Kaş in 3 days: Kekova, Myra, Xanthos and Patara

Kaş is a small town in the very middle of the Lycian coast, on a narrow strip where the mountains drop into the sea. Start the day at the harbour, where fishing boats, dive boats and waterside cafés set the slow morning rhythm. Behind the harbour, sloping lanes climb to the Lion Tomb, the best-known trace of the ancient Lycian city of Antiphellos. The tomb stands in the middle of everyday town life, and meeting more than two thousand years of history between houses, shops and stairways is one of the most striking things about Kaş. Walking in the cool of the morning lets you see the lanes before they fill up.

The ancient theatre at the western edge of town is one of the largest surviving structures of Antiphellos. Sit on the steps and the open sea and the islands close to shore stretch out in front of you; the theatre’s sea-facing position shows how closely the ancient city lived with the coast. It is also a favourite place in Kaş to watch the sunset; in the morning it is quiet, a good time to look closely at the stonework. From the theatre you can walk back to the centre along the coast road.

Give the afternoon to the sea. On the coast between Kaş and Kalkan, Kaputaş is one of the beaches GoTürkiye names on this route, a place to spend the hottest hours in the sea. If you dive, GoTürkiye describes Kaş as well suited to diving thanks to warm currents, clear water and protected marine areas, and you can look into dive options locally. Choose an operator yourself to suit your experience, then head back to town and get ready for the evening.

Head back to town in the late afternoon and watch the sunset from the waterfront. Evenings in Kaş happen in the lanes around the harbour, with tables spilling onto the pavements and fish restaurants side by side. Use the local food section to choose dinner; asking for registered regional dishes such as Antalya piyaz or pumpkin dessert is a good start. By the end of the first day the town’s small scale is clear: a coastal town you can walk end to end, which comes alive in the evening.

On day two we head east. Drive from Kaş to Üçağız, where Kekova boats leave. Where the boat slowly approaches the shore, ancient walls, stairs and foundations appear just below the surface: the remains of a settlement sunk by earthquakes, watched from the boat. According to GoTürkiye, swimming is forbidden here; the ruins lie in a protected area and are seen only from the boat. The Kekova area is also known for its dive sites. Mornings bring the calmest sea and the clearest light.

After Kekova, go on to Kaleköy; the Simena archaeological site is in this small coastal village and is listed on muze.gov.tr. Walking the narrow village lanes and looking out over the Kekova bay from above rounds off the morning on the water. Because the official source has no reliable text on the site’s history, it is not told here; the hours and address are below. You can take a short break in the village before driving on to Demre for lunch.

After lunch in Demre, go on to Myra. Once one of the capitals of Lycia, the city takes its name from the Myros stream and was one of six leading cities with three votes in the Lycian League. The most striking sight is the rock tombs on the hillside; the Roman theatre set below them and the reliefs of the river necropolis are also worth seeing. The city’s golden age was the reign of Theodosius II (408–450); today the short walk between the rock tombs and the theatre is a good introduction to Lycian architecture.

The church in central Demre was built over the tomb of St Nicholas of Myra, also known as Santa Claus. The saint was born in Patara and served as bishop of Myra. In 1087 merchants from Bari opened the tomb and took part of the remains, which are now in the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari, with some in the Antalya Museum. Inside you can see wall paintings of miracles attributed to the saint and a Roman sarcophagus decorated with fish scales and acanthus leaves. The cool, dim interior is a welcome break from the afternoon heat.

End the day on the shore at Çayağzı, in Andriake. Research has shown that Andriake was not a separate city but Myra’s harbour quarter, the third most important port in the region after Phaselis and Patara. The great granary, the Granarium, now houses the Museum of Lycian Civilisations and brings together finds from the region. Around it are the agora, a cistern, walls and Byzantine churches, as well as the Murex workshops where the purple dye for imperial robes was produced, and a 5th-century synagogue counted as the earliest firm evidence of a Jewish presence in Lycia.

On day three we head west. Xanthos is on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with nearby Letoon. The city has the densest concentration of Lycian pillar tombs: the four-metre Inscribed Pillar carries the longest known Lycian inscription. The Roman theatre, the Arch of Vespasian at the southern entrance and the 5th-century BC walls are the main points to walk. Works such as the Nereid Monument, the Harpy Tomb and the Lion Tomb were removed from the early 1800s on, part of the Harpy Tomb going to England, yet the monuments still in place convey the city’s grandeur.

A short drive from Xanthos brings you to Patara. Capital of the Lycian League, the city appears as “Patar” in 13th-century BC Hittite texts. St Nicholas was born here, and St Paul is known to have sailed from Patara to Rome. At the entrance stands the triumphal arch built by the provincial governor in AD 100. The theatre was rebuilt after the earthquake of 147, and the Bouleuterion, the council house next to it, recalls the city’s political weight. The large granary built in the name of Hadrian and Sabina is also on the route.

Give the afternoon to Patara’s long beach. The 18-kilometre shore behind the dunes is one of the rare nesting grounds of the Caretta caretta sea turtle; according to GoTürkiye, May to September is the nesting and hatching season. As a result the beach keeps its natural look, unlike crowded resort shores. After a swim and a walk on the sand, drive on to Kalkan towards sunset. Follow the nesting-season signs and the instructions of staff on the beach.

Finish the plan in Kalkan. Kalkan is one of the stops GoTürkiye names on this coast and a smaller town than Kaş. Walk the narrow lanes up from the harbour and look out over the bay at sunset. For dinner, look through the regional dishes in the food section. If you are staying in Kaş, the drive back follows the coast; if you stay in Kalkan, Patara and Xanthos are right on your doorstep.