Patara
Ciudad natal de san Nicolás y capital de la Liga Licia
Por qué importa este destino
Patara, la antigua Licia, fue la ciudad natal de san Nicolás (h. 270 d.C.) y capital de la Liga Licia. El apóstol Pablo desembarcó aquí en su camino a Jerusalén (Hch 21,1-2).
Hoy Patara es un yacimiento arqueológico de excepcional extensión con el faro más antiguo conocido del mundo y una magnífica playa.
Principales lugares para visitar
Bouleuterion
1,400-seat Lycian parliament building, the legislative heart of the Lycian League.
Roman Theatre
Restored 6,000-seat Roman theatre.
Arch of Modestus
Triple-arched Roman triumphal gate.
Lighthouse of Patara
60 AD - among the oldest known lighthouses in the world, reconstructed.
Hadrian's Granary
Imperial-era grain storage on the harbour.
Great Basilica
5th-century Byzantine basilica, 61 by 32 metres - one of the largest in Lycia.
Patara Beach
18-km sand beach, sea-turtle nesting zone (closed at night).
Mejor época para visitar
Abril-mayo y septiembre-octubre. La larga playa también es aprovechable en verano.
Cómo llegar
A 70 km de Demre y 10 km de Kalkan. Minibús desde Kalkan o taxi.
Dónde alojarse
Kalkan (10 km) ofrece boutique-hoteles de nivel superior. Patara en sí tiene pensiones sencillas junto a la playa.
Tours y experiencias
Generalmente se visita como excursión de un día desde Kalkan o Kaş, combinada con Demre/Mira. Las peregrinaciones especializadas en san Nicolás cubren Patara y Demre en un mismo día.
Partner accommodation
Alkan Apart Demre
Alkan Apart Demre is located in Demre (Myra) — 70 km from Patara.
Full kitchen · Free parking · Free Wi-Fi · Families & groups welcome
Gökyazı, İlkokul 3. Sokak, 07570 Demre/Antalya
Practical information
- Hours
- Site 08:30-19:00 summer / 08:30-17:00 winter.
- Fees
- Approximate 2026 - verify on muze.gov.tr. Combined ticket ~10-13 EUR / 400 TL. Museum Pass Turkiye valid.
- Dress code
- No special requirements at the open-air site; modest dress at the basilica is welcome.
- Accessibility
- Wooden walkways cover the main paths; some sections are sandy and uneven.
Consejos para peregrinos
💡 Consejos para peregrinos
- Combine Patara with Kekova (45 km east) and Xanthos (15 km west) in a single Lycian coast day. The standard pilgrim itinerary: Patara morning, Kekova boat afternoon, Xanthos and Letoon UNESCO sites the following day.
- The Patara archaeological site is enormous (4 km² of Roman ruins) — bring water and a sun hat. The Roman amphitheatre, the Lycian League parliament building and the lighthouse are the principal pilgrim-relevant sites.
- The Patara beach (12 km of sand) is one of Turkey's best — combine the archaeological visit with a swim. The beach is a protected loggerhead turtle nesting site; access closes at 19:00 in summer.
- Stay in Kalkan or Kas (boutique coastal towns) rather than Patara village itself — accommodation is much better and you are within 30-45 minutes of all three Lycian sites.
- The lighthouse of Patara (Roman, 1st century) was reconstructed and reopened in 2015 — it is the oldest known surviving lighthouse in the world. Climb it for the panorama over the ancient harbour.
¿Sabías que?
ℹ️ ¿Sabías que?
- Saint Nicholas was born in Patara around 270 AD to a wealthy Christian family. He inherited considerable wealth on his parents' early deaths, which he gave away — the famous story of the three bags of gold thrown through the window to save three young women from prostitution originates here.
- Patara was the principal port of the Roman province of Lycia and the meeting place of the Lycian League — the world's first recorded federal republic. The Lycian League parliament building (Bouleuterion) at Patara is the architectural ancestor of every modern parliament.
- Saint Paul stopped at Patara on his way to Jerusalem in 57 AD (Acts 21:1-2) — 'we came to Cos, the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara'. He found a ship bound for Phoenicia and continued his journey. Patara is the only Saint Paul site shared with Saint Nicholas.
- Patara's harbour silted up over the Byzantine and Ottoman periods — the city's harbour basin is now 1 km inland from the present coastline. Archaeological excavations of the harbour quay are visible from the road.
Biblical references
- Acts 21:1-2 — “And it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara: And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth.”
Lectura sugerida antes de partir
| Title / Reference | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus (Adam C. English) | The best modern English-language biography of Saint Nicholas — historical, accessible and respectful of both Eastern and Western traditions. |
| Acts 21:1-2 | Saint Paul's brief stop at Patara on his last journey to Jerusalem. Read on the harbour ruins. |
| Lycia: Land of Light (Mehmet Bayhan) | Cultural and archaeological guide to Lycia. Patara, Xanthos, Myra, Kekova and the Lycian League covered in depth. |
Nearby destinations to combine
Demre / Myra
Tomb of Saint Nicholas in 5th-century Byzantine Myra
Ephesus
House of the Virgin Mary, Basilica of St John and the First Church of Revelation
Istanbul / Constantinople
Capital of Christianity 330-1453 and seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Incluido en estas rutas
- Nicholas of Myra — Patara - Demre - Bari: the millennium pilgrimage of Saint Nicholas
- Footsteps of Saint Paul — Tarsus to Rome - the missionary journeys of the Apostle
Partner accommodation
Alkan Apart Demre
Alkan Apart Demre is located in Demre (Myra) — 70 km from Patara.
Full kitchen · Free parking · Free Wi-Fi · Families & groups welcome
Gökyazı, İlkokul 3. Sokak, 07570 Demre/Antalya
Frequently asked questions
Names in other languages
| Turkish | Patara |
|---|---|
| Greek | Patara |
| German | Patara |
| Russian | Patara |
| French | Patara |
| Italian | Patara |