Kekova blue cruises offer chance to explore Sunken City, coves
The Kekova area in the southern province of Antalya’s Demre district, which is famed for its clear waters and underwater ruins, is taking visitors on unforgettable blue cruises.
Renowned for its natural beauty and rich history, Kekova is on the itineraries of tour boats departing from Demre’s Kaleüçağız neighbourhood and Kaş, as well as private yachts.
The deep-blue sea draws domestic and international visitors each year. The area is home to numerous historical sites and scenic coves, chief among them Kaleüçağız, Kaleköy, the ”Sunken City,” Hamidiye and Tersane coves.
Visitors who stop at the small Lycian coastal town of Kaleköy, which is inaccessible by road, also have the opportunity to tour the ruins of ancient Simena.
Those exploring the ”hidden paradise” of Kaleköy can swim and take photos very close to a sarcophagus that sits in the water.
The Sunken City, declared a national park because of its many Byzantine and Roman-period remains, is also part of the Kekova area. Although swimming is prohibited there, visitors can pass very close to the site by boat or canoe and view submerged stairways, breakwaters and building ruins with the naked eye.
Kaleüçağız also hosts Hamidiye Cove, the only cove in the area reachable by road, tucked among ancient remains. Named after the Ottoman cruiser Hamidiye, which anchored there under the command of Rauf Orbay in 1913, the cove is notable for its clear waters.
Mayor of Demre, Fahri Duran, told the state-run Anadolu Agency that the area has recently drawn many visitors. He described the district as an important destination with deep historical roots, saying the district is defined by the legacy of the Church of St. Nicholas, the ancient cities of Myra and Andriake, and a history that reaches far into the past.
Alongside those historical depths, Duran said, the region’s deep-blue sea and largely unspoilt nature make it especially attractive.
“We can call our region the pearl of the Mediterranean. Visitors depart from Kaleüçağız and Çayağzı piers and from Kaş. Each day, an average of 5,000 guests board boats, visit Simena ancient city, then Tersane and Hamidiye coves, swim and witness the extraordinary scenery. Kekova is definitely the rising star of recent times. It has become a destination for people seeking mental and physical rest and those who want to enjoy nature and the sea,” he said.
Duran noted that Hamidiye Cove is the only one accessible by vehicle. He said visitors can reach the cove after a 100-meter walk from Kaleüçağız.
“The cove’s story reaches back into history, to the Balkan Wars. It is known that during the Balkan Wars, our commander Rauf Orbay hid here with the cruiser Hamidiye and fired on passing ships. We are a district that needs more recognition. We want to break out of agriculture and channel into tourism. We want that tourism to benefit our people without destroying nature or cutting down our forests, but rather as a system in harmony with the environment,” he added.
