Kekova Island Boat Tour / Guide

Which bays are there in Kekova: nine stops, one by one

Which bay you can swim in, where swimming is forbidden, which water is clearest, how you get into the canyon. What each of the nine stops actually is, for someone who does not know the area at all.

Most people arriving in Kekova for the first time do not know where they want to go — which is normal, because the name describes a strait rather than a single place. This page goes through the nine stops in that strait one by one: what each one is, what is allowed and what is not, and which ones fit into which kind of day.

There is no fixed route. The day is built together when you book, and the captain may change the order depending on the weather and the crowds — the sequence below is geographic, not a schedule.

The strait has two sides

On one side the mainland and Üçağız, facing it the island of Kekova that separates the strait from the open sea. The villages and the rock tombs are on the mainland side; the sunken city and Tersane are along the island's shore. That is why the water between them is calm: the island stands like a breakwater.

The mainland side

Üçağız pier — departure

The fishing village on the mainland, and our harbour. We meet you at the entrance to the harbour and walk to the boat together. There is parking in the village. Twenty minutes from Demre, forty from Kaş, about two hours fifteen from Antalya.

The rock tombs of Teimussa

Tombs the Lycians cut into the rock, right at the water's edge. Some of them stand half in the sea — the sea level has risen since antiquity. Close enough to read from the side of the boat.

Simena · Kaleköy

A village built at the foot of the castle; there is no road to it, so it can only be reached by sea or on foot. If you climb to the castle the whole strait opens up below you; the climb takes a little over half an hour. There is a small Lycian sarcophagus standing in the water.

Entry to the castle is subject to the site fee and is not included in the trip. Bring cash with you.

The island side

The sunken city

An earthquake in the 2nd century AD took the shoreline into the water. It runs about two kilometres along the island's north-eastern shore: staircases descend into the sea, foundation walls and doorsteps sit a few metres below the surface.

Swimming and diving are forbidden here — the area is protected. We move slowly along the shore and you watch from the deck. The islets across the line also have Lycian house remains underwater; they are part of the same settlement, not a separate stop.

Tersane Bay

On the island's north-west, the underwater remains of an old Byzantine shipyard. Swimming is allowed here — you swim directly over the remains. That is exactly what separates it from the sunken city, and these are the two places most often confused.

The swimming bays

Aquarium Bay

A bay that earns its name: the bottom is visible from five or six metres. This is where we stop to swim with goggles.

Koca Kadın Bay

A sheltered anchorage away from the boat traffic. One of the bays where we take a long break on quieter days.

The canyon

A narrow cleft between rock walls. The boat cannot go in, so you paddle two hundred metres inside by canoe — and we take a swimming break there: rock on both sides of you, deep water below. If your day is long enough.

English Bay

On full days this is where the closing swim happens. It is on the way back, a last swim in the late afternoon while the water is still warm.

Which ones fit into which day

There are three lengths, and each adds time and stops to the one before it. The times are approximate — you tell us the hour and the day is built around it.

Culture · ~2 h	Teimussa, the sunken city, Simena, Tersane. For those who do not want to stay long on the water.
Culture + swimming · ~3.5 h	All of the above, plus the Aquarium and the canyon. If you want to climb to the castle at Kaleköy we stay there longer; if not, we move the canyon to the end of the trip.
Full day · morning to evening	All of it, without hurrying: Koca Kadın and English Bay are added too. This is the most chosen day.

The captain recommends setting out early: that is when the water is clearest and the bays are quietest. The one firm rule for the return is that the boat has to be in harbour before sunset — that is a coastguard rule, not a schedule we chose.

Where you can swim and where you cannot

The sunken city	Swimming and diving are forbidden — protected area. You watch from the boat.
Tersane Bay	Allowed. You swim over the underwater remains.
Aquarium, Koca Kadın, the canyon, English Bay	Allowed. The day's swimming stops happen here.

On board there are snorkelling masks in adult and child sizes, a SUP, a canoe and pool noodles; there is nothing to rent. There are life jackets in every size for those who cannot swim, and anyone who would rather stay on deck can stay on deck.