Aperlai Ancient City

If you are looking for a day trip from Demre, a great option would be to sail up to the ruins of Aperlai. Its ruins look as if they were washed up onto the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Scattered out are sarcophagi, building ruins and church ruins. But the most alluring of it all are the sunken city remains. This Ancient Lycian City is located on the Sicak Peninsula, close to the Sicak jetty. This city was also part of the Lycian Confederation of which Isinda, Simena and Apollonia were also members.

The first thing you will notice upon arrival is the city walls on the seashore. Sprinkled fragments of the towers hold details of Roman construction. While the rest of the ruins in Aperlai are all from Byzantine and later periods. Inside the city walls, there is a Christian church, chapel, and cistern. While the outside of walls are typical Lycian sarcophagi. Some of these are in the water, possibly moved into the water by the many earthquakes that occurred along the centuries. Inland, the exploration is more challenging because of the thick bushes.
From Aperlai, you can also visit the ancient sites of Sura Ancient City, Apollonia Ancient City and Kas Ancient Theatre.