Kekova: Unhurried holidays

by Recep Peker Tanıtkan

Stretched out along 640km of the Mediterranean coastline, Antalya boasts 118 recognised archaeological sites and dozens of natural beauty spots. Rather than taking in everything and seeing nothing, why not soak in the atmosphere at just one location – say, Kekova?

West of the sun-drenched heart of Antalya lie the realm of Santa Claus and the Olympian gods, the Lycian rock tombs of Myra and ancient Phaselis and the household-name beaches of Adrasan and Patara. Beyond these lie the K-resorts: Kalkan, Kaş, Kekova. To some, the region remains a sleepy backwater of a province bristling with life and action. But to others its canyons and coves are the essential Mediterranean, where the waves can still be heard and the salt still smelt.

Change comes everywhere. Kalkan has long exchanged its fishing-village atmosphere for a busy yachting harbour - though small is still beautiful among its narrow streets and shady shops, and the Thursday market is not be missed. In Kaş, the bougainvillea goes on scaling the white walls. But the district centre is also now Turkey’s most popular destination for divers.

From here, the village of Kale or Kaleköy – the ancient Simena – is only a short drive away. It takes its modern name from the fortress that stands watch over the Kekova region, dotted with ancient settlements, and defined by its long, bare island. The island is renowned for its sunken city. Like others in the vicinity, the city is thought to have been the victim of an earthquake in the second century BC. The remains of streets, houses and steps are clearly visible below the surface of the sea adjacent to the island. At the point known as the Shipyard or Boathouse Cove, the ruins of a Byzantine monastery catch the eye.

Taking your time

Kekova is no place to be in a rush. It must be explored minutely by boat and on foot. The night must be passed in one of the guest houses at the top of the hill. You must be woken by the first rays of morning, and must breakfast on village cheese and bread, with tasty fresh tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. You must then spend some minutes staring down the slope and into the huge natural aquarium, as if to read the inscriptions on the half-submerged tablet that defies the ravages of time. Only then must walk the route your eyes have taken, down to the waterline, to splash in the water which looked so blue and sparkling from above.

All along the path the village women knit and crochet, and display the fruits of their labours, which they sell for a tiny sum, to earn their families a living.

Nowhere will you eat fresher fish.  The pocket-size restaurants along the shoreline catch and cook them before your very eyes. There is really no need of wine, because you are already drunk with the sun and the sea air, the scenery and the swimming.

(DIPLOMAT  -  July 2005  -  Ankara)