If you're reasonably active, take a guided sea-kayak trip from Üçağız — sitting low and silent right above the drowned staircases is the magic version, and it's beginner-friendly. If you'd rather sit back, a glass-bottom boat tour from Kaş or Üçağız is relaxed, sociable and family-friendly, with swim stops in clean bays. Either way, go in the morning for calm, clear water, and combine the sunken city with Kaleköy castle and the sea sarcophagi — that trio is the real Kekova day.
Set expectations: it isn't a dramatic Atlantis you dive into — it's a quietly haunting half-drowned town you view from above, and swimming over the ruins is rightly forbidden. The reward is subtlety, clear water and one of the most beautiful sheltered channels in the Mediterranean. Don't rush it onto the end of a packed day; give it a proper half-day at least.
What the sunken city actually is
Along the northern shore of Kekova island, facing the mainland village of Üçağız, lie the partly submerged remains of an ancient Lycian town — generally identified as Dolichiste. A series of earthquakes in the 2nd century AD dropped this part of the coastline, and the town sank with it. What's left is extraordinary: staircases that run straight down into the sea, house foundations, walls, doorways and street lines visible just under the clear water, with more ruins — tombs, jar fragments, masonry — on the shore above the surface.
It's important to picture it correctly. This is not a single dramatic underwater city you plunge into; it's a long ribbon of half-drowned ancient town that you move slowly past, peering down through the shallows. Quiet, eerie and genuinely moving — and quite unlike anything else on the Lycian coast.
The rule: no swimming over the ruins
The upside is that trips still include a swim — just in the clean, permitted bays around Kekova, away from the protected zone. So you get the ruins and a dip in turquoise water; you just don't combine the two over the ancient town itself.
Boat or sea kayak?
This is the key decision, and there's no wrong answer — it's about what kind of day you want.
Sea kayak — the magic version
Sitting low and silent in a kayak, gliding a metre above the staircases and foundations, is the most intimate and memorable way to experience Kekova — you see far more in the shallows and reach quiet corners boats can't. Guided trips suit beginners and average fitness; it isn't strenuous, but you are paddling in the sun for a few hours, so bring sun cover and water. The best choice if you're reasonably active and want the full effect.
Glass-bottom boat — the easy version
Sit back on a wooden boat, often with a glass viewing panel in the hull, listen to commentary, swim in bays and have lunch aboard. Ideal for families, mixed-ability groups and anyone who'd rather not paddle. You see the ruins through the glass and from the deck, then cruise on to Kaleköy and a swim stop. Comfortable, sociable and low-effort.
Beyond the ruins: Kaleköy castle & the sea sarcophagi
The sunken city is the headline, but Kekova is a whole little world, and a good trip threads several sights together:
- Kaleköy (ancient Simena) — a tiny, car-free village on the mainland shore, its lanes climbing through gardens to a small Byzantine-era castle perched on the summit. From the battlements you get a sweeping view over the bay, the island and the whole turquoise channel. There's a miniature rock-cut theatre inside the walls.
- The sea sarcophagi — in the water below Kaleköy stand Lycian sarcophagi half-submerged in the sea, their distinctive curved "Gothic" lids rising straight out of the turquoise. It's one of the most photographed scenes in all of Lycia, and deservedly so.
- The necropolis & swimming bays — scattered stone tombs on the shore, and sheltered coves of gin-clear water where boats and kayaks stop for a swim.
A typical day stitches the sunken city, Kaleköy castle, the sea sarcophagi and a swim into one outstanding half or full day on the water. For more in this part of the coast, see our Kekova destination guide.
Where trips leave from: Üçağız vs Kaş
Two main launch points, depending on where you're staying:
Üçağız — closest to the action
A small fishing village right on Kekova's sheltered bay — the nearest base, where local boats and most sea-kayak trips set off. Launch here and you're at the sunken city within minutes, maximising time on the water and minimising transfers. A few simple pensions and waterfront fish restaurants make it a lovely, low-key place to stay or have lunch.
Kaş — the lively base with most operators
The buzzy harbour town where many Kekova day tours and kayaking companies are based. They either drive you to Üçağız to launch or run longer boat days from Kaş itself. If you're staying in Kaş — or exploring Kaş more widely — plenty of well-run trips bring you over without any hassle. Kalkan operators run Kekova days too.
When to go
The season runs roughly April to October. May–June and September are ideal — warm, clear water, calmer seas and fewer crowds than the July–August peak. Whatever the month, go in the morning: the water is calmest, the light is best on the ruins, and you see most clearly down through the shallows before any afternoon breeze ruffles the surface. For how this fits the wider year, see our best time to visit Lycia guide.
Getting there
Kekova is reached via Üçağız village, off the main coast road. Rough distances and options:
| How | Notes | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| From Kaş | ~40 min by car to Üçağız | day trip |
| From Kalkan | ~1 hr 15 by car | day trip |
| Rental car | Drive to Üçağız, launch from there | from €25/day |
| Private transfer | Door-to-door to Üçağız; arrange ahead | €55–95 return |
| Boat or kayak day tour | From Kaş or Kalkan, transfer included | €35–60 pp |
Prices are approximate and move with Turkey's inflation and the exchange rate — treat them as ballpark, not quotes. The simplest option is a day tour from Kaş or Kalkan that bundles the transfer with the boat or kayak. With your own car or a private transfer to Üçağız you control the timing and get the calm early water. Summer dolmuş minibuses to Üçağız exist but are infrequent. For how transfers work, see our Lycia transfers guide, and for ideas across the region, things to do in Lycia.
Plan your trip
Or read: Kekova guide · Kaş · Things to do · Best time to visit
Frequently asked
What is the sunken city of Kekova?
The partly submerged remains of an ancient Lycian town (usually identified as Dolichiste) along the north shore of Kekova island, opposite Üçağız. Earthquakes in the 2nd century AD dropped the coast and the town sank. You can see staircases, foundations and walls just beneath the clear water — a long, quietly haunting half-drowned town rather than a single underwater city.
Can you swim or dive over the ruins?
No — swimming and diving directly over the sunken ruins is forbidden to protect the site, and it's enforced; boats can't stop there. You view them from a boat (often with glass panels) or, better, a sea kayak gliding above them, then swim in permitted bays nearby. The rule is exactly why the site survives.
Boat or sea kayak?
Both are good. A boat tour is relaxed and social — glass-bottom, commentary, swim stops, lunch aboard — ideal for families. Sea kayaking is the magical, intimate version: low and silent right above the staircases, seeing far more detail. Kayaking is beginner-friendly but you do paddle for a few hours. Active and want the wow factor: kayak. Easy and sociable: boat.
Do trips leave from Üçağız or Kaş?
Both. Üçağız is the village right on Kekova bay — the closest launch, so you're at the ruins within minutes. Kaş, about 40 minutes' drive west, is where many tour and kayak operators are based; they drive you to Üçağız or run boat days from Kaş. Kalkan operators run Kekova trips too.
What else is there to see?
Plenty. Kaleköy (ancient Simena) is a car-free village climbing to a Byzantine castle with panoramic views, and below it Lycian sarcophagi rise straight out of the sea — one of Lycia's most photographed scenes. There's also a necropolis and clear swimming bays. A good trip combines the sunken city, Kaleköy, the sarcophagi and a swim.
How do I get there and when should I go?
Via Üçağız village — about 40 minutes from Kaş and a bit over an hour from Kalkan. Easiest by rental car, private transfer, or a day tour from Kaş or Kalkan that includes the boat or kayak. Summer dolmuş minibuses run but are infrequent. Season is April–October; May–June and September are ideal. Go in the morning for calm, clear water.