Üçağız pier
DepartureThe fishing village on the mainland and our home harbour. We meet you at the harbour entrance and walk to the boat together. There is parking in the village.
Kekova · Antalya · Türkiye
A city sank here. You can swim over it.
Welcome to the sunken city of Kekova. Private trips on an 11-metre wooden boat — on a route built around what you want to see.
Walking the Lycian Way? Boat pickup at Aperlai, Üçağız and Kaleköy →
What Kekova is
An earthquake in the 2nd century put half a Lycian town underwater.
The staircases still run down into the sea. Foundation walls, doorways and jetties sit a few metres below the surface, and the water above them is clear enough to read them from the deck. Along the shore the rock tombs of Theimussa stand where they were carved, and the castle village of Simena climbs to a fortress with a view over the whole strait.
We have been running this water for years. The route is not fixed — tell us whether you came for the swimming, the ruins or the quiet, and we build the day around that.
The ruins are not behind glass. You swim over them.
Who takes you out
Captain Turgay — born on Kekova, at sea since 1998.
I was born on Kekova and grew up on these waters. I did not discover this place later in life; I have been among these bays, islands and this sea since childhood.
I have been a captain since 1998. Twelve of those years were spent in Europe, on dry cargo ships working the canals of Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. For about fifteen years now I have been at the wheel of KEMALEV2.
Over the years I have worked with people from many countries. I speak English, German and Dutch comfortably, and I can hold a conversation in French and Italian. So I can show you Kekova not only through a captain’s eyes but in your own language, directly.
But for me the best part of showing Kekova is not being out on the water — it is sharing the stories this sea carries. Passing the sunken city, we do not simply say "that is the sunken city" and move on: we look at the marks on the shore, where the buildings stood, the traces of a life now under water, and together we picture how people lived here, where the boats tied up, what kind of harbour this coast once was. Seeing Kekova is one thing; travelling through it while hearing its story is another.
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Captain since 1998
At home and abroad; fifteen years on this same boat.
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Four languages
Turkish first; also English, German and Dutch.
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Local to the strait
Born on Kekova, and reads the route by weather and crowds.
How the day works
Every day is planned with you
We do not sell a fixed package. Tell us what you came for — the ruins, the swimming, the quiet — and how long you have, and the captain shapes the day around it. That can be a short trip out, or morning until evening.
The captain recommends starting early: the water is clearest and the bays quietest in the morning. For groups setting out early there is coffee and something from the bakery on board.
We are back in port before sunset — that is the coastguard rule for boats of our class.
If you are not sure where to start
The four starting points people choose most often. These are not packages but the days most groups end up with, and we can change the one you pick. Times are approximate.
Walking the Lycian Way? That is a crossing rather than a tour — we describe it separately →
The price depends on your group, how long you are out and the time of year. Write to us and we will give you a clear figure for your group in our first reply.
No deposit · You pay after the trip
The boat
KEMALEV2 — eleven metres, two decks, yours alone.
A two-deck wooden boat, 11 by 3.3 metres. Licensed for ten; the captain finds the day noticeably more comfortable with six or fewer. Seating, sun mattresses, a ladder straight into the sea, and retractable shade over every area.
Specifications
- Length
- 11 × 3.3 m
- Decks
- Two
- Licensed
- 10 people
- Recommended
- Six or fewer
Private charter
The boat is yours for the whole trip. No shared departures, no other group aboard.
Gear included
Snorkel masks in adult and child sizes, two paddleboards, a canoe and pool noodles. Nothing to hire.
Shade and comfort
Retractable shade over every area, sun mattresses, a toilet, a shower, a cool box and charging.
Safety
14 adult and 2 child life jackets, plus 3 swim vests. Passenger and vessel insurance are in place and seasickness tablets are carried. Non-swimmers can come too.
Good with children
The sides of the boat are netted, there are children's goggles aboard, and the captain is used to children. Swimming breaks are kept to the shallow bays.
Dogs welcome
You can bring your dog. Just tell us when you book.
Quiet on purpose
No sound system and no wifi — that is the point of this boat. Unlimited cold drinking water in the cool box.
One captain
The same captain on every trip: Turgay. He does the cooking as well.
The region
Places you can see
These are the places in the region, not a timetable. Which of them you see, and in what order, is something we decide together.
The Kekova strait is split in two: the mainland and Üçağız on one side, and opposite it the island of Kekova, which shields the strait from the open sea. The sunken city is on the island's north shore; the villages and rock tombs are on the mainland side.
Lycian rock tombs at Theimussa
MainlandTombs the Lycians cut into the rock face, right at the water's edge. Some stand half in the sea, because the water has risen since antiquity. Close enough to read from the side of the boat.
The sunken city
North shore of the islandAn earthquake in the 2nd century AD took the shoreline under. It runs about two kilometres along the coast: staircases descend into the sea, foundation walls and doorways sit a few metres below the surface. We run slowly along it — swimming and diving over the sunken city itself are forbidden, it is a protected site.
