Aperlai: the ghost city
Kayak and hike to a drowned Lycian port almost no one visits.
Aperlai was a Lycian harbour town on the Sıçak peninsula, west of Kekova — rich enough from murex purple dye to mint its own coins. The same earthquakes that sank Dolchiste lowered Aperlai’s harbour quarter into the sea. Today its breakwaters and house walls sit in shallow, gin-clear water, its towers stand in maquis on the slope, and on most days the only visitors are goats.
There is no road. You arrive the way Lycians did — over the water and on foot. We are building this as our signature day with licensed local partners: paddle in, walk the ruins with the story told properly, swim beside a harbour that has been closed for fifteen centuries, and get back for the golden hour. Our studio is literally named after this city; this is the tour we care most about getting right.
Highlights
- A genuinely lonely ancient site — no road, no crowds, no queue
- Sunken harbour walls in swimmable, shallow water beside the site
- The murex purple story — Lycia’s imperial dye industry
- Combination of sea kayaking, easy hiking and swimming in one day
Opening with the 2027 season
We are building this experience with licensed local partners over the winter. The announcement lands on this page first.
Questions people actually ask
Why is this tour marked 2027?
We are designing the route, group size and storytelling with licensed local operators over the 2026–27 winter, and it opens with the 2027 season. Details will be announced here first.
Can I visit Aperlai on my own now?
Yes — some guided sea-kayak routes pass it, and walkers reach it from the Lycian Way side trail via Boğazcık. There is no entrance gate or facilities, so bring water and respect the site: it is a protected ruin.
Can you swim at Aperlai?
Swimming is possible in the bay beside the site; as at Kekova, the archaeological remains themselves must be respected and nothing may be touched or removed.
How hard is the walk?
The shore-to-site walk is short and easy; the optional ridge sections are moderate. The day is built around unhurried time at the ruins, not distance.