Eleksi Island

Eleksi is a small cove on the southern side of Kekova Island, on the stretch of Antalya coastline between Kas and Demre. Charter listings often render it as Eleksi Island; the Turkish name is Eleksi Koyu, Eleksi Bay. It sits off the main tour circuit, which is most of the point of going.

Where It Is

Kekova Island, Dolichiste in antiquity, is uninhabited and covers about 4.5 square kilometres. An earthquake in the second century AD dropped part of the settlement on its northern shore below sea level, and the walls and stairways still visible under the water there are what most day boats come to see. Eleksi lies round on the other side, facing south, with a small beach fringed by olive trees.

The whole area falls inside the Kas-Kekova Specially Protected Area, declared on 18 January 1990 and covering roughly 258 square kilometres of coast, islands and sea. The designation takes in Kekova Island, the villages of Ucagiz and Kalekoy, and the ancient sites of Simena, Aperlae, Dolichiste and Teimiussa. It is also why building, anchoring, diving and fishing here are regulated rather than free-for-all.

Anchoring and Conditions

The bottom is a mix of sand and rock and holds well enough, but the cove is open to the south, so it is a fair-weather stop that depends on the forecast rather than a guaranteed overnight berth. Boats moving on usually run east to Gokkaya, a deep and well-sheltered inlet, or north into the Kekova Roads.

The cruising season runs from April to the end of October. Sea temperatures on this coast climb to around 28 °C by August and summer air temperatures reach the low to mid thirties, which is why most boats time the long passages for the morning and the swimming stops for the afternoon.

Eleksi is a classic stop on a Kas blue cruise itinerary, usually dropped in between the sunken city and the swim at Aquarium Bay. Skippers who know the island tend to save it for the hour when the day fleet has turned for home.

Snorkelling and Diving

The water around Kekova is clear enough that ancient masonry, foundation courses and cut steps running down into the sea, can be made out from the surface in the shallows. Fish, crabs and the occasional turtle come with it. One rule matters: swimming and diving directly over the sunken city on Kekova's north shore are prohibited under the protected-area regulations. Elsewhere around the island, snorkelling is allowed.

Nearby Bays

• Ufakdere: a quiet sandy bay about 12 kilometres east of Kas, anchoring in 4 to 12 metres over sand with good holding and shelter from northerly winds. There is a campsite ashore.
• Inonu Bay: another swimming stop on the same day-boat run out of Kas, normally paired with Eleksi and Aquarium Bay.
• Gokkaya: a deep inlet east of Kekova with excellent holding, used for overnight stops. The Lycian hill site of Istlada looks down on it from the north.

Getting to the Area

Trips start either from Kas harbour or from Ucagiz. Kas is about 185 kilometres from Antalya along the coastal D400, a drive of roughly three hours; Ucagiz is another 35 kilometres east, down a side road off the Kas-Demre highway. From either, Eleksi is a short leg by boat.