Antalya & the Mediterranean Coast - Discover Turkey: Experience the Best of Turkey - page 413

beach. You'll pass under a 2nd-century triumphal arch at the entrance to the site. Next is
a Harbour Baths complex and the remains of a Byzantine basilica .
You can climb to the top of the 5000-seat theatre for a view of the site. Just north of
the theatre is the recently restored bouleuterion , ancient Patara's 'parliament' where it is
believed members of the Lycian League met. Nearby is the colonnaded agora , which
leads to a dirt track and a lighthouse built by Emperor Nero. Across the ancient harbour
(now a reedy wetland) is the enormous Granary of Hadrian and a Corinthian-style
temple-tomb .

PATARA BEACH
Backed by large sand dunes, this 18km-long sandy beach is unique for the region. You can
get here by following the road for a kilometre past the ruins, or by turning right at the
Golden Pension and following the track waymarked with blue arrows, which heads for the
sand dunes along the western side of the archaeological section. In the summer, wagons
pulled by tractors ( " 2) trundle down from the village.
On the beach, you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds, and there is a refreshment stand.

| Beach

KIRCA TRAVEL
( 843 5298; www.kircatravel.com ) Based at the Flower Pension ( 0530 511 0206, 843 5164;
www.pataralowerpension.com ; s/d " 45/60, 4-/6-person apt " 100/150; ) , Kirca offers six-hour
canoeing trips ( " 50) on the Xanthos River and three-hour horse-riding trips ( " 70) through
the Patara dunes.

| Canoeing, Horse Riding

PATARA JEEP SAFARI
( 0554 393 2699; www.patarajeepsafari.com ; tours " 60) Tour the Patara dunes, Xanthos and
Saklıkent Gorge on four wheels.

| Driving Tour

Eating

TLOS RESTAURANT €€
( 843 5135; mezes " 3-6, pides " 6-15, mains " 12-20; 8am-midnight; ) Run by the moustached
Osman, the Tlos has an open kitchen by the centre under a large plane tree.

| Turkish

LAZY FROG €€ | International