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Kayaking
in Kaş
Life in Kas > What To Do > Kayak in Kas
The crystal-clear turquoise waters around Kas are the focus of kayaking in the area, discovering tiny unspoiled beaches and secret coves and enjoying delicious lunches.
• Glide over the underwater ruins at Kekova Island.
• Paddle past the ancient theatre of Kaş, close to the local Greek island of Kastellorizo.
• Occasional sightings of monk seals, loggerhead turtles and dolphins.
• Glide over the underwater ruins at Kekova Island.
• Paddle past the ancient theatre of Kaş, close to the local Greek island of Kastellorizo.
• Occasional sightings of monk seals, loggerhead turtles and dolphins.
Kayak
Kekova
The most popular kayak trip starts in Ucagiz, a quaint seaside village with a group of ancient Lycian tombs, fort and old stone houses. Kayak across to Kekova Island passing a group of small islands that were carved out as a stone quarry and later used as homes before an earthquake destroyed the area. Land in Tersane Bay, which was an ancient shipyard and have a swim and discover the ruins and walk the goat trails.
Then paddle along the sunken city of Kekova and then cross the straight for lunch in the Village of Simena. Climb up and visit the castle for unbelievable views of the area and inspect the ancient
Then paddle along the sunken city of Kekova and then cross the straight for lunch in the Village of Simena. Climb up and visit the castle for unbelievable views of the area and inspect the ancient
Kalkan to Kaș
Another popular trip starts in the delightful harbour town of Kalkan (20Km West of Kas). Starting from the harbour kayak along the coastline to Pigeon’s Cave. Explore the cave and then continue to Kaputas, one of the most magnificent and unspoiled beaches of Lycia. Break for a swim and then kayak to the Blue Cave. The adventure continues heading past Saribelen Island and arriving at Seyret Beach for lunch and another swim. Finally seeing the Greek island of Meis (Kastellorizo) and other islets on the right before passing the Cukurbagi Peninsula and into the calm waters of Bucak Bay and new marina.
There are also two and three day overnight camping kayak trips to various places such as, exploring the Kekova area with two days sea kayaking and overnight camping on a deserted islands. (or a three day two nights option) visiting ancient Aperlai and Andriake.
You can check out the various tour options with the travel agents in the town.
“Despite being sick I managed to go sea kayaking yesterday. It was amazing. There were only four of us in the group and all of us were around the same age, so we kept pace with one another. The first ten minutes in the kayak were quite tense for me, as I was completely convinced that I was going to capsize at any moment. When we first set out we were in a protected cove and the water was quite calm. Within ten minutes, however, we had reached open water where the wind and presence of much larger boats created some frightening waves that smacked against the front of my kayak. Once I got used to it this was quite thrilling.
We paddled first across a bay in the Mediterranean to reach a small island where we basked in the sun and went swimming. From there we worked our way along the shore line and over the sunken city of Kekova. As with most of the ruins I have seen above water, I found it impossible to discern details of the sunken city, but could see walls and large stone struytures immediately beneath my kayak. That we were very close to them was obvious when I ran my kayak up on one of them and got stuck for a few minutes.
From the sunken city we went again across to a small town called Simena where we sat with local cats in our laps and took in more sun than was probably healthy. From there we travelled along the shoreline again, past one of the many Lycian tombs that seem to be scattered everywhere around here. This suits me just fine since I have a sort of fascination with cemeteries, tombs, and all manner of 'dead things'.
I ran up against another rock during this section of the journey and took my left rudder control out of commission. This made the rest of the trip more challenging since every time I needed to navigate left I would have to paddle only on the right side and use my paddle to steer while everyone else made nice, smooth turns with their rudders. It was a challenge but I was quite satisfied with myself when I made it back to shore without needing to be rescued by our guide.”
