6 incredible things to do in Kas, Turkiye

Kas (pronounced “Kash) is a gorgeous town on the Mediterranean Sea between Fethiye and Antalya. It’s just over 100km from Fethiye. We spent a gorgeous long midsummer weekend there (four days), enjoying plenty of fun in the sun. Read on to find out about our favorite things to do in Kas!

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1. Go camping

Camping is one of the fun things to do in Kas doing the summertime. We know of a few camping areas. There’s one close to the old town and waterfront.

There are a few other camping facilities over the hill near Mermaid Beach (Buyukcakil Plaji). You’ll find one at the beach entrance and a couple more about two minutes’ walk along the road from the beach. Or continue another seven minutes (walking) along the road to reach a glamping spot.

We stayed at Gizli Vadi camping Kas, a few minutes’ walk from Mermaid beach. You can bring your own camping gear or hire tents there. Renting is the perfect option for traveling families, nomads, or holidaymakers who don’t have their own gear. They’ll give you whatever combination of tents works best for your group.

There’s a kitchen at Gizli Vadi, so you can prepare meals if you bring your own cookware. And the staff will make you a yummy Turkish breakfast if you like. Mermaid beach has a few restaurants, or you can head over the hill to Kas (25 minutes walk).

A noisy experience!

Our camping experience wasn’t as serene as I’d anticipated. Others liked to pitch their tents very close to us, even though there were other spaces. So they were treated to a few tantrums and early morning wake-ups from our tents. We got to contend with the late-night celebrations of other campers.

The neighborhood dogs liked to bark nearly all night, too. I didn’t understand why they wanted to be so loud until one night, we saw a wild boar trying to venture into the campsite. The resident dog went crazy defending his patch, and the boar got the idea and retreated. Barking explained!

Overall, it was a positive experience. Ayla checked the camping item off her bucket list (she hasn’t been camping since she was one or two, and we left on our full-time slow travel adventure).

2. Take a day trip to Meis, Greece

One of the fun things to do in Kas takes you not only outside the town but outside the country!

On any day in-season (May to October), you can take a day trip from Kas to Meis (Kastellorizo) in Greece.

The boat leaves at about 9:30 am and returns at 4 pm. It’s a lovely short ride, only about 25 minutes. Before you know it, you’ll be on a gorgeous Greek island, an idyllic place to explore for the day or stay a few nights.

We had an ulterior motive for visiting. Turkiye has this rule where you can only drive on your foreign license for six months. So we were unable to hire a car unless we got passport stamps. Mission accomplished and ready for road trips! (We took the bus to Kas).

A gorgeous place to spend a day or longer

Meis is super quaint. You can enjoy walking along the foot-traffic-only path around the harbor. There are a few cars on the island, but the roads are higher, and you can’t see or hear the cars.

We spent the day wandering, eating, and swimming straight from the harbor. There are restaurants and hotels where you can jump straight into the water. Had we stayed longer, we would have explored up in the hills.

We saw a giant turtle swimming toward the water surface and then elusively dipping back under. We couldn’t see it clearly, but it’s evident there is sea life around. We also saw sea urchins deep under the water where we were swimming.

If you don’t want to go to another country, you could take one of the many other boat trips available from the Kas harbor.

3. Spend a day at the beach

If you’re looking for things to do in Kas, we recommend hitting the beach! We didn’t see beaches in the main town, but you can take a walk over the hill (about 25 minutes) or catch a short taxi to Mermaid Beach (Buyukcakil Beach) to hang out for the day.

It’s a busy little beach with a nice vibe and lovely clear water. When we swam, we noticed a layer of very cool water, so it was nice and refreshing and a different experience from some of the bath-like waters you experience elsewhere.

This beautiful white-pebbled beach is also very near a few of the campgrounds. We enjoyed jumping off the rocks here, so it offered a little more than the average beach. You can also rent kayaks.

You’ll find a few restaurants and shade, so it’s an easy place to hang out for the day.

4. check out the old town

We recommend spending an afternoon or evening wandering the old town of Kas. You’ll find excellent places to eat and some gorgeous boutique shops.

The old town sits just behind the harbor, so it’s a convenient area to explore before or after you take a boat trip.

5. Hike up to the sleeping giant cave

Those who love hiking will enjoy the trek up to the sleeping giant cave and lookout for magnificent views over Kas.

Part of Likya Yolu, this hike starts from the main road directly up above Kas. The path is easy to follow as long as you turn right over the little gorge at the beginning, not far past the starting signpost.

From the main road, it’s about a 1.5-hour return walk up and down the trail. If you leave from the old town, it’s 25 minutes along roads/pavements to reach the start point, so allow 2.5 hours for the return trip.

It’s a steady climb and nothing too technical. The cave is fun for a look, and the views from the top (where the Turkish flag is) are incredible. Leave town around 5:30 am if you’re hiking during the summer so you can skip the heat of the day. You might even notice a lovely cool breeze at the top.

6. Jump off a waterfront platform!

Our final, fun recommendation of things to do in Kas is to jump off a waterfront platform into the sea!

There’s a row of waterfront restaurants to the right of the old town, each with a jumping platform and a ladder underneath so you can climb back up and do it again.

So you can jump into the crystal clear water and then relax with a coffee or meal. The restaurant we went to also had sun loungers, making it a perfect spot to hang out.

We hope these suggestions help you have an awesome trip to Kas! If you’re seeing a bit of Turkiye, read about our top recommendations for things to do in Antalya, Fethiye, and Pamukkale.

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