Patara
Cidade natal de São Nicolau e capital da Liga Lícia
Por que este destino é importante
Patara, a antiga Lícia, foi a cidade natal de São Nicolau (c. 270 d.C.) e capital da Liga Lícia. O Apóstolo Paulo desembarcou aqui em sua viagem para Jerusalém (At 21,1-2).
Hoje Patara é um sítio arqueológico de extraordinária extensão com o mais antigo farol conhecido do mundo e uma magnífica praia.
Principais locais 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).
Melhor época para visitar
Abril–maio e setembro–outubro. A longa praia também pode ser aproveitada no verão.
Como chegar
70 km de Demre, 10 km de Kalkan. Minibus de Kalkan ou táxi.
Onde se hospedar
Kalkan (10 km) oferece hotéis boutique de alto nível. Patara em si tem pousadas simples diretamente na praia.
Tours e experiências
Geralmente visitada como excursão de um dia de Kalkan ou Kaş, combinada com Demre/Myra. Peregrinações especializadas de São Nicolau cobrem Patara + Demre em um dia.
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.
Dicas para peregrinos
💡 Dicas 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.
Você sabia?
ℹ️ Você sabia?
- 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.”
Leitura 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
Incluído nestas rotas
- 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 |