Patara: a turtle beach, an ancient city and a day among the dunes
Eighteen kilometres of sand, wind-shaped dunes and an ancient city half buried beneath them. What to know to visit Patara without disturbing the turtles.
Teknovan Editorial Team ·
Everyone who comes to Patara for the first time does the same thing: walks onto the beach, looks right, looks left and can't see the end. The shore runs for about 18 kilometres. Behind it are dunes the wind reshapes every year, and behind those, an ancient city that was once the most important port in Lycia. It's on the Lycian coast between Fethiye and Kaş, about 90 minutes' drive from Dalaman airport.
The long beach has another owner. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) come here to nest every summer. That's partly what makes Patara so good: thanks to the protection rules, there isn't a single hotel on the shore.
The turtles and the night ban
During the nesting season, roughly mid-May to mid-September, you can't go on the beach between 20:00 and 08:00. Dates and times can shift a little from year to year, so check the sign at the beach entrance.
There are a few rules to follow during the day too:
- Don't put your umbrella up outside the marked area, especially near nests protected by cages.
- Don't dig deep holes in the sand. Hatchlings heading for the sea fall into them and can't get out.
- If you see hatchlings emerging from the nests in late August, don't shine a torch on them and don't try to help. They have to find the sea themselves.
The ancient city
Patara was one of the capitals of the Lycian League. Its assembly building, theatre and long colonnaded street have been brought back to light by excavations. The road to the beach runs straight through the ancient city anyway. One ticket covers both the archaeological site and the beach, and the Müzekart (Turkey's museum pass) is valid.
Rather than sitting on the beach in the midday heat, give a few hours to the ruins and head back to the sea as the sun drops. In Patara you watch the sunset from the top of the dunes.
The dunes
The dunes behind the beach are among the largest in Türkiye. Walk across them on a windy afternoon and you can feel the sand sliding away under your feet. They're a protected area too, so try not to step on the vegetation.
Where to stay
The nearest village to the beach is Gelemiş, with guesthouses, a few campsites and small restaurants. Kalkan and Kaş are half an hour away, so a day trip from there works too.
| Campsite | Location | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Çeyrek Camping & Bungalows Patara | Patara | 4.5 |
| Kalkan Camping | Kalkan | 4.1 |
Ratings are based on Google reviews as of 1 November 2026.
When to go
In May and June the beach is quiet and the sea has started to warm up. July and August are hot, but the wind saves the day. September and October are the best months for both the sea and the ancient city. You can visit Patara in winter too, the beach kiosk is just closed.
Frequently asked questions
Can you camp on Patara beach? No, tents on the beach are banned. Use the campsites in Gelemiş.
Can you get to Patara in a campervan? Yes, the road is easy as far as Gelemiş. The beach car park is big but fills up on summer afternoons.
When do the turtle hatchlings come out? Hatching usually happens between late July and September. Since you can't go on the beach at night, seeing it is down to luck.
For more campsites in the area, see our Fethiye, Kabak and Patara camping guide.
Sources
- Patara Beach, Kure Encyclopedia (Turkish)
- Caretta caretta ban: the fine for entering 3 beaches at night, Cumhuriyet (Turkish)
- Witness the journey of caretta carettas in Türkiye, GoTürkiye
Image credits
Photos illustrate the region; they are not photos of the campsites themselves.
- Patara Plajı: Esginmurat, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
