The Towns of the Turquoise Coast: Antalya, Kaş, & Fethiye
The word ‘turquoise’ comes from the stone brought to Europe from the land of the Turks. It later became a name for Turkey’s southwestern coast, where cliffs and coves cluster along some of the most vividly-hued stretches of the Mediterranean. While tourism has taken over the coastline in a few spots, much of the landscape retains its remote feel. Relics of prior civilizations, weathered over thousands of years, remain largely untouched.
The Turquoise Coast offers a range of travel possibilities, from hiking along the Lycian Way to cruising in local boats called gulets. In order to maximize our two weeks, we based ourselves in the towns of Antalya, Kaş, and Fethiye, using buses and boats for day trips. All sites are marked on our Google map.
Antalya
Natural beauty and multilayered history have helped Antalya hang onto its appeal in spite of overdevelopment. Our flight from Cappadocia flew over a sea of tower blocks before we glimpsed the famous azure coastline. Most of the airport and road traffic funnels to the all-inclusive resorts by the coast. Set below the rest of the city, Antalya’s Old Town is full of Ottoman mansions which have been restored for use as boutique hotels and restaurants.
Antalya makes a convenient base for visiting some of the most spectacular spots on the Turquoise Coast, though we had mixed feelings about the city. The tourism industry felt positively rapacious at times, and it was impossible to find a decent meal for a reasonable price. Those without a car can get sucked into sales pitches for tours to outlying sites, complete with inaccurate information. The best remedy is a good hotel: ours helped us book a private driver for less than many tour packages.
Kaleiçi, Antalya’s Old Town
Tumbling down a crook in the cliffs lining the bay, swathes of hot pink oleander shade winding cobblestone lanes. Antalya’s historic center dates to the second century BCE and features remnants of the city’s ancient Roman and medieval periods. A gap in the old city walls accommodates Hadrian’s Gate, a triple-arched ceremonial entry constructed for the Emperor during his tour of the provinces in 130 CE.
By the water, the stubby Hıdırlık Tower dates to roughly the same time. It began as a mausoleum, then became a watchtower, and finally a lighthouse; at present it’s under restoration. Nearby, the Kesik Minare, or Broken Minaret, marks an even more complicated site. Later landmarks include the 13th century Yivli Minare Mosque with its distinctive fluted brick minaret. We found the 15th-century bazaar all but buried under generic souvenirs, and the glass elevator running from the harbor to the upper city had several busloads’ worth of people waiting in front.
We spent most of our time in Kaleiçi’s parks, which form a chain along the shore. From the promenade along the harbor, one can climb through the flowering vines and shrubs in Keçili Park then continue up to Karaalioğlu Park with its tea gardens overlooking the sea. The Mermerli beach club offers wooden platforms on the water right in the Old Town. For sand and more space, take a bus or light rail to one of the beaches just outside of town.
Antalya Archaeology Museum
Antalya’s archaeological museum is one of the best in Turkey. Most of its collection comes from nearby Perge (see below). Visiting the ancient site before the museum gives context to the statues of Greek gods and goddesses, Roman portrait busts, and sarcophagi with graphic depictions of war.
Since the collection is huge, we took an ice cream break under a trellis in the outdoor sculpture garden while members of the local cat colony lounged by stone versions of their larger cousins. The museum is an easy seaside walk or tram ride from Kaleiçi.
Day Trips From Antalya
Our post on the ancient ruins of Turkey’s Southern coast covers the spectacular mountaintop site of Termessos as well as the 7,000 year-old city of Perge. Other potential day trips include a heavily-restored Roman theater at Aspendos or beach-side ruins at Phaselis.
Kaş
Kaş was our favorite town on the Turkish coast. Many foreign travelers don’t make it here since it lies several hours from the airports in Antalya or Dalaman. Instead of resorts, Kaş has a small cluster of hotels and a campground. A Friday market attracts traffic from neighboring villages. Although the Kaş is dominated by vacationers, the ambiance is relaxed and local. Nearly everyone was speaking Turkish when we visited in late May.
Poised between the sea and the mountains, Kaş offers everything from scuba diving and snorkeling to paragliding, mountain biking, rafting, and canyoning. We concentrated on exploring the coastline by boat, with a side trip to the neighboring archaeological site of Myra.
