Kaş Old Town

Kaş stands on ancient Antiphellos, and the old town is small enough to walk in twenty minutes: whitewashed and stone houses with wooden balconies, bougainvillea over the lanes, a harbour and a square with an old mosque and plane trees. Two Lycian survivals are embedded in it - the King's Tomb, a large sarcophagus with a lion-headed lid sitting in the middle of Uzun Çarşı street with shops on either side, and a Hellenistic theatre a short walk west, cut into the slope facing the sea and the Greek island of Kastellorizo two kilometres offshore. What the town actually runs on is activity rather than sightseeing: it is the best diving base on the Turkish coast, with wrecks, walls and clear water, and the Lycian Way passes through, so the visitors are divers, walkers and sea-kayakers rather than package tourists. It is steep, small and considerably quieter in character than the resorts either side.

What to look for

• The King's Tomb - the Lycian sarcophagus in the street.
• The theatre - Hellenistic seating facing the sea.
• The old lanes - bougainvillea, balconies and small shops.
• Kastellorizo - the Greek island close offshore.

When to go

May to June and September to October; the diving season runs roughly April to November. August is hot and full.

Things to know

There is no real beach in town - swimming is from platforms and pebble coves. Streets are steep and narrow, and parking is difficult. Prices are above the coastal average.

Nearby

Kaputaş beach is west toward Kalkan; Kekova and Simena are east by boat or road.