My Turkish Honeymoon – 2 – KAŞ
/0 Comments/in Travel & About /by Liliana Rios Santana
When I met Alper, I remember that during our online conversations he was mentioning this place called Kas and how much he enjoyed spending time there, that it was his favorite place to go and chill leaving behind his hectic life in Istanbul. Years later, when we started our honeymoon trip I had big expectations and wanted to see why Alper liked this town so much.
Kaş is a seaside town on the Mediterranean coast in southwestern Turkey, occupies the site of ancient Antiphellos, with still-visible ruins including a theater from the ancient Lycia whose remains are many in the region. And I must add that the Turkish Riviera between Fethiye and Kas offers breathtaking landscapes and beaches, the waters are sparkling bright blue and green which is why it is called the Turquoise Coast.
We spent about 3 days in this beautiful town, perfect for those looking for adventure; because where else can you kayak over an antique sunken city and dive with sea turtles at the same time? Diving is popular here and is easy to see why, with around 50 diving sites within half an hour by boat trekking along the Lycian Way. With a Schengen visa, one can also visit Meis, an island in Greece for a day trip which is a 20-minute boat ride from Kas. If this is not enough try paragliding at sunset, mountain biking, coasteering, via-ferrata or hiking.
And for laid-back travelers; Kas can be easily explored on foot. With its distinctive charm, cobblestoned streets lined with cafes and restaurants, live music venues and small bars, numerous boutiques, and colorful bougainvillea flowers peeking over balconies.
The first night, we went to enjoy the sunset from a terrace and pretty terraces are what Kas has a lot to offer. We stopped at this cool bar called De Ja Vu, owned by one of Alper’s friends, to have drinks, enjoy fun conversations and wait for sunset, it is magical; the stunning color of the sun and its reflection in the water just gives a wonderful feeling. Actually, this was our program during the evenings we were in Kas.
In the morning, we headed to find a place for breakfast. Hmm Turkish breakfast, how can I explain that as soon as we are sitting down, an endless amount of dishes were filling the table in front of us, Turkish breakfast is a real feast! Warm bread, called simit, assorted cheeses, pastries, sausages, eggs, vegetables, olives, homemade jams, honey, clotted cream, yogurt, and of course Turkish tea, lots of it!
After enjoying this fantastic breakfast we had planned to spend the day at the beach and the beaches in Kas have this particular turquoise color that makes them extremely beautiful. We headed to Patara, Patara is Turkey’s longest beach with silky sand that has escaped the development thanks to the ruins of the ancient city from which the beach gets its name, and because it is one of the most important breeding grounds for the Caretta Caretta sea turtles a protected species which has been laying its eggs here for the past 40 million years.
Patara has been one of the 6 major cities of Lycia, an important harbor with 100.000 population during the Roman Era, the birthplace of St. Nicholas, center for the National Assembly of Lycian Federation. Lycian Federation has been a model for the constitution of the USA. I thought this was too much to absorb in one day, but that is how it works in Turkey. Wherever you go, you get overwhelmed by the cultural and natural diversity.
Later, before returning to our hotel, we went to the ancient site of Xanthos, which is the former capital of Lycia, this was the first time in my life that I was standing on ancient ruins, I was mesmerized! There is a very well preserved amphitheater, very impressive rock tombs, a large stone plaque with Lycian inscriptions, the remains of a church and streets, and a great view of the plain.
I loved this town; it’s peaceful, elegant, and has this no rush vibe that I prefer when I travel. Kaş has it all; there are plentiful charm and history to fall in love with this place and to want to visit again.
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