The Sunken City of Simena
Kaş is a stunning coastal town that offers a number of exciting activities including kayaking over the ruins of a sunken city. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will not disappoint. It is also a wonderful way to see more of Kaş and to get out onto the beautiful Mediterranean waters. If you are going with Amber Travels, the kayaking trip starts out in Kaleüçağız, which is a little town 30 minutes down the coast from Kaş. From there, you will kayak to a crystal clear bay located next to the ruins of an ancient monastery, where you can swim as well as explore the ruins. After that, you will kayak over to Kekova Island. As you kayak along the coast of the island, you will be able to look down and see the ruins of the sunken city of Simena below you. It is a surreal experience to be able to kayak over a sunken city, and be able to see the features of an ancient town that are still preserved beneath the surface. You can even see a large section of the stone dock where pirates and merchants used to bring their ships into port.
After that, your guide will take you across the bay to the town of Kaleköy which translates as “castle village”. It is a peaceful fishing village overlooked by a well-preserved Byzantine castle known as Simena Castle. While the castle originally dates back to the 4th century BC, much of what you can see today is from Roman and Byzantine times. It is said to have been used to fight off the pirates that made port on Kekova Island. After visiting the castle for a fee of 10 TL, or a scan of your Museum Pass, you can head back into the village to have a local Turkish lunch at one of the beautiful seaside restaurants. Kayaking with a guide is a wonderful experience. Not only are they certified in first aid and kayaking, but they are incredibly knowledgeable about the rich history of the sunken city and all that went on around that time period.