Adventures around Antalya and Kas - diving and hiking

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Guest writer: Jonathan Gharbi de Maré

After a few days in and around Antalya, it is time to continue the tour of the region and there are many gems along the coast. We continue with the adventures in the Antalya region and enjoy the beautiful views with the mountains on one side and the sea on the other. But after several historical sites and driving, you need to stretch your legs a bit. 

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Hiking in the mountains and scenic views around Kalkan

Even if it is around 25 degrees, you can still walk 4-5 kilometres and up on the hills it is still a bit windy. There are many trails you can hike along that are also historic trade routes so it's not just beautiful views but also history you get. It feels special to walk on rocky paths where you know that people walked there over 2000 years ago.

There are lots of hiking trails so just ask the nearest tourist office or email them and you can get some tips. We chose the mountains above the small village of Kalkan where it is incredibly beautiful and there is a lot to do in the area. Kalkan is a popular place for those who want to rent houses during the summer and there are many cosy restaurants.

You have to go up by car or take a taxi to the small wooden houses at Bezirgan Tarihi and then walk down along the ridge from about 700 metres. You descend slowly until you finally reach the car road and can easily be picked up and taken to a restaurant. 

Kaputas beach, beautiful beach for sun worshippers

The beach is located along the road from Antalya to Kalkan and is wonderfully surrounded by steep cliffs. The beach is very popular so it can be difficult to get a sun lounger sometimes but then there are some cafes where you can sit if you think it is too sandy or sunny on the beach. 

Diving with experienced instructors outside Kas

Kas is a small town of 8000 inhabitants and is famous for diving and water sports. There are several companies that offer diving, both for beginners and experienced. We went with the company Dragoman which has many instructors and courses for all levels. If you want to take the PADI open water certificate for depths down to 18 metres, it costs around 375 euros and takes four days. At home in Sweden, it costs around SEK 6-7,000.

The instructors were very good and always speak English and often another European language. The equipment is of a high standard so you should definitely take the chance to dive if you can. For those of you who have dived a lot, there are a lot of exciting places to dive down to where you get down a good bit.

For me, diving for the first time, five or six metres was just right. So for those of you who want to dive further, it's good to keep track of your licences and how many dives you've done. 

Take the boat from Turkey to Greece, Kastellorizo and Rhodes

You can also take a boat from Kas over to the Greek island of Nísos Megísti, it's only a few kilometres but there are beautiful views so it can be a fun day trip. If you want to go to a larger Greek island, Rhodes is the largest but then you have to take the ferry from Fethiye which is ten miles away from Kas.

Passport controls are fast so it is an uncomplicated process nowadays. The island has some tombs from the Lycian era but has a cosy little harbour with nice restaurants. If you have more time, you can visit the Blue Cave a little further away on the island. You can get there from the harbour for about 15 euros and it is a cool cave that you go into by boat. The best time is when it is low tide so ask beforehand about the water level. 

Vegetarian restaurant, local craft beer and wine in Kas

There is a peninsula extending into the sea from Kas that is becoming a popular destination with many new hotels and restaurants. Kas didn't have much ten years ago but has developed rapidly in recent years.

There are a lot of vegetarian restaurants in Turkey nowadays with a focus on local produce and creative menus. We go to the vegetarian restaurant Oburus Momus out on the peninsula in Kas. It serves both craft beers and good drinks with a fantastic view of the sea.

Make sure to be there at sunset. Before you get to the restaurant, you will also pass an amphitheatre and some ruins at Antiphellos Ancient City. So if you're a history buff, make sure you get there early so you don't miss the sunset at the Oburus Momus restaurant. 

If you like things a bit more small-scale and can get around by yourself with a hire car or guide, then Kas is a nice place for a few days where you can do some hiking and diving. If you want to hike above Kalkan, it's around 30 kilometres away and makes a good half-day excursion from Kas. It's a great place to unwind after a few intense days in Antalya. It is always nice to visit resorts that are under development and the enthusiasm and welcome is at its peak in Kas.

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Jonathan Gharbi De Maré

Jonathan runs the start-up abudhabibeer.com about beer both in the UAE with offshoots in neighbouring regions. Jonathan opened the first craft brewery in Burkina Faso and wrote the book Beer guide to Vietnam. He is a regular writer for the beer magazine Maltesen. In addition to beer, he has a keen interest in nature and more unusual travel destinations. He has written articles for a variety of newspapers and magazines.

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