The now silted up harbour of Patara.
Patara attracts its share of tourists with its uniquely great beach. The immediate village, Gelemiş, is largely unaffected by tourism.
Looking at the small traditional village, it is hard to imagine that this in antiquity was a major town and a bustling harbour. The ancient town ruins are largely unexcavated, but there are several interesting structures here.
Practicalities
There are a handful of places to stay in and near Patara, all charming and friendly, all offering good value for money. Note that several may sell access to the beach, but in all cases this involves using a shuttle to get to the beach.
There are a handful of restaurants in the village, run enthusiastically by people who have come to stay in a remote and tranquil place like this.
Patara offers also a handful of devoted bars, among which the Gypsy has live music on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
There is a small offering on activites in Patara, then mainly canoeing and boat trips.
Entrance to the area, the ruins and the beach, is a stiff 15 lira. It is, however, valid for a week.
Transportation to and from Patara is not very frequent. There are minibuses to Fethiye (1 hour 15 minutes), Kalkan (20 minutes) and Kaş (45 minutes).
