About Patara
Those looking for a beach day trip from Fethiye should definitely head to Patara Beach. It is considered one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful and unspoilt beaches. Patara Beach is a must-tan place. This alluring 20km long golden beach is one of Turkey’s best. Due to the environment conservation laws, there is little to no building development. Making this beach a jewel of the Turkish Riviera. Pretty basic and suited for budget travellers, feeling laid back is easy here. Enjoy the endless sand dunes and gaze into the aquamarine sea. Or if you are swimming in the waters, admire the Taurus Mountains. Everything here creates a postcard-worthy image of pure nature. The conservation also helps preserve the area for the Loggerhead turtles who still come to Patara between the months of May and October to use it as their nesting grounds. Apparently it is also known as the birthplace of St Nicholas, the fourth-century bishop who later passed on into legend as the gift-bearing jolly old Santa Claus.
Things to do in Patara Beach
At the beach, there are basic facilities. The local village runs the small café on the beach. This café provides employment to the local youth, and all profits go to helping the village community. This cosy-looking café has a range of services available for guests; sunbeds, umbrellas, showers and toilets. Although should you prefer to have a piece of the beach all for yourself, it is easy to just head off a few steps over this wide beach and get your privacy. It’s hard to ever feel crowded when here. Moving inland from the beach is Patara Village, it's thought that Patarus, son of Apollo who founded it. A sprawling village, formerly a major maritime and commercial city back in Lycian times. A few ruins can still be seen here but no big hotels or large resorts are available in this area. The village is also protected from heavy development. Around the area, there are scattered ruins, the main one being the five thousand-seat theatre, the Arch of Modestus, a Corinthian-style temple-tomb, one of the oldest lighthouses in the world built by Emperor Nero and the Granary of Hadrian. Horse riding and trekking in the hills on the east side of Patara can also be arranged. Close to Patara are two UNESCO world heritage sites: The Letoön where you will find a sacred pool and superb mosaics, and in Xanthos, there are Lycian Pillar tombs and a Roman theatre.
How to get to Patara Beach
There are express and regular bus services from Fethiye and Antalya and the journey takes less than 2 hours. It is a 20-minute walk from the village, although the pensions in the area provide a complimentary beach service. if you are in the area and hoping to visit more beaches there are a few options close by. Oludeniz has a beautiful sheltered beach and lagoon. Kalkan is perfect for water sports. And the secluded beach of Butterfly Valley at the foothill of Mt Babadag.