Simena Ancient City and Kaleköy – Antalya

The ancient city of Simena and its current name Kaleköy, located between Kaş and Demre, is a paradise for those looking for a combination of history, nature and sea pleasure! Ruins from hundreds or even thousands of years ago in the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, ancient paths in the form of paths where vehicles cannot enter, a steep castle overlooking the sea and the city from the top, chirping streets, restaurants stretching out to the sea where you can eat delicious fish products, selling ice cream made from goat's milk and fresh fruits. Ice cream shops, canoes to enjoy the sea, boats watching the beauty of the coast and much more are waiting for you in this tiny village.

After reading my Simena – Kaleköy article Things to do in Kas I suggest you take a look at my post. Thus, you can plan a comprehensive Kas trip.

General Information About the Ancient City of Simena

The Ancient City of Simena is a Lycian city founded on the site of Kaleköy today. B.C. There has been evidence of settlement in the area since the 4th century. The ancient city of Simena is located within the Kekova Special Environmental Protection Area, which also includes Kekova Island, and is a first-degree protected area, so you need to get permission to drive nails.

In the area where the ancient city is located, you will find the following sections:

Acropolis i.e. Upper City and Simena Castle

This is the section where Simena Castle is located. The entrance fee is 17.5 TL, you can enter for free with the Müzekart. Inside the castle, there is the smallest theater of Lycia with only 300 seats. I recommend you to choose early morning or evening hours to go out to the castle. Because there are many steps and a magnificent view of Kekova when you reach the summit, I wouldn't want you to run away by saying that you can't climb stairs in the heat. Especially if you come at sunset, the view will be even more unforgettable.

Old and New Walls

You will see cisterns, hammam ruins, sarcophagi and mosque building within the city walls, which were used in the Lycian, Roman and Ottoman periods.

Underwater Ruins

The most iconic remains of Simena are the sarcophagi, which were submerged in water and used in many Turkey promotional photos. When you go down from the castle to the beach and walk along the beach, it is possible to go up to the sarcophagi in the water, and to reach the small islets by walking through the water. Simena is one of the rare places in the world where you can experience this.

necropolis

Although those who come to Simena from the sea are not particularly popular, one of the places I find most impressive in Simena is the Necropolis. When you continue from the castle to the other side of the hill, you will see many saddle-shaped sarcophagus tombs that continue from the top of the hill to the sea. Every time I go, I can't help but think that a cemetery can only have such a beautiful view and look this beautiful.

What to do in Kaleköy?

Kaleköy is a small village with 60-70 households, which can only be reached from the sea and the land transportation is only by a path. Although Kaleköy is a part of the Demre district, it can be thought of as a part of Kaş since it is visited more often by boats departing from Kaş.

This small village is flooded with visitors during the summer months, and summer comes to the people of the village who make a living from tourism. The village is like a fairground with its large and small fish restaurants on the beach, goat's milk ice cream shops made of beautiful and fresh fruits, and shops selling handicrafts and souvenirs. When those who canoe on the beach in summer join this fair, a colorful revel emerges.

Taste Goat Milk Ice Cream

The most popular answer to the question of what to do in Kaleköy is "eating goat's milk ice cream". First a family, then a few families, the number of ice cream shops increased rapidly. The most popular ice cream parlor “I'm Here Cafe“. They were not satisfied with various kinds of ice cream, they decorated the land inherited from their fathers for their Instagram photos. When you enter the garden to take a picture in the decor, "don't you want ice cream?" It is impossible to resist his offer. In June 2021, the ball of ice cream was 8.5 TL.

Ride the Canoe

When you go down to Simena – Kaleköy beach, you will see that many canoes are waiting for their guests on the beach. If you are staying in Kaleköy, your hostel will provide you with canoes. But if you can't stay and come for a day, you can rent a canoe from Üçağız or Kaleköy and enjoy the shallow and clear waters on the canoe.

Get Lost in the Streets of the Village Decorated with Bougainvillea and Oleanders

Walking in narrow streets, some of which are ancient stairways, and looking at the stalls of trinkets is one of my favorite activities in Kaleköy. As you go up the stairs, the view of the beach, the rock tombs in the water and the view of Kekova Island become more and more beautiful. It's hard to go out during hot hours, but don't give up. Village people usually exhibit their handicrafts in front of their houses or natural products such as thyme and sage that they have collected themselves. You might consider buying fragrant thyme.

Walk Parts of the Lycian Way

A part of the Lycian Way, which is among the most popular 10 walking routes in our country and the XNUMX most beautiful walking routes in the world (in my opinion, is a very justified title), passes through the ancient city of Simena. If you wish, you can walk the route from Üçağız to Simena Castle for a day. Lycian Way Walk You may also be interested in my article.

Discover the Beauty of the Surrounding Bays with Boat Tours

The easiest way to visit the protected area, which includes Kekova Island; Daily departure from Kaş, Demre or Üçağız Kekova boat tour to do. When choosing boat tours, I suggest you find out where it stops, what is on the lunch menu, how many people the boat is for, and whether there is music. My biggest problem with boat tours is the crowd and noise. It doesn't appeal to me at all to cuddle with the song "Plum Branch" while passing by a magnificent view. The number of boats without music is increasing day by day, you can choose them if you wish.

