Kekova Sunken City

Demre · Antalya Province · Turkey

Kekova is an elongated island off Turkey's Lycian coast, separated from the mainland by a narrow strait sheltering the remains of an ancient city swallowed by the Mediterranean. In the 2nd century AD, earthquakes collapsed the Lycian-Roman settlement of Simena, sending streets, houses, and harbour works sliding beneath the sea. What remains is one of the most evocative archaeological dive sites in the world: stone staircases descending into blue water, harbour walls traced by encrusting marine life, and building foundations visible through crystal-clear water. The boat approaches from Ucagiz village, threading between the mainland and Kekova Island through a channel that narrows to a hundred metres. On the mainland side, the village of Kalekoy clings to a hillside beneath a Byzantine castle, with Lycian rock-cut tombs carved into the cliff face above. The submerged ruins line Kekova Island's northern shore, descending from the waterline into depths of around five metres. Stone staircases are the most recognisable features, their steps worn smooth by centuries of foot traffic before the earthquakes sent them beneath the waves. Harbour walls extend outward, their stone blocks now colonised by sponges and sea grass. In some areas, the outlines of rooms are clearly visible beneath the surface. Diving around Kekova extends beyond the archaeological zone to the natural reef surrounding the island. The rocky substrate supports groupers in crevices, octopuses on the rubble, and schools of sea bream in the mid-water. Posidonia seagrass meadows carpet sandy areas between rock formations. Visibility frequently exceeds twenty metres, and shallow depths make extended dive times possible. The combination of archaeology and diving creates an experience unlike pure reef or wreck diving. Swimming over the ruins, you cross a boundary between two worlds: human history above and marine biology below, layered onto the same stone. A staircase that once carried Lycian merchants now serves as a cleaning station for damselfish. A harbour wall built to shelter trading vessels now shelters moray eels. Kekova is best experienced as part of a broader exploration of Turkey's Lycian coast, which offers some of the Mediterranean's most interesting diving combined with extraordinary onshore archaeology.