Aphrodisias to Kaş

After one perilous journey from Pamukkale to Aphrodisias we weren’t expecting another one so soon. The Sat Nav seemed to malfunction completely in these particular mountainous areas and once we left Aphrodisias late in the afternoon we were soon heading towards trouble again.

Once again the Sat Nav seemed to be directing us along the main road but it was soon apparent we were not on a main road. In fact, we weren’t sure if it was a road at all. With fading light we were heading along a gravel track with no road markings and no idea where we were truly headed. The journey was painfully slow for miles because of the chance of vehicle damage due to the large stones on the rough road, and soon it was completely dark and there were no road signs either. The only thing we could do, as previously, was keep going and hope the Sat Nav was at least taking us on a secondary route.

After an hour or so we finally reached a normal road surface, but the tiny, winding road suggested we were way off the correct route. It should have taken us a few hours to reach Kaş but it ended up taking six hours. After another hour of winding road and slow driving we soon joined the main highway and realised that this should be the correct road… but later investigation proved it was not.

Continuing on in the night we went over another mountainous area and down the other side, through dense trees and sharp bends that meant I was braking more often than accelerating. Thankfully an open petrol station at least gave us fuel and a relief from the sense of isolation. Up another mountain pass and down the other side, and finally we reached the small fishing town of Kaş late in the evening. The three optimum routes on the map arrive into Kaş from the west, but we had arrived into Kaş from the north-east. The Sat Nav truly sent us on the longest and most difficult route imaginable.

Dinner was already laid out in our chosen hotel and before we knew it we were fast asleep from an exhausting 24 hours (see ‘Pamukkale‘; ‘Pammukale to Aphrodisias‘ and ‘Aphrodisias‘ for the full story).

Waking up on the morning of Sunday 15 March, 2015, we thought we had landed in heaven. Gone were the snowy mountains and freezing cold temperatures of the last thirty-six hours, and here was glorious sunshine and perfect heat to match. The view from our hotel was amazing, but within an hour we were back on the road again… still, not to worry – this beautiful little fishing town was marked for a real stop on our return from Antalya and the southern coast.