From Kas: Day Trip to Kekova, Demre and Myra
Description
If you are staying in the quaint town of Kas (Kaş), take advantage of our day trip to Kekova and Demre (Myra) for ancient ruins and striking turquoise waters that are just too good to leave! Highlights of the boat trip include the underwater ruins of the Sunken City, wandering around the village of Kaleköy (ancient Simena), and swimming in numerous stunning bays such as Burç Bay, and Karemlik Bay, where you can go on the exploration for sea turtles! Once we reach land again, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about Lycian history, with a visit to the Museum of Lycian Civilizations and the fascinating rock-cut tombs of ancient Myra, to name a few.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Kaş is a town that has something for everyone, with its lively centre, boutique shops, amazing sunsets, and incredible views of the coastline. With this tour, you can explore sites further afield with ease, as we start with a morning transfer from pick-up point in Kaş.
We’ll head to Demre harbour where the boat awaits you for the start of your trip to Kekova. Once the anchor is raised, away we go!
Discover the fascinating secrets of Kekova’s history on this unique adventure around the Sunken City. The ancient city of Dolchiste was flooded due to an earthquake in the 2nd century, and its resulting underwater ruins never fail to leave an impression.
Since this is a protected area, swimming is not permitted here, so what better way to explore the site than by cruising alongside the ruins on our boat, giving you the chance to capture unforgettable photos.
Our boat will drop anchor in Kaleköy port (ancient Simena) for one hour, Giving you time to visit this small authentic village that’s home to castle ruins and a necropolis.
A hike up the hillside will give you magnificent views of the Kekova region. If you’d prefer to admire Simena Castle from down below, you can use your remaining time to take another dip in the gorgeous blue waters.
Pirates Cave Discover this intriguing naturally-formed cave, which is renowned for its large size and curved entrance.
Esmeralda Bay Time for a lunch and swim break at beautiful Esmeralda Bay where you can enjoy peace and tranquility during this fun journey. Burç Bay Enjoy the peaceful ambiance of this area during a swim break in Burç Bay, where the water feels cooler due to cold underwater natural springs! Gokkaya Bay We’ll stop to swim in Gökkaya Bay, where you can experience the natural beauty of the area and opt to participate in one of the various exciting water sports on offer.
Karemlik Bay 3 out of the 7 known sea turtle species can be found in the Mediterranean Sea. At Karemlik Bay, you’ll have the chance to look for these majestic creatures in their natural habitat. Demre Harbour After your fascinating trip on the water, our boat will drop anchor in Demre port, where your tour continues with a visit to a nearby museum.
There is plenty of time to explore the two highlights of this stop: a Roman-style theatre (the largest in Lycia!) and eerie rock-cut tombs carved into the cliffs above.
Your chance to discover Demre’s most famous archeological site! A true step back in history as you observe some of Myra’s most significant ancient ruins dating as far back as the 5th century B.C.
We hope you enjoy the sights we’ve shown you on this tour. At the end of the day, we’ll take you back to the picturesque town of Kaş, where your tour officially ends.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(17)
Quiet sea tour.The boat takes in Demre, which is close to Kekova and Simena, so it does not make much sailing time. The food was excellent (barbecued fish). The sunken city let me down (I don’t know much about it). The village of Simena, by contrast, is small but wonderful
On a positive note,the staff,and the quality of lunch provided,with a choice of fish or chicken with generous portions,was to Sail n Stays credit- transfer arrangements were good That said,it was never made clear that there would be no less than 4 separate stops to allow for swimming- although offered in English,the crews knowledge of the language was very limited,and without a guide,there was hardly any information regarding the "Sunken City",and virtually none at all on the Lycean rock tombs at Myra,or the Church of St.Nicholas-the length of time allocated for "swim stops" ate substantially into the time allowed for Myra,and,given the length of the day,the consensus was to leave out the St Nicholas Church visit- those latter two "stops" we're almost treated as "add ones",which was disappointing- in terms of overall value for a day out,it was very good,but it would be better marketed as primarily a swimming event .
