Aperlai has been identified as an ancient city by some fifth century BC coins with the Lycian inscription APR or PRL. These could only have been struck in Aperlai and only important cities were able to strike their own coinage. There are no rock tombs or inscriptions on the site EXCEPT A Greek inscription on a sarchophagus.

Pliny mentions the city as well as by Stadiasmus, Ptolemy and Herackles (?) The Byzantine bishopric lists the name as Aprillae. During the Roman Empire Aperlai headed the sympolity of Simene, Apollonia and Isinda, each of the four carrying one vote in the Lycian League.

There are two ways to gain access to the site, the easy way and the hard way! The hard way is from the north following the track that continues after reaching Apollonia. Whilst a car may make it up part of the way, a jeep would go further and a tractor further still but eventual shank’s pony is necessary there after. The rout down is tortuous and the razor sharp limestone rocks, combined with low tough holly like shrubs and other shrubs with needle like spines make it a difficult route and long trousers should be worn.  A guide is essential and can be found in the village of Kilichi, but there is a Lycian Way marked track that leads to Aperlai, but not from this road. Somewhere, if lucky the distinctive red/white wayside markers can be found and when used will lead you to the site. The other and more easy way is by boat from Ucagiz  to the head of the lagoon of Ucagiz and then a walk, fairly flat across  the isthmus to Aperlai, this walk should take about an hour and a half.

Due to the fact that until recently there has been little interest in visiting the site, nothing has been disturbed more that would be expected over the last two thousand years. However that is not to say that this will change. An attraction is that part of Aperlai lies under water, and as swimming over the sunken site of Kekova is prohibited, Aperlai may well become an attractive alternative, so be warned! There is human habitation there, a lady from Istanbul is said to occupy an attractive house with a jetty and a local farmer the other. As tourist boats find the site, so facilities for them may well be installed. At the moment supplies are either brought by boat or camel two or three times a week.

As to the site itself, it is spread over the northern hillside down to the shores. The city walls are well preserved as to some of the watch towers and gates. Inside there are the remains of a bath house or church, this is open to interpretation and a large open area may well have been the agora. Several sarcophagi litter the site, some more notable than others and on the present day shores some even in the water.

Members of the Universities of Maryland and Denver have undertaken extensive examination of the underwater buildings. They discovered three large rectangular tanks under the water which they believe were used in the manufacture of a dye called “Tyrean Purple”. They also discovered two churches also under water. It is a pity that the results of these expeditions are not available on the web. Photographs of these structures will it is hoped be taken this season (2005)

Even from the shore the remains of the town can be seen under the present water level. This was first noticed by Robert Carter and his wife when sailing in the area.

They observed considerable remains of a quay and other harbour buildings. From the shore the bottom slopes gradually for about 50 meters and is not more than two meters deep even then. Visible are narrow streets and buildings, but what they were used for is uncertain.

 Above the shore the city wall encloses a large fortified area or acropolis with square towers at regular intervals. The gates, over five feet wide and with sockets for hinges and even a socket for a bar across the gate. There are numerous buildings within the acropolis but their use cannot be ascertained with any certainty. There is a church though in one corner and another with a chapel near by.

Outside the walls of the acropolis are numerous tombs but no evidence of any theatre so perhaps the town was not that important to warrant the trappings indicative of an important city.