We paddled first across a bay in the Mediterranean to reach a small island where we basked in the sun and went swimming. From there we worked our way along the shore line and over the sunken city of Kekova. As with most of the ruins I have seen above water, I found it impossible to discern details of the sunken city, but could see walls and large stone struytures immediately beneath my kayak. That we were very close to them was obvious when I ran my kayak up on one of them and got stuck for a few minutes.
From the sunken city we went again across to a small town called Simena where we sat with local cats in our laps and took in more sun than was probably healthy. From there we travelled along the shoreline again, past one of the many Lycian tombs that seem to be scattered everywhere around here. This suits me just fine since I have a sort of fascination with cemeteries, tombs, and all manner of 'dead things'.
I ran up against another rock during this section of the journey and took my left rudder control out of commission. This made the rest of the trip more challenging since every time I needed to navigate left I would have to paddle only on the right side and use my paddle to steer while everyone else made nice, smooth turns with their rudders. It was a challenge but I was quite satisfied with myself when I made it back to shore without needing to be rescued by our guide.”
Erinontheroad, Peterborough, Canada (blog)
A Visitor's Experience
Transport to Survive
The word kayak means ‘hunter’s boat’ in Inuit. The boat’s primary purpose was to hunt animals on inland lakes, rivers and the sea. A look at the native Greenland and Alaskan kayaks reveals a wide range of designs. Each has evolved as suitable for the region that it comes from. The range of commercially available specialist sea kayaks is also huge and, with many manufacturers competing for the top sales, competition is fierce. Sadly, most sea kayaks are available in one size due to design costs. What this means is that if you are smaller or larger than the person the kayak was designed around then it will not perform in the same manner.
Where Can Kayaks Go?
It is more often the experience, expertise and nerve of the kayaker, rather than the limits of the vessel that dictate what is possible. Numerous circumnavigations, crossings and exposed coastlines have all been explored by kayaks successfully and undoubtedly more will be ticked off in the future.
Types of Kayak
The traditional kayak was for a single person, and most still are, although double kayaks have been in use for many years all around the World. Most kayaks are now made of fiberglass, plastic or kevlar, although some enthusiasts still design and manufacture their own kayaks using the ‘stitch and glue’ plywood method or canvas with an internal wooden framework.
The word kayak means ‘hunter’s boat’ in Inuit. The boat’s primary purpose was to hunt animals on inland lakes, rivers and the sea. A look at the native Greenland and Alaskan kayaks reveals a wide range of designs. Each has evolved as suitable for the region that it comes from. The range of commercially available specialist sea kayaks is also huge and, with many manufacturers competing for the top sales, competition is fierce. Sadly, most sea kayaks are available in one size due to design costs. What this means is that if you are smaller or larger than the person the kayak was designed around then it will not perform in the same manner.
Where Can Kayaks Go?
It is more often the experience, expertise and nerve of the kayaker, rather than the limits of the vessel that dictate what is possible. Numerous circumnavigations, crossings and exposed coastlines have all been explored by kayaks successfully and undoubtedly more will be ticked off in the future.
Types of Kayak
The traditional kayak was for a single person, and most still are, although double kayaks have been in use for many years all around the World. Most kayaks are now made of fiberglass, plastic or kevlar, although some enthusiasts still design and manufacture their own kayaks using the ‘stitch and glue’ plywood method or canvas with an internal wooden framework.
Kayak Facts
© Life in Kas, Turkey www.lifeinkas.com
Source: Kalkan Sea Kayak
Kayak
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necropolis. Return to Ucagiz from Simena via the famous sunken sarcophagus in the Simena harbor (above) and transfer back to Kas.
