Place Category: Ancient Sites
Kaunos, Turkey should be on your list; not just to sail past its Lycian Tombs. Go and explore it! If you don’t, this is what you are missing out on.
Kaunos: So much more than Lycian Rock Tombs
Kaunos, opposite Dalyan in Turkey, is famous for its image of the Lycian Rock Tombs that can be viewed from the famous river cruises. It is an amazing sight. The monumental and well-decorated temple tombs are carved out of the rocks dominating the Dalyan River. They are the main attraction of the many boat tours packed with tourists all summer. Unfortunately, only a few people leave the boat on the other side of the river to go and explore the ancient site of Kaunos to which the Rock Tombs belong. A shame really, as the site is painstakingly beautiful and unquestionably worth a visit. Our advice? Visit Turkey out of season. Negotiate a price with a boat owner to take you across the river and explore the area at your own pace instead of joining a packed boat tour. Private tours are less than half of the announced price if you walk away from the central pier, and negotiate a little. Your reward will be a pleasant boat trip with plenty of photo opportunities offering a far more relaxing and more personal experience.
Click here to read more about Kaunos
Click below to save this place to your bucket list
SaveNo Records Found
Sorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again.
Google Map Not Loaded
Sorry, unable to load Google Maps API.
Leave a Review Cancel reply
1 Review on “Kaunos”
What great photos!
I’ve been visiting Kaunos every year for 16 years; it’s one of my favourite places on the planet. When I first went there, there was no signage or entry gate; we were grateful for our Turkish friend’s local knowledge.
Having been to Pompeii, Kaunos was more magical – such an important port, destroyed by an earthquake and malaria, now deserted except for donkeys, cattle, sheep, goats, the occasional snake and lots of tortoises and lizards, no signs to tell you where you could and couldn’t walk. You could really get a feel for how it would have been, especially in the street area and the amphitheatre. The harbour, silted up, still had so much atmosphere, looking out to sea, imagining all the traffic from all over the world.
16 years on and a lot more has been sympathetically excavated, the harbour has been partially cleared, a Roman tiled floor is visible at the side of the Church and there is an entry gate with a small charge, signage to inform you what you are viewing but the experience is the same. Because it isn’t easily accessible (half hour walk from the rowing boat from Dalyan and some of it uphill) you can wander around without meeting anyone – the amphitheatre is particularly atmospheric, if someone speaks from the ground level, you can hear them from the top, the acoustics are so good because of the rounded bases of the seats.
There are now toilets at the entrance and neat the top of the amphitheatre and you can buy water and ice creams near the entrance. Enjoy!