The Çevlik Diving Village in Samandağ began operating on Aug 3 as boat tours have become increasingly popular in the district. (AA Photos)
The southern province of Hatay, home to numerous bays along the eastern Mediterranean coast, aims to expand underwater tourism with the opening of the Çevlik Diving Village in the Samandağ district.
The province, which suffered extensive destruction in the Feb. 6, 2023, earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, has incorporated projects aimed at promoting diving into its reconstruction and revitalization efforts.
The Çevlik Diving Village, built on property owned by the Hatay Governor’s Office in Samandağ, began operating on Aug. 3 as boat tours have become increasingly popular in the district.
Located on Çevlik beach, the facility offers diving training with instructors, including scuba, snorkeling and boat diving.
In addition to open-water activities, the facility provides diving lessons in its pool and accommodation in 28 rooms.
Trips accompanied by instructors to bays such as Keldağ and Karamağara in the Yayladağı district aim to increase interest in diving tourism in the region.
Underwater documentary filmmaker and cinematographer Tahsin Ceylan visited the diving village and highlighted the facility’s contribution to underwater tourism and diving.
Ceylan later recorded amphorae as well as lionfish and catfish while diving in the Keldağ area. He also captured the bays and beaches, featuring shades of blue and green, with a drone.
‘We wanted to attract local and foreign tourists’
Hatay Governor Mustafa Masatlı told state-run Anadolu Agency that Keldağ and Karamağara are among the world’s most important diving destinations.
“We have been working to develop sports and tourism in our city. In particular, we wanted to attract local and foreign tourists who enjoy and are interested in diving,” Masatlı said, noting that efforts to erase the traces of the earthquakes were continuing alongside projects to give the city a new vision.
Masatlı said the facility in Samandağ was Türkiye’s first and largest diving village.
Hasan Ali Şahin, operator of the Çevlik Diving Village, said the facility has a 28-person diving boat at the nearby harbor.
“Visitors can receive diving training and stay at the facility. They can continue their diving training regardless of sea and weather conditions and benefit from these services throughout the year,” Şahin said.
Mahmut İğde, an instructor at Keldağ Diving Center, said the region was located in a destination rich in underwater cultural heritage and natural formations.
Emphasizing that the bays of Hatay are among the most frequented diving spots for divers in Türkiye, İğde said the region serves as a “studio” for underwater photographers and a “laboratory” for scientists.