Kayak Design
The dominant forces acting on the kayak are wind and wind-generated waves. A kayak should move forwards and track in a straight line. Constant corrections to keep the boat heading on course waste energy that could be used to keep the boat moving ahead, and reduce the distance travelled for the energy expended .As with people, not all sea kayaks are created equal. Long, narrow kayaks are fast and unstable; short wide-bodied kayaks are slow and stable. That is a reasonable rule of thumb to use in beginning a discussion of sea kayak design. The kayaks that influenced our designs of today were built from wood covered with skin. This meant that tight curves and concave shapes could not be achieved. A few thousand years of aboriginal development, updated with new designs and materials technology , have evolved kayak designs that avoid the extremes and provide well-balanced performance. The majority of sea kayaks are between 4.5 metres and 6 metres long and between 53 cm and 81 cm wide. They tend to curve slightly from bow to stern (rocker), as this makes for a kinder ride, and they generally have an upward-curving bow which lets water be moved
The dominant forces acting on the kayak are wind and wind-generated waves. A kayak should move forwards and track in a straight line. Constant corrections to keep the boat heading on course waste energy that could be used to keep the boat moving ahead, and reduce the distance travelled for the energy expended .As with people, not all sea kayaks are created equal. Long, narrow kayaks are fast and unstable; short wide-bodied kayaks are slow and stable. That is a reasonable rule of thumb to use in beginning a discussion of sea kayak design. The kayaks that influenced our designs of today were built from wood covered with skin. This meant that tight curves and concave shapes could not be achieved. A few thousand years of aboriginal development, updated with new designs and materials technology , have evolved kayak designs that avoid the extremes and provide well-balanced performance. The majority of sea kayaks are between 4.5 metres and 6 metres long and between 53 cm and 81 cm wide. They tend to curve slightly from bow to stern (rocker), as this makes for a kinder ride, and they generally have an upward-curving bow which lets water be moved
sideways rather than have the kayak plunge below the surface. The front deck is usually peaked, which allows water to run off before it hits the paddler in the chest. A sea-touring kayak is defined by function more than form. Most of us prefer a boat that will paddle easily, will be kind to us when the water gets rough, and is suited to our style of paddling, body size, and equipment storage requirements.
Packing a Kayak
When going to sea it is important to ensure that you have all the things you will require for your trip to hand as when you are out in the sea you cannot land and gain easy access to any items needed. An often overlooked aspect of packing is that of trim. Trim affects the kayak in the same way that the retractable skeg does; too much weight at the stern will cause it to turn downwind and too much at the bow will cause it to turn upwind.
Personal Equipment
Comfort
Choice of personal equipment is very important, as you will probably be wearing it for long periods of time. Comfort is of prime importance to the sea kayaker and most tend to wear layers of fleece or fibre-pile tops and trousers or salopettes. Unfortunately the majority of these are not windproof so it is a good idea to have a pair of windproof trousers available when you land. Many people still prefer to wear a long john type wetsuit, which does not interfere with the paddling action and will not chafe the tender underarm area.
Packing a Kayak
When going to sea it is important to ensure that you have all the things you will require for your trip to hand as when you are out in the sea you cannot land and gain easy access to any items needed. An often overlooked aspect of packing is that of trim. Trim affects the kayak in the same way that the retractable skeg does; too much weight at the stern will cause it to turn downwind and too much at the bow will cause it to turn upwind.
Personal Equipment
Comfort
Choice of personal equipment is very important, as you will probably be wearing it for long periods of time. Comfort is of prime importance to the sea kayaker and most tend to wear layers of fleece or fibre-pile tops and trousers or salopettes. Unfortunately the majority of these are not windproof so it is a good idea to have a pair of windproof trousers available when you land. Many people still prefer to wear a long john type wetsuit, which does not interfere with the paddling action and will not chafe the tender underarm area.
Footwear
Some form of footwear should be used as some shores are likely to have broken bottles and discarded plastics.
Foul Weather Gear
Care should be taken in the choice of protective clothing. A dry-cag which keeps all the water out is not the most comfortable thing to wear all day, especially if the weather improves and necessitates its removal.
Some form of footwear should be used as some shores are likely to have broken bottles and discarded plastics.
Foul Weather Gear
Care should be taken in the choice of protective clothing. A dry-cag which keeps all the water out is not the most comfortable thing to wear all day, especially if the weather improves and necessitates its removal.