5 Days on the Lycian Coast: Kaş, Kekova and Myra

The Lycian coast west of Antalya rewards patience more than speed. The road that links Kaş, Kalkan, Demre and Patara hugs cliffs and switchbacks through pine forest, and the pace of travel here is set by the terrain rather than the map. This five-day route treats the region as a base-and-explore trip rather than a string of one-night stops: settle into Kaş (or Kalkan, its quieter neighbour), and use it as a hub for boat trips to the sunken city of Kekova, a half-day at the rock tombs of Myra, an afternoon at Kaputaş’s cliff-framed cove, and a full day on the long beach and ruins of Patara.

Getting there: the drive from Antalya to Kaş

Plan on roughly 3.5 hours to cover the 190-200 km from Antalya Airport to Kaş. The road narrows and climbs once it leaves the Kemer coast behind, winding along cliffs with the Mediterranean visible far below for long stretches — it is a scenic drive, but not a fast one, and there is no shortcut that gets you there meaningfully quicker. Traffic through Kemer and the summer season can add time, so leave Antalya in the morning rather than late afternoon if you want daylight for the final stretch.

A rental car is the practical choice for this itinerary: distances between Kaş, Kalkan, Demre, Kaputaş and Patara are short on paper but slow on these roads, and public transport along this stretch is thin outside the main dolmuş routes between towns. If you’d rather not drive the whole way yourself, check our guide to Antalya airport transfers for private transfer options, and see getting around the Antalya coast for a wider view of how the coast connects. For general first-time planning across the whole coast, Antalya first-time planning is a useful companion to this route.

Day 1: Antalya to Kaş

Leave Antalya in the morning for the drive to Kaş. Build in stops if you like — the road passes above small coves and pine-covered slopes the whole way — but don’t expect to cut the 3.5-hour drive much shorter even without stops. Once in Kaş, check into your accommodation and spend the rest of the afternoon getting oriented: the town centre is compact, walkable, and built around a small harbour with a handful of Lycian rock tombs visible right in the middle of town.

Kaş has a noticeably lower-key feel than the bigger resort towns further east — more sailing and diving culture, fewer large hotels — and it makes a relaxed first evening after a long drive. Wander the harbour, have dinner at one of the waterfront restaurants, and get an early night if you’re booked on a boat trip the next day.

Day 2: Kekova sunken city by boat

Kekova is the centrepiece of this itinerary, and it has to be visited by boat — there’s no road access to the submerged ruins themselves, and swimming directly over them is prohibited by law to protect the site, so don’t plan on snorkelling there even if you see clear water from the deck. A full-day boat trip from Kaş typically loops past the partially submerged Lycian and Byzantine ruins along the shoreline, stops at Kaleköy (Simena) for its hilltop castle, and usually includes swimming stops at clear-water coves elsewhere along the route.

The day trip to Kekova island departing from Kaş covers this loop, or if you want a longer day with lunch included, the full-day boat trip with lunch from Kaş is worth comparing.

Base yourself in Kaş for this day, and see Kekova for more on what the ruins actually are and why access is restricted — or read the deeper Kekova sunken city guide for the full history behind the site. For a wider look at operators and routes, Kaş boat trips and Kekova boat trips cover the options beyond the two tours linked above. Back in Kaş by evening, it’s worth a second night in town before moving on.

Day 3: Kalkan and Kekova from the other side

Kalkan sits a short drive from Kaş and makes a good half-day detour, or an alternative base if you prefer a smaller, more design-hotel-driven town over Kaş’s harbour bustle. Spend the morning in Kalkan — whitewashed streets climbing from a small marina, quieter than Kaş but with a similar boutique feel — then either continue with a second angle on Kekova or use the afternoon to rest before the next two active days. See Kalkan boat trips for what runs from this side of the coast.

Boat trips also run from Kalkan itself: the Kekova sunken city boat trip from Kalkan covers similar ground to the Kaş departures, useful if you’ve relocated to Kalkan for the night or simply want a different vantage point on the same coastline. If you’d rather explore Kekova independently by chartered boat, a private boat trip to Kekova from Demre or Üçağız gives more flexibility on timing and stops. Return to Kaş or overnight in Kalkan, depending on which town you preferred on arrival.

Day 4: Myra, Demre and Kaputaş Beach

This is the day to combine ancient history with a beach stop. Drive to Myra and Demre in the morning — the rock-cut tombs carved into the cliff face above Myra’s Roman theatre are among the most striking ruins on this coast, and modern Demre, just below, holds the Church of St Nicholas, linked to the historical figure behind the Santa Claus legend. Both sites are separately ticketed, so budget time and entry fees for each rather than assuming one covers the other; the Myra and Demre ancient sites guide has more on visiting both.

