Antalya Airport to Simena (Kaleköy) private transfer

On maps you'll find it as Kaleköy, but its older name is the one archaeologists still use: Simena. This tiny Lycian-era village sits on a small headland directly across from Kekova Island, in the Demre district of Antalya province, and it has almost no road of its own — cars simply don't fit through it. Stone lanes wind between whitewashed pansiyons, boats are tied up outside front doors, and ancient sarcophagi lean against garden walls as if they were fence posts. With a year-round population in the low hundreds, Kaleköy is one of the most unspoiled corners of the Lycian coast, and it stays that way largely because it's genuinely hard to reach by car. We're a family-run transfer company based in Antalya, and Kaleköy is one of the routes we know best precisely because it isn't a simple point-to-point drive — there's a boat involved, and getting that last leg right matters.

Above the village rises the Byzantine-era Simena Castle, and inside its walls sits one of the smallest ancient theatres in the world — a rock-cut set of seven or eight rows carved straight into the hillside, looking out over the sea. The climb is short but steep, roughly 20-25 minutes on foot in decent shoes, and it's worth every step. Scattered along the shoreline below, half-submerged Lycian sarcophagi and rock tombs form the village's most photographed sight. Directly opposite, along the northern coast of Kekova Island, lies the Kekova Sunken City — a settlement partly swallowed by the sea after a 2nd-century AD earthquake, where you can glide over submerged staircases, wall foundations and floor mosaics on a boat tour or, increasingly popular, a moonlit kayak trip that leaves from Kaleköy itself.

A taxi to Kaleköy actually ends in Üçağız, ancient Teimiussa, the village where the road stops and the boats take over. Üçağız is worth exploring in its own right — rock tombs, sarcophagi and the remains of an old harbour line the waterfront. From there, short boat rides connect on to Kaleköy and to the more remote ruins of Aperlai. About 40 minutes further south by taxi is Kaş, a lively harbour town known for Kaputaş Beach and its diving scene. Head north instead, roughly 25-30 minutes towards Demre, and you'll reach the rock-cut tombs of ancient Myra and the Church of St Nicholas — the fourth-century bishop who became the historical basis for Santa Claus. With a full day to spare, Turkey's longest beach at Patara, along with the UNESCO-listed ruins of Xanthos and Letoon, make an easy taxi day trip from the coast.

Kaleköy's accommodation is all small, family-run pansiyons rather than big hotels, which suits the village perfectly. We regularly bring guests to Hobby House, Ekin Pension, Likya Pension, Kekova Fish House, Onur Pansiyon and Mehtap — each a short walk from the water or the castle path, most with their own small jetty or terrace restaurant looking straight out at Kekova. If you've booked one of these and are searching "transfer to Hobby House Kaleköy" or "taxi to Ekin Pension," the answer is straightforward: give us your hotel name and arrival time, and we handle the road transfer and coordinate the boat crossing with your pansiyon directly.

Antalya Airport to Kaleköy is around 115 km, following the winding but scenic coastal road through Kemer, Kumluca, Finike and Demre. Driving time runs about 2 to 2.5 hours by road — but the interesting part happens at the very end. Since no vehicle can reach Kaleköy's lanes, we drive you to the jetty at Üçağız, where a short 10-15 minute boat crossing, arranged with your hotel or a local boatman, finishes the journey. We coordinate that handover in advance so someone is waiting for you at the pier. Our fixed price is a fixed fare confirmed at booking, covering flight tracking, a meet-and-greet sign, luggage help and Wi-Fi in the car — no surprises added at the harbour. We also run this route for late-night arrivals; we pre-arrange an evening boat crossing with Üçağız boatmen so a delayed flight never leaves you stranded on the wrong side of the water.

Pack light if you can — the final stretch involves a boat and sometimes a few steps down to the water. Confirm your arrival time with us in advance, since the Üçağız jetty gets busy in the summer months and timing the boat connection well makes everything smoother. We run the same route in reverse for departures, picking you up in Kaleköy or Üçağız for the return journey to the airport. Kaleköy stays one of the few places on this coast where the Lycian past hasn't been paved over, and we've spent years learning exactly how to get guests there — by road and by water — without the last mile becoming a headache.