This ancient Mediterranean town is the birthplace of Saint Nicholas and home to well-preserved Lycian rock tombs and a 6th-century Byzantine church with original frescoes.
Demre, a coastal town in Turkey's Antalya Province, lets you touch ancient history and modern Mediterranean culture. Walk among 2,400-year-old tombs carved into cliffs at Myra, see frescoes of gift-giving saints at the Santa Claus Museum, and spot submerged Lycian walls through Kekova’s clear waters. Citrus trees and pomegranate fields line roads where farmers harvest tomatoes from greenhouses. Watch boatbuilders shape wooden gulets by the shore, attend camel wrestling matches in winter, or sit on stone seats of a Roman theater that once held crowds of 13,000. Greeks, Lycians, and traders from across the Mediterranean left their marks here.
Walk Through Myra’s Cliff Tombs and Roman Theater
Begin at Myra, two kilometers north of Demre. Carvers shaped tombs directly into vertical rock faces around 400 BCE, creating facades that mimic wooden Lycian houses. Look for the "Lion’s Tomb" near the entrance, where fading red and yellow frescoes still cling to stone. The Roman theater below, built with 35 rows of seats, has inscriptions naming gladiators who fought here. After earthquakes buried the stage, medieval crowds gathered to watch bears battle bulls. Bring water and sun protection – shade is scarce among the open ruins.
See Where Santa Claus Legends Began
The stone Church of St. Nicholas in Demre’s center holds the empty sarcophagus of the 4th-century bishop who inspired Santa Claus stories. Byzantine artists painted frescoes showing him saving sailors from storms and dropping gold coins through windows to help poor families. Though Italian merchants took his bones to Bari in 1087, locals still decorate the church with wreaths every December 6th. Outside, a modern statue shows Nicholas with children, his beard worn shiny by visitors’ touches. Entry costs 90 Turkish Lira.
Tour Andriake’s Harbor Ruins and Lycian Museum
Five kilometers west, Andriake served as Myra’s port for centuries. Walk through a 2nd-century granary built for Emperor Hadrian, now housing the Museum of Lycian Civilizations. A reconstructed Roman cargo ship dominates the hall, surrounded by amphorae that carried olive oil and wine. Digs in 2009 uncovered a 6th-century church with mosaic floors near the harbor. The site’s beach has calm water for swimming, and you’ll often see workers caulking traditional wooden boats on the shore.
Kayak Over Kekova’s Sunken City
Book a boat tour from Demre or Üçağız village to Kekova Island. As you cruise over crystal water, Lycian house foundations and staircases appear beneath the surface, submerged by earthquakes. Guides point out ancient olive presses onshore and Byzantine castle walls on Kaleköy’s hilltop. Many tours include a lunch stop where crews grill freshly caught sea bream. Rent a transparent-bottom kayak to glide directly above the ruins, avoiding areas marked as protected archaeological zones.
Hike Coastal Trails or Watch Camel Matches
Demre connects to the Lycian Way, a footpath stretching 540 km along Turkey’s coast. The 30-km section to Finike takes you past orange groves and stone watchtowers with views of the Mediterranean. If visiting between December and March, catch the Camel Wrestling Festival at Demre’s stadium. Owners parade camels adorned with embroidered saddles before matches where males wrestle using their necks. Vendors sell local honey and knitted socks nearby – traditions unchanged for generations.
Eat Fish Caught Morning and Citrus From Trees
Choose restaurants along Demre’s harbor or Çayağzı coast where menus change with the day’s catch. Try grilled red mullet, octopus cooked in clay pots, or shrimp stewed with garlic and tomatoes. Bakeries near the Santa Claus Museum sell round sesame cookies called kurabiye, best dipped in pomegranate syrup. From November to January, roadside stalls press oranges into juice and sell jars of bitter orange marmalade made using Byzantine-era recipes.
Reach Demre by Bus or Car
Drive 145 km southwest from Antalya on the D400 highway in about three hours, passing beaches like Patara along the way. Public buses depart Antalya’s terminal eight times daily, stopping in Demre after three hours. From Kaş, take a 45-minute minibus ride east through mountain tunnels. Renting a car lets you explore nearby ruins like Xanthos in the morning and return for a seaside dinner the same day. The closest airports are Antalya (140 km) and Dalaman (210 km).
