Dhoops

I will be traveling along the Med Coast between Daloman airport and Cirali...would like to do a one day boat excursion and there appears to be quite a few options. I know the term "best" is quite subjective, but do any of you have recommendations as to the day trip that would be the best for relaxation and beautiful scenery?

Thanks!

otherchelebi

Do it from Ucagiz rather than Kas to allow yourself more time to enjoy the boat trip and possibly to visit Myra and arycanda on the sam day. The cruise from kas will be at least two hours longer.

however, drive into Kas first and make your final decision there.

Dhoops

Thanks for the response, I was hoping you would chime in!

We are arriving in Dalaman and have 4 nights along the coast before leaving from Cirali. Would you suggest the nights to look something like:

Kas
Ucagiz
Ucagiz
Cirali

Or would you recommend something different?

As a reminder, I am looking for natural scenery first and foremost.

Thanks so much!

otherchelebi

Kas and Ucagız are just 30 minutes away from each other.
Kas is a resort town with good restaurants, cafes and lively evenings while Ucagiz is a small fishing village with a pleasant seafront where there are a few restaurants and cafes and a boat shelter where fishing and cruise boats sit.

Ucagiz has possibly one small hotel on the marina and some B&Bs. Kas has many hotels and B&Bs.

I would prefer Kas as a base since the road to Ucagiz from the highway is narow and winding. However, Ucagiz is very pleasant and restful and may be considered after a long day cruising Kekova.

clausar

From Kas there is also a boat trip to neighbouring Greek island of Kastellorizo, that you may find of interest.
Kastellorizo is a beautiful, relatively undiscovered island, only 20 minutes away from Kas.

kja

Forgive me, Dhoops, for jumping in....

Am I correct in understanding that in Ucagiz, I can go to the dock in the morning and join a tour boat for a day to see Kekova and Kale/Kalekoy? Or would I have to negotiate for a boat? As a solo traveller, it makes a difference.

Thanks!

otherchelebi

kja, you can do both. If it is high season there are frequent tours boats. During low season, you may need to fwait a bit for a tour boat to have enough customers to start the cruise.

The cruises are not for the whole day. They may be two hours or longer depending on what you are signing for.

Also, remember that at Ucagiz you are already on Kekova Bay, so negotiating for a private boat for just seing the ruins and kalekoy would not be very costly.

kja

Thanks, other - as always, very helpful!

aprillilacs

In October I did 3 beautiful day trips by boat out of Kas. Well, two were to the same place -- Kekova -- but one of them was to do kayaking (about $50 per person) and the other involved stops for swimming in the coves along the way as well as boat-touring the Kekova area ($30 per person). Prices included delicious lunches. I arranged a day or so in advance for the kayaking trip and the afternoon before for the swimming/boating trip. Both took most of the day (the first left Kas by jeep around 8:30 for the overland trip to Kekova, where we picked up the kayaks; the second left Kas by boat at 10 a.m. and returned about 6 p.m.) Wonderful trips, highly recommended.

My third boat trip out of Kas was to Kastellorizo (called Meis in Greece), which clausar mentioned above. This was a really fun trip too -- the small fishing town of K/M is so charming, with vibrant colors, good walks, and decent restaurants. The fast ferry took 25 minutes from Kas, and we spent most of the day on the island before returning in the afternoon to Kas. Another fun trip!

Whatever you choose to do, you'll enjoy it. The Kas/Kekova area is lovely. (I was in Kas for 4 weeks, quite a treat.)