Excellent excursion. The boat trip was beautiful. The attention of Captain Ahmed and Iraf was excellent, very nice and attentive. Lunch was very good, all very fresh. The excursion to the tombs of Mira and St Nicholas Church was very interesting. I would definitely recommend this excursion
We spent a great day on a boat with comfortable loungers and magnificent staff attention. We visited beautiful bays and were lucky enough to see turtles. It was a great day!!!
An ok trip. Quite a lot of time on the water and enough time to swim. We received tea and biscuits on arrival at the boat. In the afternoon some fruit. Lunch was at a small restaurant. 2 options, fish or chicken. The issue was however that the 'guide' they speak of is non-existent. Crew barely spoke more than 2 words English (or where unwilling to do so) apart from the captain. It felt like he had to do everything. There was no bottom window in the boat for the underwater city and they did not inform us (tourists or Local Turkish travellers) that we where moving past/over it. The communication was just bad all round (also to the turkish travellers). Only because we asked about Myra where we driven there. Think about what you wish to see and how before booking. This is not a bad trip but know what you book.
What an experience swimming with Turtles, great transfer food amazing just a wow factor. The pictures are unreal
Overall, a great experience, excellent lunch and very full day. No glass bottom boat or hotel pickup as stated when I booked, though. Our group of 7 in Kaş was transferred to a large boat with at least 60+ persons s from everywhere. We were the only tourists among the locals, so a great cultural immersion.
This trip was not a small group tour. We were picked up from Smiley's by a small shuttle (max 15 people) to be transferred to Demre where we boarded a 45 ppl capacity boat. The "glass bottom boat" was infact 4 small glass panel tables (approx 30cmx100cm) in the main boat. The bus driver only spoke Turkish however most of the crew on the boat spoke (besides Turkish) English and perhaps other languages. The guide on the boat gave good commentary in both English and Turkish at each stop. All the crew were friendly and lunch was nice with a good selection of dishes. The highlight for me was visiting Simena and walking up to the castle from which the views were amazing. The sunken city was interesting but we couldn't see much below the water. The 4 swim stops were great and enjoyed by most on the boat. After boat tour we returned to Demre to be picked up by same bus driver and taken to Myra for half hr followed by St Nicholas church for half hr. No one on our bus paid the €15 entry for Myra and €17 for St Nicholas church as we felt it was too expensive for half hr visit.
Really great trip and such awesome boat staff! We had unfortunate wind change and they made every effort to still make our trip amazing 🙌 food was amazing (and really proper food) views and stops are spectacular. Tip for foreigners - rather ask to pay entrances in TL (cards are accepted) and take additional TL for souvenirs. I have recommended this to all our friends and family and all have had amazing experiences.
What an amazing tour!!!!! You will not be disappointed!! My cousin and I had such a lovely day. I especially enjoyed the fact that this is a small boat with only 8 people including the captain Ozden and his lovely wife Fitnat. Be sure to have your bathing suit because you will have lots of time to swim in beautiful turquoise waters. We listened to Turkish music and all of us just danced and came together as if we had been friends forever. Such a warm atmosphere created by out hosts. The tour continued by bus to the jaw-dropping Rock Tombs of Myra and 5th century B.C. Amphitheatre. It was a long fun-filled day! If I return to Turkey I will definitely do this tour again!!! Shoutout to Ozden, Fitnat and our bus driver for making this day so memorable!!!
Wow! Thank you so much for your enthusiastic review! We are overjoyed to hear that you and your cousin had a lovely day on our tour. It’s beautiful to know that you enjoyed the intimate setting of our tiny boat and the warm atmosphere created by our hosts, Captain Ozden and his lovely wife. We’re delighted you had the opportunity to swim in the beautiful turquoise waters and enjoy Turkish music and dancing, creating a memorable experience for everyone on board—the Rock Tombs of Myra and the 5th-century B.C. The arena is indeed jaw-dropping, and we’re glad you found the continuation of the tour equally enjoyable. Thank you for the special shoutout to Ozden, his wife, and our bus driver! Your kind words mean a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back for another unforgettable adventure if you return to Turkey.
