Top 16 things to do and attractions in Demre (Kale)

It's a famous place but since I'm not a believer I didn't amaze me so much since I saw much better churches. Around it there is lot of shops that sell religious things. Other than that it's easy to go just be careful about the maps since it might show you the other street.

I mean.. If you stay in the city, take a look. But for me the 17€ was high priced. It looks good if you think about it that this building is 2000 years old. A piece of history of course, but it did not give me more. Maybe if ive listened the virtual tour it would be better.

Very old and very nice place to see. Parking just outside with a beautiful souvenir shop.

Such a stunning church. Architecture and painted walls was very beautiful. History and information about the church was alot. Audio guide was so good to listen too.

St. Nicholas Church in Demre, