Chances are, you have never heard of the small fishing and yachting town of Kas, Turkey. It is one of the hidden gems of Turkey that is not very well known yet to tourists. This means that most of the original culture, beauty, and ambiance of the town have been preserved over the years. If you are interested in coming to a small town where you can get a real experience of what Turkey is all about, then Kas is the perfect vacation spot for you.
Kas is located on the Teke peninsula and although this area has been occupied since the Stone Age, Kas was believed to have been founded officially by the Lycians. In the ancient historical times of Lycia, Kas was originally called Habesos and was later renamed as Antiphellos. It was given this name by the ancient Greeks because it was the harbor in front of the city of Phellos. During the era of the Roman period, the city of Antiphéllos was famous for exporting sponges and timber. Eventually the town became part of the Eastern Roman Empire. Largely due to the difficulty of land communications and the lack of suitable arable land around this small fishing town never grew to be a major city in Turkey.The city eventually suffered because of Arab incursions, and was soon annexed (under the name of Andifli) to the Anatolian Sultanate of Rum, led by the Seljuks. Upon the downfall of the Seljuks, it came underrule of the Ottomans.
In 1923, due to the switching over of populations between Greece and Turkey after the Greco-Turkish War, a large number of the population, which descended originally from Greece, left the town to return to their native land of Greece. It was not until the early 1990’s that the tourism industry really started booming in Kas. Most of the vacationers were mainly from the UK and Germany. This growth in tourism led to more development of apartments and hotels to accommodate visitors which began to threaten the beauty and charm of the ladscape and overall charm of the city.
Presently Kas remains a quiet and peaceful town with scenic views of the crystal blue sea and the sweet scent of jasmine filling the air as you walk down the street. There are a wide variety of amenities available for guests including little guest houses along the beach, quiet cafes serving traditional home cooked meals, or even small bars to relax in and enjoy the night life after a long day out in the sun. There is also a wide variety of accommodation to choose between from simple pensions to some smart Kas Hotels. There is also no doubt that Kas is one of the top rated cities in turkey for diving. There is a diving school right in town and many places with equipment available to rent. Those who choose to go diving while in Kas are sure to see a stunning assortment of fish and other sea creatures such as octopus and dolphins, and possibly even the wreckage of some ancient ships that once sailed in the area. Kas is a great spot to check out in Turkey!
