Hotel Villa Mahal
Kalkan, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[11.3 miles]
Hugely romantic small hotel combining simplicity of style and wonderful food with a stunning beach location. Children over 12 only.
Official star rating:
Bucket list experience:
Patara Beach & Ancient Ruins
Last updated: 09 November, 2022
The pristine sand beach at Patara, at the mouth of the Xanthos (Esen) River delta, runs for some 15 kilometres from Karadere in the west to the superb ancient port ruins at Patara.
The main approach is through the low-key village of Gelemiş, where Ibrahim’s Durak Restaurant offers a superb lunch spot, to the ancient site.
Prioritise visits to the theatre and the adjacent parliament building; the energetic may continue as far as the lighthouse, currently under restoration, before cutting through the dunes to the beach.
The alternative is to return to the road and follow it for a hundred metres beyond the ancient site to where duckboards lead to the beach.
Be mindful of the restrictions: Patara is an important nesting site for endangered loggerhead turtles, and closes after sunset between May and October to allow the turtles to come onto the beach and lay their eggs free of any disturbance. For this reason, sightings of turtles are uncommon, as they rarely venture onto the beach by day.
Want more recommendations in this destination?
Destination Guide >Price: Free
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: +
When: All year around
Getting there & doing it
Patara is just fifteen minutes from Kalkan by car, or a bit longer by regular dolmus (minibus). The beach is about 200 metres from the end of the road. An entrance fee is payable, either for access to the beach or both the beach and ruins. Drinks and snacks are available at the beach bar; there are changing rooms, freshwater showers, and loungers and umbrellas for rent. The only section of the beach that can get busy is the Patara end; but walk just 100 metres west and the crowds soon dissipate.
The ancient site of Patara is largely unshaded, though the going is easy: allow an hour, or more if you want to include the lighthouse.
There are no night-time tours to see the turtles and visiting the beach after dark is actively discouraged, to allow the turtles to lay their eggs in peace.
When to do it
Patara is just fifteen minutes from Kalkan by car, or a bit longer by regular dolmus (minibus). The beach is about 200 metres from the end of the road. An entrance fee is payable, either for access to the beach or both the beach and ruins. Drinks and snacks are available at the beach bar; there are changing rooms, freshwater showers, and loungers and umbrellas for rent. The only section of the beach that can get busy is the Patara end; but walk just 100 metres west and the crowds soon dissipate.
The ancient site of Patara is largely unshaded, though the going is easy: allow an hour, or more if you want to include the lighthouse.
There are no night-time tours to see the turtles and visiting the beach after dark is actively discouraged, to allow the turtles to lay their eggs in peace.
Both the ruins and the beach are open all year round. Patara can be fearfully hot in high summer when either end of the day makes excellent sense. Otherwise, both the beach and ruins can be enchanting at any time of year.
Entrance to the beach is forbidden at night to prevent disturbing nesting or hatching turtles.
Our writer’s picks of the best places to stay near this experience, closest first
Turan Hill Lounge
Mugla, Aegean Region, Turkey[26.2 miles]
Idyllic back-to-nature forest camp with wonderful home-grown food, great woodland walks and a glorious beach just a few minutes’ walk away.
Official star rating:
Lukka Hotel
Kas, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[28.2 miles]
Boutique waterfront hotel combining outstanding service, great food and convenient location close to Kas.
Official star rating:
Mandarin & Mango Boutique Hotel
Kabak, Aegean Region, Turkey[28.6 miles]
A romantic and traditionally styled bolt hole, in idyllic grounds with views over the sea. For those who want the stunning Turkish scenery without the crowds.
Official star rating:
Destination guides including or relevant to this experience
Turquoise Coast
Turquoise Coast, Turkey
Turkey’s beautiful Turquoise Coast offers an unbeatable mix of mountain-backed beaches, classical ruins and adventure activities, with superb food and delightful owner-run hotels.
Website >
Overview >Our writer’s recommendations of other bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first
Saklikent Gorge [walking]
Kalkan, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[25.2 miles]
A memorable 4km walk and wade along Turkey’s most dramatic canyon, followed by a stop at one of the charming waterside eat stops clustered beyond the entrance.
Best for ages: 6+ | £4 | 2 hours
Website >
Overview >
Paragliding off Babadag Mountain
Fethiye, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[30.4 miles]
Among the world’s top tandem paragliding experiences with stupendous coastal views, take off from the peak of Babadag Mountain to land half an hour later on Olu Deniz’s famed beach.
Best for ages: 13+ | £90 | 30 mins
Oludeniz Beach
Fethiye, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[34.6 miles]
The beach that launched a thousand brochure covers, Oludeniz combines a gorgeous swathe of sandy beach with a tranquil lagoon, backed by tamarisk trees and mountains.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Website >
Overview >
Turquoise Coast’s best food & drink
Turkey[38.9 miles]
Our summary of the typical foods, ingredients and flavours, cooking styles, dining scene and best foodie experiences in Turkey’s Turquoise Coast.
Best for ages: 13+ | Free
Website >
Overview >Other worthwhile experiences near this experience if you have time or interest..
Experience
Delikkemer Aqueduct
Kas, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[6.6 miles]
An amazing Roman aqueduct on the Lycian Way, just a 2-minute walk from the main road near Kalkan. The surviving stretch of some 100m can be walked with care.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Website >
Overview >
Experience
Xanthos
Kas, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[10 miles]
A UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site, Lycia’s ancient hilltop capital is famous for its ‘pillar tombs’ – whose exquisite friezes were removed to the British Museum in the 19th century – and the grand colonnaded way leading to the sarcophagus-scattered necropolis.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Website >
Overview >
Experience
Kaputas Beach
Kalkan, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[14.7 miles]
Small but perfectly formed, Kaputas is famed for its crystal-clear waters and soft sands, squeezed between two cliffs on the Kas-Kalkan road. It takes 187 steps to reach it from the road, but well worth the effort.
Best for ages: Any | Free
Website >
Overview >
Experience
Sidyma
Dodurga, Mediterranean Region, Turkey[16.7 miles]
Little Sidyma is a place of enormous charm; a picturesque and little visited ancient town whose sarcophagi and beautifully coffered tombs are now scattered amidst the gardens and fields of the present hamlet of Dodurga.
Best for ages: 18+ | Free
Website >
Overview >