KEKOVA ISLAND & SIMENA Mysterious Sunken City and Turquoise Coasts in ANTALYA, TURKEY

Hello everyone! In today's blog I'm taking you to tour that we are taking from Kaş. This time we are going to Kekova island, and in that place we are visiting many other places. We are taking a boat there and it will be a full day tour. 

In this blog, I will be giving you all the information regarding all these tours. These tours can be taken from the harbor in Kaş which is right in the heart of the city. This tour per person was one hunfred and fifty lira, it started at 10 am, and we were back in the harbor by 6 pm. A complete meal on board is included in the price and it was delicious, just the drinks must be paid at the end of the tour also watermelon and Turkish tea was offered, during the tour without an extra fee. You must know that these tours in normal times are usually crowded, many can take up to seventy people at once. Now for the social distance restrictions they are allowed to take half of the total capacity. In our case, in our boat we were only eight people on board. 

This is the first bay where the boat stops, and gives about thirty minutes to swim and enjoy a good splash during the hottest months. 

The boat will stop once again here but this time for a full hour, if you wish you can jump again to the clear waters and enjoy the bay or you can also just take a sun bath on the top of the boat. In this place is where we'll enjoy our delicious full meal, while having beautiful views of the Mediterranean coast. 

Now we are in the area of Kekova which is a region of Turkey's Mediterranean coastline that includes the island of the same name and the villages of Kaleköy and Üçağız. This is the star of the tour and Kekova is not only known for its stunning turquoise sea, but also its ancient and mysterious sunken city which draws thousands of visitors to the area every year. 

The sunken city can only be visited by boat where visitors can look out, over the water to see the remains of a once prosperous city, now almost completely underwater with only a few remnants  on land to speak of its existence. Here we'll come across the underwater ruins of an ancient Lycian settlement which after a strong earthquake in the 2nd century most of the city was overtaken by the sea. 

The underwater exploration and swimming near the ruins has been banned since 1986 as part of a series of measures to protect the lost city's heritage. However, for the past couple of years the idea of lifting the diving restrictions in the sunken city has been taken into consideration which in case of happening many divers who wish to find out more about its heritage will be drawn into the area causing a tremendous impact into the place. What do you think about the idea? Let us know in comments below. Despite being forbidden to swim in this place canoes or small boats can be rented from Kaleköy or Üçağız, and that way you can have a great look over the ruins at your own pace. 

If you want to come only to Kekova area without a tour, there are also mini buses departing from Kaş main bus station, just go directly to the bus station and people there will indicate you when it is and which one you can even stay for a night in a modest pension in Kaleköy or Üçağız, and discover on your own the incredible area. 

This place is known for its beautiful crusader fortress standing on the highest part of the village it's home to the ruins of the ancient Lycian city called Simena, dating back to the 4th century BC and is one of the most outstanding sites in Kekova. 

The village main attraction is a fortress which can be reached after going up the steep little streets passing through many local stores and restaurants. During the summer the fortress is open from 10 am to 7 pm, and the entrance fee is only fourteen Turkish lira, Turkey museum cards are accepted in this site. 

Just make sure to have a face mask with you when entering since is a must when entering the place.

If you do make it to the castle make sure to take the final climb up to the top as you get some unique and spectacular views of the area. 

After visiting the fortress take a walk through the small streets and enjoy the local life also we recommend you eating an ice cream, they are all homemade and this place is famous for it. If you have time and want to enjoy the sea then you can do it at some of the small beaches within the area.

This is the tour's last stop before going back to the harbor. Here, don't miss the chance of swimming for the last time in these beautiful bays. After a beautiful day swimming in clear bays and discovering a mysterious underwater city the tour finally arrived to the harbor in Kaş around 6 pm.

 So, this was our a boat tour to many of these places, that we show you in this blog. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this, and please don't forget that if you come to Kaş, please you have to do this tour, it's amazing we had a lot of fun, and we highly recommend you doing this boat tour. See you next time bye!