Kas: (Small Group) Day Trip to Kekova Island, Demre & Myra

Ancient ruins meet brilliant blue water. This 10-hour small-group trip from Kaş combines a full day on the Kekova coast with the rock-cut tombs of Myra, a stop at Kaleköy, swimming bays, and lunch on the boat. I especially like the balance between boat time and archaeology, plus the chance to explore places that are difficult to reach without a car or organized transport. The main drawback is that some extras cost more than the $71 tour price, including archaeological-site entry, drinks, and possibly the optional cultural stops.

The boat schedule gives you several chances to swim rather than rushing from sight to sight. Lunch also earns high marks, with chicken, salads, and fruit reported as a welcome part of the day. Still, I would bring water, cash, and patience for limited historical commentary, especially while passing the Sunken City.

Key points to know before booking

• The Sunken City is viewed from the boat: You cruise beside the submerged ruins of ancient Dolchiste, but this is not a stop for walking among them.
• Kaleköy combines village life and castle views: You can wander through ancient Simena, swim, and climb toward the ruins for wide views over Kekova.
• Swimming is a major part of the day: Esmeralda Bay, Burç Bay, and Gökkaya Bay provide several water breaks, with floating mats, rings, and snorkelling equipment supplied.
• Myra costs extra: The archaeological entrance fee is not included, and one report puts entry at 13 euros for a short visit.
• Lunch is one of the tour’s strongest features: Expect a boat meal with chicken and salads, followed by fruit later in the afternoon.
• The schedule is long but well balanced: The day lasts about 10 hours, including road transfers between Kaş and Demre.

Why this Kaş day trip works so well

Kaş is a fine base for seeing the Kekova coast, but the distance to Demre Harbor makes this a serious full-day outing rather than a quick boat ride. Pickup and drop-off are provided from Kaş city center, with the exact morning time sent by WhatsApp or email the day before. That system is practical, though you should keep your morning flexible until the message arrives.

At $71 per person, the trip offers good value if you want transport, the boat ride, lunch, swimming gear, and a guided route in one package. The price is less attractive if you plan to skip the paid archaeological sites, buy several drinks, and prefer a quiet day with no schedule. You are paying for convenience as much as for the attractions.

The small-group format matters here. A full boat day can become tiring when you are packed into a large crowd, especially during swimming stops and the visit to Kaleköy. A smaller group should make boarding, finding a place to sit, and getting help from the crew easier. The tour is conducted in English.

From Kaş to Demre Harbor

The day begins with a road transfer from Kaş to Demre Harbor. This opening leg is not a sightseeing stop, but it saves you the trouble of arranging separate transport to the boat. Once at the harbor, you board the vessel for the Kekova route.

Bring a sun hat, sunscreen, towel, swimwear, and cash. The boat equipment includes snorkelling gear, floating mats, and inflatable rings, but personal water shoes or goggles are not listed as included. Water and other drinks are not included, so do not assume a bottle will be waiting for you. One recent booking noted that there was no complimentary bottled water and that drinks had to be purchased.

Alcohol and drugs are not allowed. The experience is also not suitable for people over 95 years old, according to the tour information.

Seeing the Sunken City of Kekova from the water

The first major attraction is Kekova Island and its famous Sunken City. The submerged remains belong to ancient Dolchiste, a settlement damaged by earthquakes and later partly covered by the sea. From the boat, you can see sections of walls, foundations, and other remains beneath the clear water.

This is one of the most memorable parts of the route because the ruins appear in an unusual setting. You are not walking through a standard archaeological park. Instead, the boat moves along the island while you look down into the water and photograph what remains below.

There is an important limitation. You view the Sunken City from the boat, and the boat does not provide a walk through the ruins. If you want detailed explanations of each visible structure, ask early. One report found the commentary too light, particularly at this stop. The views are strong, but the history may not be explained in as much detail as you expect.

Keep your camera ready, but do not spend the entire passage looking through a screen. The best view can change quickly as the boat moves along the shoreline. Bright sun also makes phone screens hard to read, so a hat is useful for comfort as well as shade.

Kaleköy and the climb toward Simena Castle

At Kaleköy, the boat stops near the village known in ancient times as Simena. This is one of the day’s most rewarding stops because it combines a small settlement, old stone ruins, and clear water in one place.

