Kaunos Rock Tombs (Dalyan)
Temple-fronted tombs watch over the reed channels of the Dalyan delta.
Kaunos was a Carian port whose harbour slowly silted up. Its most recognisable remains are the rock-cut tombs above Dalyan, carved like small Hellenistic temples into the cliff.
A port left inland
Kaunos grew around a harbour below its acropolis and lived through Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Sediment carried into the delta eventually cut the harbour off from the sea. The theatre, baths, basilica and temple terraces now sit beside Sülüklü Lake, tracing the former waterfront.
The tombs above Dalyan
Six prominent tombs were cut high into the cliff with façades modelled on temples. They can be seen across the river from Dalyan, while the archaeological city is reached separately by boat and road. Despite often being grouped with Fethiye excursions, the site is in Çandır, Köyceğiz, beside Dalyan; plan it as a separate Muğla visit.
Plan two different viewpoints
The famous tomb façades are easiest to appreciate from the Dalyan side of the channel; entering the archaeological city is a separate trip by boat or road to Çandır. Inside Kaunos, the harbour, theatre and terraces spread over uneven archaeological ground below a steep acropolis. If walking is limited, the riverside view still gives a clear sense of the tombs; do not mistake that short stop for a visit to the whole city.
