Kekova Attractions

If you came by yacht to Kekova, for sightseeing it is best to leave the yacht at one of the restaurant piers in Ucagiz. In the vicinity of Ucagiz you can visit the following attractions: the fortress of Simena, the Lycian tombs, the island of Kekova with the ruins of sunken cities.

Location of Kekova attractions

1 - Ucagiz; 2 - The road Ucagiz - Kalekoy; 3 - The village Kalekoy and Simena; 4 - Kekova

Ucagiz is translated from Turkish as three mouths. Mouths are bays that are easily visible from the fortress in Simena. In the place of Ucagiz was an ancient settlement of Teymoussa. Now he left Lycian tombs and the ruins of the fortress walls.

Ucagiz. Kekova. Turkey

Kekova Island is considered one of the most popular attractions in Turkey today. On Kekova Island are the ruins of the partially submerged ancient cities of Dolihiste, Aperlai, Teymussa and Simena. They went under water in the 2nd century B.C. as a result of a devastating earthquake.

A visit to Kekova Island consists of going by yacht (or a rented small gulet) along the northern shore of the island and viewing the ruins without leaving the ship. Landing on the island, swimming near the island, diving and snorkeling are prohibited!

Kekova - sunken cities

There are the ruins of the ancient Lycian city of Dolihiste on the island. But in those times it was not an island but a peninsula. Today the ruins of buildings, streets, stairs can be seen not only on land but also under water.

After the earthquake life on the island sluggishly continued but raids by the Arabs forced the locals to leave the island permanently. Since then it has been abandoned for many centuries.

Ancient Simena is located on the territory of the modern village of Kalekoy. From Ucagiz to Simena you can walk along the road (about 3 km). Along the way you can see ruins of varying degrees of preservation in different places. The main attraction of Simena is the ruins of the Lycian fortress.

Simena Fortress

In the fortress there is the smallest theater in Lycia. The fortress stands on a mountain which overlooks the surrounding countryside: Aperlai, Kekova, Ucagiz and the straits. The fortress of Simena was built to protect the approaches to the cities from the sea. There is a fee of 10 liras (as of 2015) to enter the territory of Simena.

Hours of operation of Simena:
April - October from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
November - March 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.