Ancient Lycian Ruins near Kas

April 22, 2024

Having ruled out paragliding in Oludeniz, often found on the list of top ranking beaches in the world, our original itinerary had us doing what most tourists do here - spending all day on a boat ride, swimming in the crystal waters of the bays along the coast. However, tracking all the winter flooding in Antalya, and an unusually cold March for Turkey, I ditched the boat reservations (the water is still too cold) in case we hit April showers. As it stormed all night and into the morning today (April 20), my gut instinct lead me in the right direction. Plan B was to drive around the area to see the ancient Lycian ruins.

All the boats ("gulet cruises") are headed to the same place - a rare settlement mostly accessed only by boat - but also driveable, followed by a short 30-minute hike. Ancient Simena (today's Kaleköy), also known as "Castle Village," is perched on a hilltop overlooking the sparkling turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is named after the ancient castle that dominates its landscape.

Dirt road to Ucagiz, a small fishing town

Boat assessible Simena Castle outside the quaint fishing town of Ucagiz

The top of Simena Castle provides a magnificent vantage point for panoramic views of the village, the sparkling sea, and the surrounding lush greenery

A single sarcophagus protrudes freely from the water

Hike to the castle

Anyone else think these 4th century BC tombs from the Lycian era look happy?

Not too far from Ucagiz in the modern town of Demre are the ancient ruins of Myra. Dating back to the 4th century BC, Myra was one of the most important towns of ancient Lycia and once one of the largest cities on the Mediterranean coast. Myra is well-known for its tombs and Roman-style theatre.

The tombs were always placed at the top of hills or on cliffs as there was a belief that the dead would be transported to the afterlife by a winged creature. With their

facades emulating wooden architecture, the rock-cut tombs imitate wooden houses and shrines, with pillared facades and reliefs.

The theater, with seats for 13,000, dates back to the 2nd century AC and was eventually transformed into an arena for gladiator fights

Silly kids imitating the ancient Roman theater masks seen throughout the site

We were done seeing Myra in 10 minutes, which we stretched into 20 minutes to make sure we weren't missing anything. Much of it still needs to be excavated, so it doesn't take long to explore here. The €13 fee is pretty hefty considering you can see the cliff tombs from outside the entrance.

We passed on the €17 entrance fee to get inside the spartan nearby St. Nicholas Church, also in Demre. Saint Nicholas, aka Santa Claus, was known for his generosity and kindness. His tomb has always been a popular pilgrimage especially for Russians.

Just past Kas, on the way to Fethiye, Kaputas Beach has become a popular destination for its instagram-worthy spot on the cliffs overlooking the beach