Thursday, November 05, 2009

SEA SYMPHONY

KEKOVA - SEPTEMBER 2008

The name «Kekova» describes the region encompassing the island of Kekova, the villages of Kaleköy and Üçağiz and the three ancient towns of Simena, Teimussa and Tersane. The region was declared a Specially Protected Area in 1990 to protect the natural, cultural and geographic richness of Kekova Island and surrounding coast.




"BLUES - The colours of the sea on this tour are incredible!"


"CRUISING - The «Kekova Roads» are very popular with yachts cruising along Lycia's Turquoise Coast. They often anchor here to enjoy history, turquoise water, sun, islands, unspoilt nature, blue skies and wonderful swimming, as we'll see further down"


"BRIDGE"


"KEKOVA - The highlight of this tour is the ancient Lycian sunken city of Simena, often referred to as Kekova-Simena. Along the island are the half-submerged ruins of the residential part of the city, caused by the downward shift of land by the terrible earthquakes of the 2nd century AD. There is usually a long line of tourist boats to see the ruins"


"WATER TAXI - There are also some fishermen reconverted into water taxi drivers..."




"STAIRS - Half of the houses are submerged and staircases descend into the water. I can't stop admiring the amazing colours of the water!!"




"SUNKEN BUILDINGS - Foundations of buildings may also be seen below the sea"


"ENJOYING"


"DREAMS COME TRUE"




"SUNKEN PORT - The foundations of the ancient harbour may also be seen below the water, but the water colours are awesome!"



"SWIMMING - You're no longer allowed to swim at the ruins; so the alternatives are some quiet, wonderful bays near the site..."

63 comments:

Trotter said...

Hi Everybody! Blogtrotter is back to show you the most incredible assortment of water colours I’ve ever seen together in such a small portion of the sea... Of course, the existence of a mysterious sunken city helps, but Kekova is a must see any way!! Hope you enjoy this last post on the Turkish Riviera in 2008 and have an excellent weekend!!

Daniela Valdez said...

Hi Trotter!!

This place sounds like a dream!!! Thanks for posting it!!

Xoxo,

Dana

Emery Roth said...

I'm speechless. Amazingly beautiful. So glad you have the time to get to all these places.

Anonymous said...

Wow! the water is beautiful! The two of you look great in the water, too!

Paz

alicesg said...

Wow so beautiful and relaxing. You really knows how to enjoy life. :) I am travelling again next month if all goes well. Already book tickets to Cambodia but only for a very short trip to attend a wedding there. Will blog about it once I got photos of the country next month. Have a nice weekend.

Ron said...

That blue water is incredible. This is a very interesting post.

Indrani said...

Delightful blues and greens!
Terrific shots!

Bindhu Unny said...

Amazing! Brilliant! Superb! I want to use all the adjectives (positive ones) in English!
:)

Lakshmi said...

what a blue..Im writing a travelogue for a magazine on a trip down the coastline of Tamil Nadu in India and yur pics are great inspiration

Julian Davis said...

Amazing photography ! Thank you for sharing with us. Great place to visit.

alice said...

Superbe! J'ai passé quelques jours de cette façon en Turquie, il y a ... 25 ans! Je me souviens d'avoir mangé des oursins tout juste péchés, un délice. Bon week end, Gil!

yyam said...

Oh my! These are my favourite shades of blue! Magnificent! Wish I could see this in person! Thanks for sharing!

man in painting said...

Amazing stuff..
cheers

SusuPetal said...

Oh, wonderland! Such beautiful colors, nothing like the greyness of Helsinki with first snow.

Cergie said...

Je m'en doutais bien un peu, Gil. Tu es un chasseur au long cours de vague et d'écume.
Ce post mérite le titre que tu lui as donné : la mer offre des chatoiement si variés, si beaux et invitants à la baignade ; elle est le reflet du ciel et des fonds changeants.

hpy said...

Yhere's a lot of blue water over there.

Bhushavali said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bhushavali said...

Wow... This is called crystal clear sea...

Pls do wish my friend a Happy B'day at Savoir-Faire

diane b said...

What a magical place. The sea water is indeed an array of beautiful blues.The sunken town is awsome and the water obviously invites you to swim. Thank you for the wonderful tour of Turkey. Where are you taking us next?

Venksh said...

Wow Gil,
u had nice swimming in the water which is colorful n artistic...
i haven't seen water in these colors... Awesome photography gil..

