Kalekoy Castle (Simena) offers a bird’s eye view of the bays, inlets, islands and colorful yachts sailing peacefully on the glassy water. Simena, which can be reached by the coastal road from Demre or Ucagiz Koyu, with its history and natural beauty is, like Teimiussa, one of the most enchanting Lycian sites. Its tombs, its well preserved medieval fortress, and its underwater ruins, shrouded in mystery by the blue of the sea, together with its present day fishing village, all merge to produce a colourful scene.
We have no significant information about Simena’s history. We know only that in Roman times it was a member of a small federation of which its neighbouring city. Aperlae, was the head. Without doubt, however, the town was founded much earlier.Lycia’s smallest theatre is located in the magnificent medieval fortress on the hill.
Carved from living stone, this tiny theatre, with only seven rows of seating, held between 250 and 300 people. Most of the remaining ruins belong to ancient houses which, with a few changes, are still used today as village dwellings.
Particularly noteworthy are the ruins of a bath with polygonal wall construction, which is situated on the shore. Its inscriptions reveal that it was dedicated to Emperor Titus (reigned 79-81 A.D.) by the people and the assembly of the federation formed by Aperlae and the towns linked to it, Simena, Apollonia and Isinda. Because some of the harbour foundations, walls and ruined sarcophagi are today submerged in the sea, Simena and Kekova, the island opposite, are together often called Batık Kent “Sunken City”.