Kekova Sunken City, Demre & Myra Day Tour from Antalya

Trade the beach for the most storied stretch of Turkey's Lycian coast. This full-day excursion from Antalya brings together the Church of St. Nicholas in Demre — where the real Santa Claus served as bishop — the rock-cut tombs and Roman theatre of ancient Myra, and a boat cruise gliding over the sunken city of Kekova, its walls and stairways visible beneath clear turquoise water. Hotel pickup, guiding and lunch are included; reservation is free and you pay on the tour day.

Some places you visit; Lycia you time-travel into. On this full-day tour from Antalya, a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle collects you from your hotel early in the morning and follows the coastal road west, with a village rest stop where you can add an optional traditional breakfast with a view.

First comes Demre and the Church of St. Nicholas. The generous 4th-century bishop venerated here later became the figure the world knows as Santa Claus, and his church remains a moving pilgrimage site with Byzantine frescoes and quiet stone courtyards. A short drive away lie the ruins of ancient Myra: a wall of Lycian tombs carved straight into the cliff face and one of the best-preserved Roman theatres on this coast. Entrance tickets for both sites are payable locally (ages 8 and up) and your guide arranges them, so you skip the queues; a brief stop at a Christian icon shop rounds out the Demre chapter.

Then the sea takes over. From the harbour you board a boat and cruise across the bay of Kekova, where an earthquake in antiquity slid half a city beneath the surface. Foundations, staircases and harbour walls slip past under the hull in astonishingly clear water. Swimming directly above the protected ruins is not permitted, but when weather allows, the boat pauses in a designated bay for a proper Mediterranean swim. Lunch is served on board or at a local restaurant before the relaxed drive home, arriving around dinner time.

The tour departs twice a week, so seats are limited. Booking is risk-free: reserve online without payment, pay on the day of the tour, and cancel free of charge up to 48 hours ahead.