Have a great weekend..

Kven.

Anonymous said...

simply beautifully captured shots...lovely blues!

Shionge said...

After looking at all the pictures it just soothes me down and fill so calm. This is truly amazing Gil and thank you for visiting me all the time :D

Rune Eide said...

I have a soft spot for pictures of bule skies and sea - and you had them both.

Anonymous said...

I take it you did not like the waters very much....(just kidding). :) When I opened this post that first photo just took my breath away Gil. Right now our waters are all muddy looking due to the rain that never stops we keep having. Have a super great weekend. ~ Lynn

Daniel Chérouvrier said...

Il fallait attendre les deux dernières photos pour avoir la réponse à la question " Pourquoi n'y a t il pas de nageurs et nageuses dan une eau aussi accueillante" ?

Jurgen Huibers said...

Must be great to take a dive into that!

I've been busy last weeks improving my blog, have a look now on www.seebeautifulplaces.com.

Lara said...

you are so right! it's a true symphony!

Lori said...

That water could not be more beautiful!! It looks like you both had a nice swim!

Thérèse said...

Chrystal blue, chrystal green... it's beautiful.
I am glad it is protected.

eye in the sky said...

beautiful blues....

Marja said...

Gorgeous Fantastic pictures We were on one of these boats too We went on a 3 master I think and also went to blue lagoons What a fantastic country

Anonymous said...

woow beautiful lady's swimming!!
this is really fantastic like a movie ;)

Stella Bella said...

Oh my god! the water is so beautiful!!!! I want to go for a swim in there! :D

Pietro said...

Hello Gil! "Sea Symphony" is really the right title for this fantastic post. The colors of the water are absolutely amazing! I've enjoyed so much all these wonderful pictures!
Have a great weekend!

lv2scpbk said...

My computer is back up and running and the phone lines are fixed. Finally!

Love the various blues of the water. Also love the bridge photo. Makes me feel like I'm seeing what you're seeing when you took the photo.

Unknown said...

Amazingly beautiful ! The blues and greens of the water are heavenly!

S-V-H said...

Thanks for sharing all the beauty of this place. The colors are breathtaking, yes! And blue is my favorite color anyway :)

Thank you also for commenting on my blog, Gil!

Rakesh Vanamali said...

Whoaaa! Look at the water! Awesome! Reminds me of the movie The Beach!!!

Anonymous said...

fantastic photo, as usual and interesting info. thanks

PeterParis said...

The colours of the water, yes, but also the colours of the shore line!!!

(You are now more than one year late again! Not easy to catch up with all the traveling you make.) :-)

Sahildeki Ev said...

Oh how I miss summer and my house in Datca.. Have you eever been there when you are travelling Turkey?? I love your photos..

Unknown said...

Oh Gil, you make me want to jump into that big blue sea...wonderful and beautiful ocean pictures! Meanwhile, something hot and spicy is waiting for you...hope you eat those stuff :) Happy week ahead Gil.

Trotter said...

Hi Folks! This looked like a fabulous way to end the 2008 adventure in the Turkish Riviera!! The colours of the sea near Kekova were probably some of the most impressive I’ve seen; and I tell that, from the Great Barrier Reef to the Caribbean, going through the Fiji Islands, the Greek Isles and the Algarve, I’ve seen a lot... ;). Next post I’ll get back to an old acquaintance in the Iberian Peninsula. Hope you enjoy and have a tremendous week!!

Dana,
Great to see you back and happy to get to your blog! For some days/weeks your link was sending me to a weird ads page, but now it seems to work again. Probably you have a new address...
It’s a dream place this one and the sea over there is beyond belief!! xoxo!

Ted,
It’s not that easy to get all over; the secret is to use every available little minute to get somewhere I’ve never been to... Time is nowadays one of the items in most short supply in my life... ;))

Paz,
That dive into the water was one of the most rewarding I’ve taken up to now... and I’m definitely getting older... ;))

Alice SG,
Knowing how to enjoy life is something you learn with age; no wonder old people know it better... ;)). So you, lucky girl, are preparing to travel again, and this time Cambodia... One day I’ll make it to Angkor Wat and will see finally what you have already seen... ;)). Look forward to seeing your pictures of the wedding and of Cambodia!!

Ron,
You’re entirely right; that sea is absolutely stunning!!! I’ve hardly seen so beautiful colours anywhere else...