A shady square anchors the commercial hub next to the harbor, while a web of pedestrian streets climbs up a hill full of restaurants with sea views. Nearby, Kartal Park overlooks a spot set aside for the local sea turtles who come to nest there. Around the bend is Little Pebble Beach, flanked by a pair of beach clubs offering swimming via wooden platforms.
Kas was known as Antiphellos when it belonged to the Lycian League. Several sarcophagi sit right in the middle of town, including one on a pillar with the curving top distinctive to the region. Further inland, a few rock-cut tombs peer down from the mini-mountain. On the western edge of town paths wind through an old olive grove to the ancient Greek-style theater. Heavily restored, it feels both old and new – especially when yoga groups use the wooden stage in the morning.
Day Trips From Kaş
For more information on Kekova Island’s sunken city or the rock-cut necropolis of Myra (in Demre) see our post on the ancient sites of Turkey’s Southern Coast. Nearby, the seaside town of Patara also features Roman ruins. Taking the ferry to the Greek island of Kastellórizo is another popular day trip.
Fethiye
In terms of size, Fethiye falls between Antalya and Kaş. The down-to-earth city is popular with expats, especially British. Most visitors will want to stay in the southern end of town. Here a very long harbor is anchored by a large square called Beşkaza Meydanı which fills with children whizzing about at sunset. Vast numbers of charter and tour boats serve most travelers beginning gulet cruises of the Turquoise Coast.
Fethiye lost most of its medieval buildings in a pair of earthquakes in 1857 and 1957. The modern construction remains low-rise, with a residential area just behind the waterfront. A castle built by crusading knights over ancient ruins tops a hill at the back of town – superb views reward those who make the climb.
Lycian Tombs of Telmessos
Fethiye was once known as Telmessos (not to be confused with Termessos, near Antalya). A cluster of rock-cut tombs can be seen from the street running along the hillside. It’s worth paying the small ticket price to see them up close. Set slightly apart from the rest, the temple-style Tomb of Amyntas turns out to be much larger than it seems from afar. Like the so-called ‘house tombs’ it imitates wooden architecture – right down to carved nailheads – and also incorporates sculptural friezes. The scroll-shaped capitals were first used in Ionic temples on Turkey’s western coast.
Other ancient pieces are mixed piecemeal in Fethiye’s modern town. The largest single sarcophagus tomb in Lycia, which once stood in the sea, now makes an odd accent to a parking area between some hotels. Near the hillside necropolis, we found a sarcophagus in the middle of the road and a set of smaller tombs in the adjacent park.
Day Trips From Fethiye
Some of the best day trips include the famous blue lagoon at Ölüdeniz, river town Dalyan, and ancient hilltop site at Tlos.
Practicalities
Buses from Antalya to Kaş
Bati Antalya runs buses along the scenic coastal road between Antalya and Fethiye. We took the four-hour ride from Antalya to Kaş, which runs every hour or so and can be booked on the spot. Bus stations are called Otogari in Turkish. In Antalya, the Local Terminal (İlçeler Terminali) is near the Otogar stop on the AntRay tram line.
Buses from Fethiye to Kaş
Bati Antalya is the best choice from Fethiye because it uses the old bus station, while other companies operate from a station outside of town. The journey takes about 2.5 hours, with buses running every 75-90 minutes.
Accomodations
Breakfasts at the beautiful White Garden Hotel in Antalya’s Old Town featured fresh honey on the comb, pumpkin jam, and clotted cream accompanying intensely flavorful greens and plenty of traditional Turkish dishes we can’t name.
In Kaş, staff at the excellent Hideaway Hotel directed us to the best boat trips – and let us play with the kittens they’d just found on the property. They also do outstanding breakfasts from their seaview roof terrace.
Boat Trips from Kaş & Fethiye
The number of companies offering day-long boat trips can be overwhelming, especially in Fethiye. We asked our hotels in Kaş and Fethiye for recommendations, with very different results. From Kaş, Captain Ergun’s cruise was a trip highlight: lovely staff, a lunch with grilled fish, and some of the most heavenly coves to swim in. From Fethiye, we signed up for a more expensive excursion which was so poorly run that we didn’t even board the boat.
Further Reading
For more on the area, see our posts: