Simena Castle — Attraction in Demre

Simena (Kaleköy)

A visit to the castle village of Simena is usually a highlight of our Kekova cruises. Located on Turkey's Mediterranean coast between Kaş and Demre in the Antalya region, and overlooking the Sunken City of Kekova, the village's ancient stone citadel is centred in the the environmentally protected Kekova region – and was once an important watch tower in the battle against pirates in the region. While Simena has never been a major city like nearby Myra, archaeologists have determined that this stretch of coastline has been inhabited since the 4th century BC – based on the discovery of Lycian, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman artifacts. The settlement's main role has been that of a fishing village and harbour. Most would agree that it's the ruins of the castle built into the top of the hill during the Middle Ages, and the surrounding Lycian necropolis. The castle we see today is built in the Byzantine style, but stands on the foundations of an earlier structure built in Lycian times. It was built by the Knights of St. John for monitoring and protecting the coastline from invasion. Many of the castle's crenelated walls are still standing, and the small theatre carved into the rocks – with a capacity for 300 people, it is reported to be the smallest theatre in the Lycian region – is in remarkably good condition. The village surrounding the castle also harkens back to ancient times. The village's residents live in small stone houses built onto the hillside, connected by steep, narrow and winding paths and staircases. (During tourist season, they hawk their wares to tourists making the steep climb to the castle.) There are a few bars and restaurants – all of which seem to serve homemade ice cream! – and a few pansiyons for accommodating visitors. Ancient tombs (sarcophagi) dot the landscape around the village, including an oft-photographed, partly submerged sarcophagus in the village's natural harbour. Just to the east of the castle walls, several impressive free-standing Lycian tombs are still in evidence today. Although they've been damaged by time, weather, and war, the inscriptions are still visible, providing historians with invaluable about the area's earliest residents. Although there is electricity and running water in Simena, there are few modern conveniences in the community. There is no post office, bank, medical clinic or pharmacy. There are no roads – and therefore no cars. The only way to access the village is on foot (from nearby Uçağiz) or by boat. A visit to Simena is truly an escape from...

June 2023

If you choose to go by car (and not by boat), follow Google Map to Simena Castle until you can't go further by car.

When you leave D400 the street will get narrower and the quality worse. It takes longer to proceed. It takes about 20-30 until Ucagiz. Go through the village and you will find a place where cars park. I took a photo of this place from the castle.

There is a bus stop as well and you will pass a cemetry.

From the "car park" try to find the path up to the castle with the help of my photos. When you stand in the car park and look up to the castle, the path at your level will start on your left. Unfortunately, there is no sign for that.

It takes about 15 minutes to get up to the castle and you better wear hiking sandals or shoes. The surface is somewhat rocky and uneven but totally doable.

The entrance fee was 75 TL (at the time the only option was to pay by cash). Opening times were 8.00-20.00. There is a toilet at the castle. No drones were allowed this time.

To walk around in the castle is indeed only about 15 mins, but it depends on how much time you spend on enjoying the view and take photos.

If you want to explore Simena you can take the other path down which leads through ice cream stalls, small cafes and other stalls with clothes. It starts right at the castle.

I took some pictures where you can see the boat access to Simena and some signposting...

Sinema is a car-free, road-free town with an ancient, falling-apart castle, scattered tombs, and ancient rocks/rock walls within a maze of tiny shops, cafes and pansiyons. Walking around is sensory stimulation, smells, sounds, and gorgeous sea view. Of course, everything is expensive (coffee 40TL, ice cream 60TL) but the place is terribly pretty. You can spend hours just looking around, watching boats and taking boat rides.

The castle is not worth the 75TL admit, there is nothing amazing about it, it's very small, takes