From Demre, it’s a manageable drive back toward Kaş to reach Kaputaş Beach in the afternoon — a small cove wedged dramatically between two cliff faces, reached by a long staircase down from the roadside car park. The beach gets busy at midday in peak season, so a late-afternoon visit after Myra often works better for space on the sand and softer light — see the Kaputaş Beach guide for more on the staircase and best times to go. Return to Kaş for the night.

Day 5: Patara’s beach and ruins

Spend your final full day at Patara, a short drive from Kaş. Patara combines one of Turkey’s longest sand beaches — dunes backing a wide stretch of coastline — with an extensive ancient city site right behind it, including a well-preserved theatre, city gate, and a Roman-era lighthouse among the ruins. It’s an easy day to structure loosely: ruins in the cooler morning hours, beach in the afternoon; see the Patara beach and ruins guide for a fuller breakdown of the site.

If you’d rather see Kaputaş, Patara and the Saklıkent gorge together in one organised day instead of self-driving between them, the Saklıkent, Patara and Kaputaş jeep safari from Kaş and Kalkan bundles all three — see the Saklıkent Canyon guide for background on the gorge itself.

For a different close to the trip, a sunset tour of Kekova departing from Demre is a quieter, more atmospheric alternative to a daytime boat trip if you haven’t already done Kekova on Day 2. Head back to Kaş for a last night, or begin the return drive to Antalya the following morning.

Where to stay and how to move between towns

Base	Best for	Distance to Kekova boats	Distance to Patara
Kaş	Harbour town feel, most boat departures, diving culture	Departs directly	~45 min drive
Kalkan	Quieter, boutique hotels, marina views	~20 min drive	~30 min drive

Both towns work as a single base for this whole five-day loop — you don’t need to change accommodation each night. Kaş has more boat operators and a livelier harbour; Kalkan is smaller and more design-hotel-oriented. Either way, a car (or reliance on short taxi/dolmuş hops between towns) is the practical way to link the sites, since distances that look short on a map take longer on these winding coastal roads.

Practical notes for this route

Prices along this coast, like everywhere in Turkey, are quoted in Turkish lira and shift with ongoing inflation — treat any specific figure as a dated snapshot and check a current exchange rate before budgeting. Entry to Myra, the Church of St Nicholas, and Patara are each separately ticketed; there’s no single combined pass covering this particular group of sites the way there is for some of the region’s museums. Kaputaş’s staircase down to the beach has no shade and can be hot at midday in summer — bring water. The Saklıkent-style jeep safari option is a useful way to compress Day 4 and Day 5 into a single organised excursion if five full days feels tight, though it moves faster than exploring independently.

Five days on the Lycian coast: frequently asked questions

How long does the drive from Antalya to Kaş actually take?

Around 3.5 hours covering roughly 190-200 km, given the winding, cliff-hugging nature of the coastal road — it’s not a drive that can reliably be shortened much below that, even without traffic, and summer congestion through Kemer can add more.

Do I need a car for this itinerary?

A car is strongly recommended. The sites in this itinerary — Kaş, Kalkan, Kekova’s departure points, Myra, Demre, Kaputaş, and Patara — are spread along a slow coastal road with limited public transport, and a car gives far more flexibility on timing than relying on dolmuş connections.

Can I swim over the sunken ruins at Kekova?

No. Swimming directly over the submerged ruins is prohibited by law to protect the site. Boat trips let you view the ruins through clear water from the deck, but direct swimming access is restricted — check current rules with your boat operator before the trip.

Should I base myself in Kaş or Kalkan?

Either works for this whole route. Kaş has more boat departures and a livelier harbour feel; Kalkan is quieter and more boutique. Both sit within a short drive of Kekova, Myra, Kaputaş and Patara, so the choice comes down to atmosphere rather than logistics.

Are Myra and the Church of St Nicholas the same ticket?

No, they’re separate paid sites. Myra’s rock-cut tombs and Roman theatre are one entrance; the Church of St Nicholas, in modern Demre, is ticketed separately.

Is Kaputaş Beach worth the detour?

Yes, if you don’t mind a long staircase down from the road and a lack of shade. It’s a small, dramatic cove between cliff faces and one of the most photographed beaches on this coast — arriving outside midday helps with both crowds and heat.

Can I combine this route with Pamukkale or Cappadocia afterward?

It’s possible but adds significant driving or flight time from this corner of the coast — see Ten Days: Antalya, the Lycian Coast and Fethiye or Ten Days: Antalya and Cappadocia for longer routes that build in those extensions rather than tacking them onto a tight five-day loop.

What’s the best time of year for this itinerary?

Late spring and early autumn offer warm weather without peak summer heat or crowds at Kaputaş and Patara. Summer is busiest and hottest; winter sees many boat operators reduce or pause Kekova departures, so check seasonal availability before booking if travelling outside April-October.