We run the route in reverse, so the bays are at their quietest.
Ask a question — the answer is probably already written.
Osman Cengiz was born in 1962 and has worked the water at Çayağzı since 1985 — day tours, charters and blue voyages from Antalya to Bodrum.
He knows the coves, the winds and the currents of this coast the way other people know their street, and he guides in Turkish, English and German. His wife Gülsüm cooks everything that comes out of the galley and holds a captain’s ticket herself. Their son Cengizhan is the boat’s second captain. Between them they have handled every kind of day at sea, and nobody who steps aboard Poseidon 07 is treated as a ticket number.
One boat, 9 ways to spend a day on it. Every trip leaves from Çayağzı harbour in Demre, and tea and cold water are included on all of them.
Private tours are priced per boat. On the full-day tour the price covers a group of six, with a set charge for each guest after that, up to 12 — the exact figures are on the card. The shared day tour is priced per person. Lunch is cooked on board and included on the full-day and shared tours. Message us with your dates and group size and you will get a straight answer, usually within the hour.
The whole archipelago at your own pace, the boat yours alone, and 11 stops with no time limit at any of them.
₺25.000per boat
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The full 11-stop day, then sunset and dinner cooked on board — back at eleven, under the stars.
₺35.000per boat
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The same coast and the same kitchen, shared with other guests and priced per person — lunch included.
₺1.500per person
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The Sunken City in the last golden light, a swim at Tersane, and the sunset from the castle or the deck.
₺10.000per boat
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Kekova after dark: no wind, no other boats, and a night swim off the stern under the moon.
₺10.000per boat
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A half-day route built around one moment, with the table set at the stern and the sun timed to match.
₺10.000per boat
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A full day in the turquoise bays with the boat to yourselves, music on and the grill going.
₺25.000per boat
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Our winter trip: the Pirate Cave, the Sunken City and an hour ashore at Kaleköy, with hot tea throughout.
₺10.000per boat
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The back of Kekova: Karaloz (Seagull) bay, Eğri Liman, Tek Ada and Aşırlı. None of the Sunken City crowds — quieter water, and a brighter turquoise.
₺25.000per boat
View tourPrices are per boat unless marked per person, and are reviewed each season.
Not sure what a day out costs? We collected Kekova boat tour prices along this coast, ours included.
Kekova weather and the best time to visit The short answer: June and September are the best all-round months, July and August are the hottest and busiest, and October is the one most people underestimate. Here is why.Kekova is small enough that every boat visits the same places — what changes is the order. We go the other way round, so we reach each swimming stop before the boats coming the other way do.
We leave the yacht harbour at ten and slow down off the beach, where a freshwater spring runs into the sea and loggerhead turtles come in to feed. Swim with them, or photograph them from the deck.
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A quiet, clean bay to start the day in — tea on deck and the first proper swim, and at that hour rarely another boat at anchor.
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We drop the hook in the most sheltered corner of Gökkaya. Swim, sunbathe, or do nothing at all.
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The ruins of a Byzantine church stand on Kişneli Island to port. The captain tells you its history from the deck as we pass.
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A kilometre and a half along the Lycian and Roman ruins of Simena, at the slowest speed the boat will hold and as close to shore as we are allowed. Swimming is forbidden here, so this is the one stop you watch rather than swim.
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Anchor among the ruins. The stonework underwater here is from the same period as the Sunken City, and you are allowed to swim over it. Lunch is served at this stop.
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Famous for how clear it is, and quiet by this hour because most boats have already turned for home.
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About an hour ashore. Climb to the castle, swim out to the Lycian tomb standing in the sea, walk the village lanes, and eat the homemade ice cream.
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Past İkizler bay, Burç Castle comes into view. We slow right down for photographs and the story behind it.
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We pass close in front of the Pirate Cave — the boat slows, everyone gets their photographs, and then we carry on towards Çamlık.
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The last swim of the day, in the softest light it gets. Tea, coffee or a plate of fruit on deck while nobody is in a hurry.
See the toursBack alongside in Çayağzı, at the same quay we left from in the morning.
Times are a guide. The captain may adjust the programme and the length of each stop for weather and sea conditions — and because this is a private charter, the day can be reshaped around what your group feels like doing.
Kekova is reached from two harbours, and both visit the same bays. The difference is distance — and distance is time spent travelling instead of swimming.
