An amazing spot on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast: The sunken city of Kekova

Turkey is probably top of the list among touristic destinations offering the highest number of touristic attractions. Among these there are wonderful spots of natural beauty as well as historical places of a country which is known to have hosted so many different civilizations.

KEKOVA is a small, rocky island located in the outskirts of Demre near Kaleköy. The length of the island which has an area of 4.5 km² is 7 km long and its highest point is 188 m. The island is included in the list of the main attractions of the country.

The island with surroundings is a very picturesque place. It causes genuine interest among tourists with its sunken city of Simena (dating back to the period of the Lycians). Now this ancient ruined city and island is often called Kekova.

Excursions are regularly organized to its shores. Boats provide service to visitors wishing to see the island with hostels and cafes.

Tourists can visit this amazing place and learn about the history of the city enjoying a lot of archaeological material – amphorae and jugs, stone stairs, ruined streets, embankments, sunken columns, fragments of statues and the remains of buildings of the former great city. Interestingly, all these artifacts are remarkably visible through the water column of the Mediterranean Sea.