Indrani,
This time I came closer to the wonderful pictures your Canon camera usually takes... ;))

Bindhu Unny,
Thanks! That’s your kind eyes that see all that over there... But this time it comes quite close to the true reality... ;))

Lakshmi,
I see that you have been quite active in organizing trips and writing travelogues professionally; for my next time in India I’ll ask you some advice!! I’m glad this post was helpful...

Julian,
Thanks for your visit and first time comment at Blogtrotter! My pleasure to show it for you to enjoy!!

Alice,
Est-ce que ça a beaucoup changé en 25 ans? Je ne le crois pas… ;) Mais il y a 25 ans ma fille venait de naître et –alors que tu t’amusais en Turquie -, j’ai du aller tout seul à Washington pour un cours en droit financier international. Pas très sympa, mais c’est là que j’ai vu à la TV la première médaille d’or du Portugal au Jeux Olympiques : à Los Angeles, Carlos Lopes gagnait le marathon masculin… ;))

Yvonne,
If you are a blue supporter, these sea colours are absolutely magnificent... I’m still impressed when I see them one year later...

Man in painting,
Thanks for your visit to Blogtrotter and for your first time comment here! Kekova is outstanding!!

Susu,
Much better than Dreamland, Neverland or whatever... ;)). And certainly much better than the day we had here with some bits of rain, though the temperature was around 20º centigrade; no snow... ;))

Lucie,
Une fois, j’avais déjà entendu parler des «poissons d’eaux profondes», mais «chasseur au long cours de vague et d'écume», c’est vraiment la première fois… ;). En tout cas, je te dis que, après toutes les surprenantes couleurs de la mer que j’ai vues, celles-ci sont les plus belles !!

Hélène,
There are many examples of blue, indeed; if that is the colour of water, that’s more problematic, though we all used it until Cergie put it the right way!! A contradiction in terms... ;))

Friend,
Crystal clear, ok; but with a lot to see under water... I’ll check your post on your friend’s birthday as soon as possible, but it will be a belated happy birthday anyhow!!

Diane,
Magical is a perfect work to describe what you see at the sea near the sunken city of Kekova!!! The swimming was gorgeous, the water crystal clear and warm enough for a fabulous bath... Now, after this we’ll be back to a city that is an old acquaintance but celebrated a re-birth after a famous architect created a fantastic building to be the home of a famous... well, you’ll see everything on the coming post... ;))

Trotter said...

Part Two:

Kven,
Wow! Welcome back; you have been out for a while...
You haven’t seen water? That’s the only thing I saw on this post since the very beginning up to the end... ;))

Kalyan,
Another well esteemed return to the comments at Blogtrotter! Great to see you around here!!

Betty,
Welcome back; it has been some time that we missed you in the blogosphere!! That dive in the blue and quiet waters of the little bay was a perfect finish for the posts on our 2008 summer holidays!!

Rune,
Blue is always gorgeous, be it sky, sea or shirts of a football team (well, maybe only some blues and not all the teams... ;)). And actually, this time the blues came out quite well!!

Lynn,
No, actually just went down there because someone threw us into the sea... ;))
We had just a bit of rain here today, after a October with temperatures around 26º Celsius; weird weather indeed... Portugal is becoming a tropical country; it doesn’t make any sense... ;)

Daniel,
Voilà!! Mais ça a valu la peine d’attendre jusqu’au bout pour prendre un bain magnifique dans des eaux fabuleuses... ;))

Juka,
It was a perfect dive, indeed; still dream with it... ;)
I saw the improvements in your blog; it looks great!! I would love to make Blogtrotter much more attractive, but my blogging capabilities are very limited and time to learn is quite scarce... ;))

Lara,
OK, but it depends of the composer and the orchestra; I tell you that Brahms, like Goethe would say, it’s only reluctantly accepted... ;))

Lori,
You can’t imagine how nice it was; well maybe you can compare with a great meal at the old Bouley’s, when it was always at the top of the list of the NYC restaurants at the Zagat!!! ;))

Thérèse,
It seems that for many years people could swim in the shores of Kekova. The problem was that, like in the Great Barrier Reef and many other places, swimmers would love to take home a souvenir of the place and rocks were being taken away and the site highly damaged; thus the prohibition for anyone to swim there, even the ones that don’t touch but just see... ;)

Eye,
Indeed! I fully agree with you...

