of swimming in the waters over these archaeological sites makes this sport a superb way to enjoy unhurried close-ups of the mysterious city walls, although admittedly, you'll need some imagination to visualize those vague underwater shadows. A kayak also allows you to navigate where large craft dare not go. The day trip (60YTL/$52/]bp]24) is low-impact in either single or tandem kayaks, and sets off (after transferring from Kalkan and Kas) from the docks at Üçagiz. For information, contact Bougainville Travel.