You can wander through the village and head toward Simena Castle. The climb gives you broad views over Kekova and the surrounding coves. The castle itself is not a polished monument, which is part of its appeal. Expect weathered ruins and a real sense of place rather than a restored attraction designed for quick photographs.

Allow some energy for the walk uphill. The tour also includes a swimming opportunity here, so the stop can satisfy two different moods: explore the ruins first, then cool off in the clear water. If you want the best castle views, do not spend the entire stop at the shoreline.

Kaleköy is also a useful point for understanding the area’s past. The remains are not isolated from modern life. People still live around the old site, and the village setting helps you see how ancient and present-day Kekova overlap.

Swimming at Esmeralda, Burç, and Gökkaya Bays

After the archaeological views, the day shifts toward swimming and relaxation. Esmeralda Bay provides a calm lunch and swim break in a scenic setting. This is likely to be one of the easiest stops for settling into the rhythm of the boat: eat, swim, dry off, and enjoy the coast without another major transfer.

Lunch is included and is a real value point. The meal has been described as chicken with several salads, followed later by a generous selection of fruit. That is a welcome arrangement on a hot day, especially when you are swimming between stops. Extra food and drinks are not included, so bring cash for anything you want beyond the provided meal.

Burç Bay is known for cool water fed by underwater natural springs. That detail gives the stop a different feel from a standard warm-water swimming break. If you are sensitive to cold water, enter gradually. The bay is also a good place to simply float and rest rather than trying to pack every minute with activity.

Gökkaya Bay offers another swim stop, surrounded by the rugged coast. Water sports are available as an option, though the tour information does not specify which activities are offered or their prices. Ask the crew before committing to any extra charge.

Several breaks may sound repetitive on paper, but they make sense during a long summer boat day. You get regular chances to cool down, and the schedule is not built entirely around ruins and walking. If you do not enjoy swimming, however, the middle portion of the tour may feel slow.

The supplied floating mats and inflatable rings are useful for relaxing without having to tread water. Snorkelling equipment is also provided. Do not expect a dedicated snorkelling excursion with a long underwater briefing. The gear is there to help you enjoy the bays during the allotted breaks.

Pirates Cave and the coastal scenery

The boat also passes Pirates Cave, a natural feature known for its large size and curved entrance. It is a short sightseeing moment rather than a major landing, but it adds variety to the route.

The cave is best appreciated from the water, where you can see the shape of the entrance and the scale of the rock. As with the Sunken City, keep your camera close because the viewing window may be brief. The stop is more about seeing an unusual coastal formation than learning a long story about pirates.

This part of the route helps break up the swimming schedule. You are not simply moving from one bay to the next. The coastline offers ruins, caves, villages, and open water, giving the day several different types of scenery.

Looking for turtles at Karemlik Bay

Karemlik Bay is included as a wildlife stop. The area is home to three of the seven known sea turtle species, and the goal is to look for turtles in their natural habitat.

Wild animals do not follow a tour timetable, so treat this as a chance rather than a promise. You may see turtles, or you may only enjoy the bay and understand why it attracts them. Keep your expectations realistic and avoid treating the stop like an aquarium visit.

This is also a good reason to leave your phone in your pocket for a few minutes. Watch the water and shoreline carefully, and follow any instructions from the crew about where to look.

Myra’s tombs and the Roman-style theater

After returning to Demre Harbor, the land portion continues with the ancient city of Myra and possibly the nearby St. Nicholas Church, also called the Santa Claus Museum. The exact handling of these cultural stops deserves attention because archaeological entrance fees are not included.

Myra is known for two major features: rock-cut Lycian tombs carved into the cliffs and a large Roman-style theater. The tombs are among the most striking ancient remains in the region. Their placement high on the rock face gives them an immediate visual impact, even if you only view them from outside the paid site.

The theater helps explain the scale of ancient Myra. It is described as the largest theater in Lycia, and its surviving stonework gives you a better sense of the city’s importance than a few isolated ruins would.

The key practical issue is time and cost. One report paid 13 euros to enter Myra and had about 30 minutes inside, while much of the tomb view was possible without entering. That does not make the site a poor choice, but it means you should decide in advance how much ancient masonry is worth to you.

