Kekova is the name of a region of fascinating islands, bays and ancient cities. Kekova has a sorely seen attraction a long the shore of the Island a sunken city is observed. The geological movements of the Island caused the city on the Island to be submerged, creating a strange scene with half of the city under water and half above. Teimiussa, Simena are the main Lycian settlements in the area. Kekova is the only area where the flying fish can be watched in this region.

Beyond its cultural features, Kekova shows very significant geological formations, ondulated coastal line, hydrobiological features and scenic beauty of the area form an outstanding quality. It is a remarkable example of cultural continuity, and a living cultural assents as well.

Natural setting of the Kekova Island and the coast in relation with culture creates an outstanding example of natural- cultural property.

Kekova is a unique example of fascinating wonders of art and history and nature all at once.

Kekova dates back to the 5th Century. At that time, Lycia was an important kingdom. King Sarpedon who fought the Trojan War originally belonged to Lycia. Kekova was the seaport of Lycia, connected to the mainland. The Lycians traded extensively with the Greeks. This also made them vulnerable to pirates and so the cities were well fortified. Over the centuries the region was ravaged by a series of earthquakes and the ancient cities were submerged six meters below the sea level. As you cruise down the sea, you can see the ruins of buildings and walls under the water.

Kekova Island and the town of Kale nearby Antalya make an idyllic daytrip for the traveler looking for a combination of sunshine, swimming and fascinating historic ruins. Many operators run trips from Kas but the journey is much shorter from Cayagzi, the harbor of Demre. Along the stony coastline the boatman may stop at a cave, or point out the occasional goat or the smoldering pyramids of wood used by peasants to make charcoal, the product may sit in plastic sacks at the water's edge, waiting to be taken away.

Along the edge of the island facing the mainland lie the fascinating half-submerged remains of a Lycian sunken city, and probably from Byzantine times later on. Signs warn against skin- diving, so you can not swim here because many foreigners in the past took a piece of ancient relics with them as a souvenir. The boatman will allow the passengers on board off for a swim further to the west, where the remains of a Byzantine chapel stand on the beach and where further sunken remains can be explored at ease by the swimmer with mask and snorkel.

A fascinating Lycian necropolis, with chest-type tombs spread out along the coastline, lies at Teimiussa, near the present-day Ucagiz on the mainland across from Kekova. This can also be reached by track from the main road between Kas and Demre, where it is signposted. The boat-tripper may be content with a sea-born view and pass to Kale, the ancient Simena, which sits nearby below the crenellated ramparts of an earlier hilltop Roman castle.

The castle houses a small theater, cut into the rock, for just about 300 people, a sign that this was a minor settlement in Roman times. Down in the harbor the turquoise sea laps at waterside restaurants offering good Turkish food including locally caught fish. A lone Lycian sarcophagus standing in a few centimeters of water at the western side lures visitors to pose beside it for photographs. Today Kekova is a very popular anchorage for sailors who enjoy the history together with the nature.