Sea & History
Kekova Sunken City & Simena Boat Trip
Sail across 2nd-century submerged Lycian ruins, drop anchor in Tersane Bay, and explore roadless Simena Castle rising from crystal waters.
✨Key Highlights
- ✓Gliding directly above 2nd-century submerged Lycian staircases, walls, and foundations
- ✓Swimming at Tersane Bay next to the ruins of an ancient Byzantine shipyard
- ✓Exploring car-free Kaleköy (Simena) and tasting homemade goat-milk fig ice cream
- ✓Photographing iconic Lycian stone sarcophagi standing peacefully in the sea
A short 45-minute scenic coastal drive east from Kalkan brings you to the quiet fishing harbour of Üçağız (ancient Teimiussa), the gateway to the protected Kekova Marine Reserve. From here, traditional wooden boats navigate the sheltered waters of Kekova Sound, one of the Mediterranean’s most evocative archaeological landscapes.
The boat cruises slowly alongside the northern shoreline of Kekova Island, where a 2nd-century AD earthquake plunged the thriving Lycian settlement into the sea. Through crystal-clear water and glass viewing panels, you can plainly discern stone foundations, submerged stairways descending into the deep, harbor walls, and scattered ancient amphorae.
Further along, the boat anchors at Tersane Bay, where an ancient shipyard and Byzantine basilica ruins meet a pebble beach ideal for swimming. The day also features a stop at Kaleköy (ancient Simena)—a village accessible only by boat or the Lycian Way trail. Here, cobblestone footpaths weave past bougainvillea-draped stone cottages up to a hilltop Crusader castle housing the smallest ancient theatre in Lycia, overlooking monumental Lycian sarcophagi emerging straight from the shallow blue sea.
💡Practical Tips & Advice
- •Transfers from Kalkan to Üçağız take around 45 minutes along the panoramic D400
- •Wear comfortable walking shoes or sandals for climbing the cobblestone path to Simena Castle
- •Swimming over the sunken ruins is strictly protected, but surrounding bays offer world-class swimming
Looking for more?
Discover other authentic experiences and full days along Kalkan's coast and hinterland.