Kekova (Lycian: Dolichiste) is a small rocky island off Kalekoy and Ucagiz, near the Demre district of Antalya province. It is often referred to as “Kakava” in the sources.
Although it has a surface area of 4.5 km², no one lives on this island. The island, which has hostels and cafes, can be reached by boats. After the Italian occupation, a compromise could not be reached between Turkey and Italy about which country the island would belong to, and then the island was left to Turkey with the agreement in 1932.
On the north side, shipwrecks from the ancient city of Dolkisthe, which was destroyed by earthquakes in the second century, are occasionally encountered. Kekova was re-established and developed during the Byzantine period, but its development could not continue due to Arab invasions.
Kekova and its surroundings were declared a protected area by the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on 18 June 1990.
Although it was decided to do all swimming and diving with special permission by the government, this ban was lifted in the following years for places other than historical shipwrecks.