Captain Ergun's departure from Kas Kas and Kekova boat tours For detailed information about boattripturkey You can visit the website. Captain Ergun instagram follow your account COCGEZENKAS discount code The followers of Çok Read Çok Traveller, who send a message to them with 20 TL discount on Kas Kekova tours will win. Don't miss this amazing tour.

Simena – Kaleköy Pensions and Hotels

I have never stayed in Kaleköy. But if you want to stay, there are boutique hostels run by the people who live here. You can see the list of Kaleköy pensions with their phone numbers below without adding any comments. You can call and get availability and price information.

• Terrace Paradise Guest House & Pension & Restaurant – 0536 493 71 61
• Mehtap Pension – 0535 592 12 36
• Omur Pension – 0536 283 30 50
• Likya Restaurant & Pension – 0532 451 68 82
• Simena Pension – 0242 874 20 25
• Kale Pension – 0242 874 21 11
• Castle Pension – 0242 874 21 20
• Sahil Pension – 0242 874 22 63
• Ankh Pansion – 0242 874 21 71

Is it possible to camp in Kaleköy? Is There Caravan Camping?

There is no facility in Kaleköy where you can stay with a tent or caravan. Due to its location, it is not suitable for caravan docking anyway. But don't get discouraged right away, I'll tell you where the closest camping areas for tents and caravans are to Kaleköy.

First, let's talk about the suitable areas for tent camping in Kaleköy. The ancient city of Simena is located on the Lycian Way, which is the most popular walking route of our country. If those walking the Lycian Way want to stay here, there are plains on the side of the pathway that leads to Simena Castle from Üçağız. However, I think that because too much garbage was left and fires were lit, “camping is prohibited” signs were put up here. In fact, if it's okay, tents can be set up here by using the toilets at the entrance of Simena Castle, but if you have such an intention, I suggest you call the gendarmerie command in the region before you go. Outdoor camping can be a problem under pandemic conditions, or the gendarmerie may fine you for camping in a prohibited area.

Don't get discouraged right away, the water flowing at the entrance of Üçağız VillageKekova Camping” accepts both tents and caravans. You can get information about prices and more by calling +90 532 508 01 66. It is possible to reach Simena side by canoes from Üçağız Village.

Where is Simena (Kaleköy)?

Simena (Kaleköy) is located between Kaş and Demre in the province of Antalya. Administratively, it is connected to the Demre district. Although it is located on land, this is a place that cannot be reached by land by vehicle. on Google Maps click for location.

The closest point you can reach by car is the point where the boat shipyard is located after passing the Üçağız Village cemetery. You can reach here by car and follow the Lycian Way signs towards Simena Castle with a 10-minute walk.

Below you can see the distances of Kaleköy to Antalya and its surrounding areas.

• The distance between Simena (Kaleköy) and Antalya city center is 194 kilometers,
• The distance between Simena (Kaleköy) - Antalya Airport is 208 kilometers,
• The distance between Simena (Kaleköy) and Demre is 23 kilometers,
• The distance between Simena (Kaleköy) and Kaş is 36 kilometers,
• The distance between Simena (Kaleköy) and Üçağız is 2,6 kilometers.

How to go to Simena Ancient City and Kaleköy?

I told you that there is no road access to Simena (Kaleköy) by car. Therefore, transportation is a little difficult. I list the transportation options to Simena (Kaleköy) below, you can choose the one that suits you best.

Transportation to Kaleköy by Land Car

The only way to reach Kaleköy by land is to cross the hill on which Simena Castle is located. After passing Üçağız Village, pass the cemetery, you will reach a shipyard where boats and yachts are built. When you come here, it means you have reached the last point you can reach with your vehicle. Here, you can get out of your vehicle, put on your sunglasses and a hat and take a walk on the path towards Simena Castle, which is 60 meters above sea level. This path is also on the famous Lycian Way. At the end of an easy climb, you will first see the rock tombs and the magnificent view. When you follow the path, you will reach the entrance of the ancient city of Simena. After this point, you can climb the steep steps to reach the castle or follow the narrow roads inside Kaleköy and continue towards the sea.

Transportation to Kaleköy by Sea

There are several different ways to reach Kaleköy from the sea:

• First; Joining daily boat tours departing from Kaş or Demre-Çayağzı. Boat tours stay here for about 1 hour, enough for you to eat ice cream.
• Second way; Renting a boat from Üçağız or Kaş. In high season, there may be boats that take a taxi from Kaş port to Kaleköy.
• The third way is; If you are staying in one of the hostels in Kaleköy, the hostel will pick you up by boat from Kaş or Üçağız. Mostly, the hostel you have booked tells you to come to Üçağız and they will pick you up from there. If I said boat, think of it like a boat, they pick you up from Üçağız Port with a vehicle.

Every beauty has a flaw, Kaleköy's flaw is its transportation. But being hard to reach, keeping it intact has enabled it to reach these days and this beautiful place has remained untouched.

Simena Ancient City & Kaleköy Video

You can watch the video below about the ancient city of Simena and Kaleköy route. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel.

Simena Ancient City and Kaleköy Photos

The photos of Simena Ancient City and Kaleköy that I used in this article are displayed below as a gallery. The beauty of the region is reflected in your photos!

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I hope you were able to find answers to your questions about the ancient city of Simena and Kaleköy. If you can't find it, you can write your questions in the comments section.

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