Patara Travel Guide

The ancient city of Patara, one of the important ports of Lycia, one of the Anatolian civilizations, was established just behind the coastal band that continues for 15 kilometers with its desert-like sands, clean sea and pine forests. The settlement area in Patara is located 2 kilometers behind the ancient city of Gelemiş Village. The area has also been declared a protected area against concretization. The entrance to the city is through a magnificent and well-preserved Roman triumphal arch. On the slopes of the hill to the west of the arch lies a cemetery with Lycian sarcophagi. The theater, which is leaning against the Kurşunlu Hill at the southernmost end of the city and showing Hellenistic Period (2nd century BC) features, is one of the most beautiful spots where the general view of the city and the region can be seen, and today it is largely filled with sand. The other ruins of the city; Vespasian Baths, Corinthian temple, Anacadde, harbor and Hadrian's granary (Granarium) can be easily seen from here.

What to Do in Patara?

• Sunset Watching or photographing the wave movements, shadows, and silhouettes of the dunes—which turn yellow before sunset and then red—with one side remaining in darkness can be reason enough to visit Patara.
• Patara is a popular destination for many tourists in recent years, with its approximately 20-kilometer-long beach of fine sand, protected as a breeding ground for loggerhead sea turtles, its healing sands, its deep blue sea, and its natural beauty.
• Surrounded by pine forests and lush greenery, Patara, close to beautiful holiday resorts such as Kalkan, offers many activities.
• You can take a boat tour from Kalkan or Patara and explore different bays, go out to sea in a canoe, see ancient cities and other historical ruins, visit Saklıkent Canyon, go on hikes, ride horses on the beach, or simply swim in the deep blue sea.
• You can kayak for 15 miles along the Patara coast and spend a beautiful day surrounded by nature.
• You can go hiking on the Patara Trail and in Saklıkent. There are actually many reasons to visit Patara. When you come here, you can swim in the stunning turquoise blue transparent sea, and you can even walk in the sea and battle the waves. You can go on a horse safari in a nearby area. The Taurus Mountains are also close by, and you can hike there. You can see the ruins of ancient civilizations. You can spend a beautiful day at the place called Nero's Lighthouse. 

Places to Visit in Patara

 Since Patara is located in Antalya, it generally has a warm climate, and we see that the Mediterranean climate is largely dominant here. Therefore, trips should mostly be in this direction. Since Patara is a very ancient place with extensive historical roots, when you come here, we would like you to see the first places that come to mind, the Patara Ruins. Patara Amphitheater and then Patara Ancient City, Hadrian's Granary are must-see places, especially cultural and historical areas. And lastly, Patara Beach, of course. Patara, which is visited and watched with interest by both domestic and foreign tourists, is a place that attracts quite a lot of visitors. Patara Wellness Turkish Bath is quite beneficial for health tourism. Camel Bar can be visited, and Patara Sand Dune is one of the places to be seen. Observation terraces and towers are famous.

Patara Harabeleri

Where to Eat in Patara 

Don't think of Patara as a small place. In terms of variety of food, it is one of our distinguished holiday destinations that can offer quite different tastes. Generally, it offers us beautiful presentations of European cuisine, Turkish cuisine, Mediterranean cuisine, and especially vegetarian-friendly foods. There are also examples from German cuisine, of course, fish products are also available here, and there are some products from Middle Eastern cuisine. So, we know that you will see wonderful presentations when you come here. You can find dozens of varieties of pastry and meat dishes here. You can also find cafe-style dessert products. In Antalya Patara, we can list the famous places you can visit as Ayşe Pancake House Patara, Durak, Sailing Terrace Restaurant, St. Nicholas Restaurant, Bolulu Osman's Restaurant, Akay Pension Restaurant, Patara Pancake House, and Yelken Cafe Bistro.

 Sailing Terrace Restaurant

How to Get to Patara 

To reach Patara, you can basically take the Fethiye road. After coming to Fethiye, you need to turn from the Gelemiş direction road without deviating from the main road, and after a distance of 5-6 kilometers here, you can come to the place where the Patara Ruins are located. Apart from this, if you are coming from the Antalya direction, you have two options, either to use the coastal road, that is, the Antalya Kemer Phoenician and Kaş direction, or to use the internal main road to come from Antalya. But the first option takes a little longer, both roads are about 220 km, but the coastal road is a little more winding and rugged, so it may take a little longer in terms of time.

Patara Accommodation Recommendations

Patara hotels are generally located in or near the center on hillsides. Most Patara hotels have a magnificent sea view. They are open all year round, and many have their own swimming pools. Patara hotels located a bit away from the sea offer shuttle services to transport their guests to the sea. There are many hotels, pensions, and apart-hotels of various sizes in the town, and Patara hotel prices are quite reasonable. Although there may be differences from time to time, there is definitely a Patara hotel suitable for every budget.

Patara Accommodation Recommendations: Hotel Pataros, Hotel Xanthos Patara

For more accommodation recommendations, please visit our Patara Hotels page.