Staying in Kaş? Çayağzı is 48 km away by road, about 45 minutes. Leave at 09:00 and you are aboard at 09:45 — in the water twenty minutes later. Kekova Boat Tour from Kaş and Kalkan
Sea distances measured from each harbour, timed at the speed a loaded day boat holds door to door.
Poseidon 07 is a 14-metre wooden motor yacht, licensed for a maximum of 12 passengers and crewed by the family that owns her.
On a private charter the whole boat is yours: upper and lower deck both open to you, all day, with sun on one and shade on the other. Nine wide sunbathing mattresses run the length of the foredeck, covered in soft towelling, and the upper deck carries a kilim lounge that seats ten. Aft there is a shaded deck with a full-size dining table, an inside saloon, one master cabin, a toilet and a shower. A fridge keeps whatever you bring cold, there is a Bluetooth sound system you are welcome to take over, and a swim ladder off the stern. Wi-Fi runs on board and there are sockets to charge your phone, and for the water there is a kayak and two snorkel sets you are free to use. Life jackets in adult and child sizes and full safety equipment are on board on every sailing. Osman and Gülsüm run her between them — there is no outside crew.
Poseidon 07, her bays and her kitchen — photographs from recent seasons.
Lunch is cooked on board and served at anchor — chicken, fish or köfte, with mezes and salads, then fruit and çay to finish. It is the reason a lot of guests come back.
The barbecue burns on deck: köfte, chicken and fish are grilled there, at anchor. At the same time Gülsüm is in the galley and the mezes come out hot as they are made — nothing is cooked in advance and left to wait. We anchor at Tersane and eat there, with the ruins under the water beside the boat. Tea and coffee run all day at no charge. On a private charter we do not sell drinks on board — bring whatever you like, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, and there is no corkage of any kind; the fridge is there for it. On the shared day tour other drinks are available to buy on board instead. Nothing about the day is rushed to fit a schedule: if the group is still swimming, the boat waits.
Every stop on our route, and why it is worth the time we give it. Weather →
The Lycian town of Simena, sunk by earthquakes in the 2nd century. Staircases, walls and storerooms lie just under the surface for 1.5 km.
A village with no road in. A Lycian sarcophagus stands in the shallows, a crusader castle sits above the roofs, and the ice cream is homemade.
The old shipyard bay. Underwater stonework from the same era as the Sunken City, and here you are allowed to swim over it.
The clearest water in Kekova, and quiet late in the day once the day boats have started back.
Wide, sheltered and green-blue, reached through a strait watched over by the wild goats of Aşırlı Island.
A sea cave off Aşırlı island, and one of the last places Mediterranean monk seals still pup. Chained shut to boats since 2025 — we hold off the mouth and show it from the water.
Pines running down to the water, and the last swim of the day. Tea, coffee or fruit on deck afterwards, while nobody is in a hurry.
Our home harbour, where a freshwater spring runs into the sea and loggerhead turtles come in to feed.
One family running the boat, a route timed to reach each place at its quietest, and — on a private charter — nobody else aboard.
The bays at their quietest in the morning, Kaleköy once the day boats have gone.
Two of you or a full boat, a private charter is never shared. The licence is for 12, which is why there is always deck space and a seat in the shade.
Osman on the helm, Gülsüm in the galley, Cengizhan as second captain.
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155 reviews on Google, 18 on Tripadvisor, 14 on Yandex — every one of them five stars. These are our guests’ own words.
Everything was wonderful. You see the loveliest bays, including clear, astonishing ones nobody else knows. The food is superb — they are always our only choice. Thank you so much, we will be back.
A lovely trip. We were four adults and three children and the day went by without us noticing. We swam in beautiful places, the food was delicious, and the husband-and-wife team look after you properly. They kept us out of the crowds the other boats sail into. Recommended.
Osman and Gülsüm looked after us beautifully on their boat. The food was magnificent and their hospitality unbelievable. Thank you for everything — I recommend them highly.
From the moment you step on board, the atmosphere is less like a tour and more like being welcomed into a home. This was our third time returning, and we’ll be back for a fourth, without a doubt.
The authentic Turkish BBQ on board was a real highlight: fresh, delicious, and full of genuine local flavor. You can tell this is the real deal, not a tourist version.
My wife, our five-year-old daughter and I had a wonderful day. The staff were very helpful and friendly — we were especially pleased that they took such good care of our daughter. A safe and enjoyable tour for families with children.
Reviews are shown translated from the language they were written in.
Everything guests usually ask before booking. If yours is not here, send it to us on WhatsApp.
Message the boat directly. We usually reply within the hour, in Turkish, English or German.