If the tour gives you a short visit, focus on the theater and the tombs rather than trying to inspect every corner. If you are mainly interested in the cliff tombs, you may feel that the extra admission is less compelling. Ask the guide how long the stop will be and whether the group is definitely entering before paying.

St. Nicholas Church and the Lycian Civilisations Museum

The cultural portion also refers to St. Nicholas Church and the Museum of Lycian Civilisations. St. Nicholas Church began as a church honoring Nicholas of Myra, the figure later connected with the Santa Claus tradition. The surviving remains offer a different kind of history from Myra’s theater and tombs.

The museum is intended to add context about Lycian culture and archaeology. That is useful because the boat route shows impressive places, but the museum can help connect them into a larger story.

The wording of the tour details suggests that these cultural stops may be optional or dependent on the day’s schedule. The archaeological entrance fee is clearly excluded. I would confirm which museum or site visits are planned, what admission costs, and how much time is available before booking if Myra is the main reason you are coming.

Food, drinks, and the small-group experience

The food is one of the strongest parts of the day. A lunch of chicken and salads, followed by fruit later, gives you more than a token snack. It also means you do not need to organize a separate meal during a route where shops may not be convenient.

Drinks are another matter. Bring cash and plan to buy water or other beverages on board. The lack of included bottled water is a small issue, but it becomes noticeable in strong sun after several swims.

The crew can also make a real difference. The captain, Arif, received praise for going after an iPhone that fell into about five meters of seawater. After several attempts, he recovered it, and the phone still worked. That story suggests a crew willing to help beyond the bare minimum, though it should not encourage anyone to test the phone-recovery service.

The main service weakness is commentary. If you want a detailed account of the ruins, ask questions rather than waiting for a long lecture. The boat scenery carries much of the experience, but a little preparation about Dolchiste, Simena, and Myra will make each stop more meaningful.

Who should book this $71 tour?

I would recommend this trip to you if you want a full day that mixes sea time and ancient sites without renting a car. It suits people who enjoy swimming, scenic boat rides, short village walks, and archaeological remains. Families and couples may appreciate the flexible rhythm, while small groups of friends can make good use of the swimming equipment and shared lunch.

It is less suitable if you want a relaxed half-day, dislike boats, or expect a museum-style history tour with constant explanation. The day lasts about 10 hours, and the combination of road transfers, boat stops, swimming, and ruins requires stamina.

The best value comes when you enjoy both halves of the experience. If you only care about Myra, the extra entrance fee and limited time may bother you. If you mainly want Kekova by boat, the added archaeological stops make the day longer but also give you more variety for the money.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the easiest way to combine Kekova’s Sunken City, Kaleköy, several swimming bays, lunch, Karemlik Bay, and the ruins of Myra in one day from Kaş. The strongest reasons are the well-paced swimming schedule, good boat meal, small-group setting, and the chance to see both coastline and ancient sites.

Before paying, remember three things: bring your own water money, expect archaeological entry to cost extra, and do not depend on lengthy commentary at the Sunken City. With those limits understood, the $71 price is fair and the day offers a lot of scenery and history for one outing.

FAQ

How long is the Kaş to Kekova and Myra tour?

The experience lasts about 10 hours, including the transfer from Kaş to Demre Harbor, the boat trip, land visits, and the return to Kaş.

Is pickup included from Kaş?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off from Kaş city center are included. The exact pickup time may change by season and is sent by WhatsApp or email one day before the tour.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is included. The meal has been described as chicken with salads, with fruit served later in the afternoon.

Are drinks included?

No. Additional food and drinks are not included. Bring cash if you want to purchase beverages during the day.

Is the entrance fee for Myra included?

No. The archaeological-site entrance fee is not included. One reported admission price was 13 euros, but prices can change.

Can I swim during the boat trip?

Yes. Swimming breaks are planned at Esmeralda Bay, Burç Bay, and Gökkaya Bay. The tour also provides snorkelling equipment, floating mats, and inflatable rings.

Will I walk through the Sunken City of Kekova?

No. You view the submerged ruins of ancient Dolchiste from the boat as it cruises along Kekova Island.

Is St. Nicholas Church included?

St. Nicholas Church is listed as an optional stop after the boat trip. Confirm the day’s exact schedule and any entrance fee before visiting.