Lycian Sea

Meeting of the group at 8 am at the central bus station of Antalya (Otogar). It's about an hour's drive from the airport to the bus station. If there are no suitable morning flights, you can arrive a day earlier and spend the night in a hotel in Antalya ($10 per person).

From Antalya we take a bus to the resort town of Kas (3 hours on the road).

We cross the Sebeda valley (also a former Lycian settlement) and, having crossed to the other side of the Gata Burun cape, we come out onto an unusual beach. This is not the usual sand or pebbles, but a huge stone slab, all eaten away by erosion. Similar jagged stones and unusual rocks will accompany us all day.

Along an ancient Roman path we climb a hill decorated with the ruins of an ancient tower. Here we leave the sea for a while to look at the ruins of the Lycian city of Apollonia. Then we go down to the sea again in the area of ​​the half-submerged ancient settlement of Aperlae at the base of the huge Sychak peninsula. Here we will hire a boat (about 100 lire), which will take us to the other side of the bay (6 km, 40 minutes).

Literally opposite the place where we spent the night, on the ledge of a high cape, under the protection of fortress walls, the village of Kale (from Turkic - fortress) nestled. Once upon a time there was a coastal city of the ancient Lycians - Simena. But then the sea level changed and Simena went under water. Nowadays, the sunken city has become the main attraction of these places - at the height of the season, many boats with transparent bottoms carry tourists along the bay separating Simena and the island of Kekova. If we wish, we can also take a boat ride there or go to Calais on foot. Along the way you can see a small ship repair yard and several sunken ships.

We pack up the tents and return to Uchayz. From here we take a minibus to Demre (30 minutes). There we look at the ruins of the ancient city of Mira (admission is paid, 15-20 liras per person). They are notable for their huge amphitheater and many bas-reliefs on the rock tombs. For those who have already been to Mir, there is an alternative program - we will climb the rock for panoramic views of the fortress towers.

In the center of Demre we look at the church where two thousand years ago the same Saint Nicholas (Santa Claus) preached. Then we go to the bus station, take a minibus and after 3 hours we are in Antalya (usually around 17:00).

You can fly home (flights departing no earlier than 20:00) or stay overnight in Antalya. The instructor usually flies out in the morning too, so he will help with accommodation and transportation.