Set on the Çukurbağ Peninsula in Kaş, Villa Savad is our family villa overlooking the Mediterranean. In Kaş, many villas are named after the families who built them, and ours became part of that tradition.
For years, the villa welcomed travelers through Airbnb and other villa rental sites. Some guests came for the sea view. Some came for quiet. Some came to explore Kaş, the Lycian Coast, and the beaches around the peninsula.
At the time, it was just a villa stay.
But looking back, many of the things that now define Likya were already beginning to take shape.
My father rented the house for years, and we always wanted guests to feel comfortable, informed, and cared for. We left a guidebook at the villa with our favorite restaurants, beaches, boat tours, trusted local companies, and practical advice for the area.
It answered the questions guests always seemed to have:
Where should we swim?
Which boat should we take?
Where should we eat?
Which diving company should we use?
What is the best way to experience Kaş?
Over time, I found myself helping guests with more than the house. I was helping them understand the place around it.
The clearest lesson came from the guests themselves.
Alison came to Villa Savad and, through a casual conversation, mentioned that kiteboarding was something she had always wanted to try. I had been kiteboarding nearby, so I helped arrange the details and we traveled along the coast to a kiteboarding spot. What could have stayed as an idea became part of her trip.
Afterward, she wrote:
“I had the most magical stay at Jordan’s villa. The surroundings and views are incredible, and Jordan made me feel so welcome and at home. It was so peaceful, I didn’t want to leave and will definitely be returning.”
Roman visited from Almaty, Kazakhstan and wanted to experience Kaş from the water. His first day was unplanned, and it was his only chance to dive. Instead of sending him into town to compare boats and dive companies, I helped book him onto a local boat where I was volunteering at the time, then shared a few favorite places to eat.
He later wrote:
“Jordan helped organize a diving tour and told about the hot spots around town. I recommend to everyone!”
Sinem came from Antalya for something different. She needed a change of scenery, a reset, and a place that felt peaceful. During her stay, I introduced her to friends in Kaş, brought her to dinners, took her along on the dive boat, and helped her find local tours. Over time, she became more than a guest. She became a friend.
Her review captured the feeling:
“Everything was perfect, I felt like I was at home… I’m 100% sure I’ll come back again.”
Those stays helped me understand what travelers were really looking for.
A beautiful villa matters. A view, a pool, a terrace, and a quiet place to wake up all matter. But what guests remembered most was the feeling of being welcomed, guided, and gently pointed in the right direction.
They wanted freedom, but they also wanted someone they could trust. They wanted local recommendations, but not a rigid tour. They wanted a trip that felt personal, flexible, and easy.
That is what Likya grew from.
Today, Likya builds on the same idea. A stay in Kaş can be simple: mornings at the villa, swims in clear water, dinners in town, and time to slow down. Or it can become a more arranged private journey with boat days, diving, local meals, guides, transfers, cultural sites, and custom experiences along the Lycian Coast.
The heart of it is still the same: helping travelers feel at home in a place they may be discovering for the first time.
Kaş has slipped into summer again.
Boats are leaving the harbor each morning, the evenings feel longer, and the town is filling with that familiar mix of locals, returning visitors, and travelers finding their way through the streets for the first time.
One recent evening, people gathered at the ancient theater to watch Türkiye play on a giant screen. A football match, the Mediterranean behind it, and a crowd sitting in a place that has stood for thousands of years.
Very Kaş.
This month, Likya has also been growing behind the scenes. I recently joined the launch event for The Fifty Factor, a community focused on women entering a new chapter with curiosity, confidence, and connection. To support the community, Likya has created special Kaş travel offerings centered around rest, food, sea, culture, and time together.
We also finished the first version of the Likya Proposal Studio, our new trip-planning tool for building custom itinerary proposals more efficiently. It helps us turn someone’s dates, group size, interests, and travel style into a clearer proposal, while keeping the personal side of Likya at the center.
See you later,
Jordan
Founder & Director, Likya