Marja,
I knew you were a lucky girl and didn’t already that you’ve made a Turkish Odyssey in one of those boats... ;). You probably made the Kekova road... There are several bays than may be named blue lagoons, but the real one is in Fiji Islands and it’s awesome!!

Niki,
Wow! Welcome back! I’m so glad to see you commenting at Blogtrotter so many years after... It has been a great deal of time without emotional rescue... ;)). The lady is beautiful indeed; at least since 1970... ;)

Stella,
OK! Start packing, forget Croatia and dive into the Aegean Sea... And then, like Mr. Clooney, what else? lol

Pietro,
I fully agree with you: those sea colours are absolutely outstanding! Actually, those blues and greens brought to my memory some of your paintings and even the lovely award you created for your friends in the blogosphere... That’s a great job also!!

Barb,
Great to read that the computer problem is fixed and that you’re back alive at the blogosphere!! That choice of blues was quite impressive! Also like the bridge picture!!

Keats,
That’s what happens when you dive into the Aegean Sea: you’re always running the risk of getting closer to paradise... ;))

Sue,
I know you’re a lady with very good taste; no wonder blue is your favourite... So, we are already two... ;)) It’s always my pleasure to comment on the awesome pictures of your beautiful blog!!

Rakesh,
I think I saw that movie some time ago on TV, but, if it is what I remember, I tell you that Kekova is much more interesting... ;))

Vaggelis,
Glad that you enjoyed! Always a pleasure to get a nice comment from someone with many of the most gorgeous pictures one can find in the blogosphere! Great job is yours!!

Trotter said...

Peter,
The shoreline is also impressive!! I’ll try to be back on track, which means only one year delay, by the end of this year. Actually, as I finished Turkey 2008 and my next post is from November 2008, things will come closer to normal; but it’s hard to make it better... ;))

Turquoise Diaries,
No wonder you miss summer… with a house in Datça… ;)). The closest I’ve ever been to Datça was Bodrum… or probably Kos! But, one day, I’ll make a Turkish Odyssey in one of those wonderful boats and I’ll get to Datça, either from Simi or on my way to Simi… ;))

M.Kate,
I wouldn’t mind going back and jump also again in that water, though now the temperature is probably a little bit less inviting... ;)). As for the hot and spicy, I’m always ready... ;))

Galaxy6139 said...

how beautiful Nature is ^^

Trotter said...

Galaxy,
Right you are!!!

Tinsie said...

I love taking pictures of sea water! The colour is amazing!

Trotter said...

Tinsie,
I thought you couldn't miss this one!! It was special for you!! ;))

JD said...

such a beauty.. it was pure delight to see these pics..

could u see the remains of the houses from above the water surface??

Trotter said...

JD,
You can even see some ruins bvelow the water even from the boat!!

lyliane six said...

Superbe la Turquie, encore une idée de voyage, mais plus tard, quand je ne pourrais plus aller bien loin.
Mon voyage en Inde approche encore un petit mois, mais maman est toujours hospitalisée, ce qui m'inquiète un peu.
Bises à vous deux.

Trotter said...

Lyliane,
C'est déjà super d'arriver à notre âge encore avec des parents vivants!! Tout va être bien, j'espère et tu auras un beau voyage là bas... Bon courage!!

Mariposa said...

oh my i'm blown away by the colours.. it's amazing

Trotter said...

Mariposa,
I knew you would love this one; it's awesome...

indicaspecies said...

Oh yes, amazing blues. A sheer pleasure to view, thanks.

Trotter said...

Celine,
I thought you couldn't miss this one... ;))

Light and Voices said...

Wowza! Those are mighty blue seas.
Joyce

Trotter said...

Joyce,
Blue, Turquoise, whatever... they're awesome, aren't they? ;)

MedaM said...

Beautiful photos of really lovely place. The water is so clear and its blue shades color is fantastic. The white rocks around makes this place even more charming, interesting and intimate. You really know how to enjoy life. I enjoyed too while looking at these wonderful photos!

Trotter said...

Medam,
I'm glad you enjooyed this one. I truly thought you would love it... I'm still impressed after seeing them so many times!

Emm said...

Wow. I looooove the beautiful colours of blue. What a pretty place!

Trotter said...

Emm,
They're lovely aren't they? Unforgettable, would Mr. Cole (Nat King) say... ;))