Simena · Kaleköy
No road inA village built below its castle, with no road connection — you arrive by sea or on foot. Climb to the castle and the whole strait opens up. A small Lycian sarcophagus stands in the water. Castle entry is charged as an archaeological site and is not part of the tour.
Tersane Bay
Swimming allowedEast of the island, the submerged remains of an old Byzantine shipyard. Swimming is allowed here — you swim directly over the ruins, which is what separates it from the sunken city.
Aquarium Bay
Clearest waterThe bay earns its name: the bottom is visible through five or six metres. This is where the snorkelling stop is made.
Koca Kadın Bay
QuietA sheltered anchorage away from the boat traffic. One of the bays we stop in for a long time on the quieter days.
The canyon
By canoeA narrow cleft between rock walls. The boat cannot enter, so you go two hundred metres inside by canoe. If you have the time for it.
When the bays fill up we can run the route in reverse or change the order. Because we are not tied to a fixed schedule, we can still find you a quiet bay in high summer.
On board
A day on the boat, not a timetable
Between the stops there is the rest of it: the water, the food, and a deck with nobody else on it.
Early start
The gear is already on board
Masks and snorkels in adult and child sizes, laid out before you arrive. Nothing to rent, nothing to carry down the pier.
Breaks
Canoe and paddleboard in the water
Both are tied alongside at every swimming stop. The canoe is what takes you into the canyon on the full day route.
Lunch
Cooked on board, included
Lunch comes with every tour and is cooked on the boat. The menu changes with the day — tell us at booking if anyone is vegetarian or needs something else.
All day
The deck stays yours
Mattresses in the sun, shade over the table, and no second group waiting for the space. Tea and fruit come round through the day.
Gallery
From the deck
Photographs from our tours around the island.
Questions
Before you come
Yes. Every tour is private: nobody is aboard but your group and the captain, and we never share a departure with another party. This is the question we are asked most often on WhatsApp.
Yes. We run along the shoreline slowly and the walls, staircases and foundations are visible from the deck when the water is calm. Diving on the sunken city itself is not permitted, but the swimming breaks at Tersane Bay put you over submerged ruins where swimming is allowed.
Tea, coffee, fruit and drinking water are complimentary. Lunch is cooked on board by the captain and is charged separately — it is the one thing aboard you pay for; everything else is complimentary. There are three menu options; everyone picks their own, your group does not have to agree on one. We settle the menu and the amount when you book; tell us then if anyone is vegetarian or has another need. You are also welcome to bring your own food; let us know in advance and we will provide plates and cutlery at no charge. If your group prefers, we can also stop so you can eat in Simena.
All three, yes. The strait is sheltered from the open sea, so the water is usually calm. For non-swimmers we carry life jackets in every size, and anyone who would rather stay on deck can — nobody has to get in. Dogs are welcome too; tell us when you book so the captain can plan for it. What the boat carries for children is listed in the boat section.
A towel, sun cream, a hat and swimwear. Snorkel masks and the canoe are on board. Bring cash if you want anything from the village at Simena — the castle at Simena (Kaleköy) charges its own admission, which is not part of the tour.
Neither, deliberately. Quiet is the whole idea of this boat; if your group wants music, we are not the right boat. There is charging on board and unlimited cold drinking water in the cool box.
If the sea is not safe we move the tour to another day. If it is borderline we tell you the evening before. We take no deposit and you pay after the tour, so there is nothing to refund if it is cancelled.
Call or message us on WhatsApp with your date and the number of people. We confirm availability and the price for your group. Booking ahead is required — you cannot turn up at the pier on the day and join. No deposit; you pay when the tour ends.
From the pier at Üçağız on the Kekova strait — twenty minutes from Demre, forty from Kaş, about two hours fifteen from Antalya. There is parking in the village. We meet you at the harbour entrance and walk to the boat together. The boat is licensed for 10; we recommend six or fewer — the day is noticeably more comfortable with a smaller group, and that is a preference rather than a limit.
Contact
Tell us your date
Call, or write on WhatsApp. We answer in the evening if we are out on the water during the day.
Tell us this when you write
- The date and how many of you there are
- Roughly how long a day you have in mind
- Whether there are children, and their ages
- Any allergies or particular needs (food, bees, nature)
- What kind of day you want — swimming, quiet, the ancient city
With those five we can suggest a day and a price in the first reply; without them it usually takes a few messages back and forth.
Phone and WhatsApp
+90 536 675 07 17
Email
info@kekovaisland.com
Where we sail from
Kaleüçağız Köyü Yolu No:34, 07573 Kaleüçağız (Üçağız), Demre / Antalya, Türkiye — Kekova strait
Season
All year, every day the weather allows
Booking ahead is required — you cannot turn up at the pier on the day and join. We take no deposit; you pay once the trip is over.
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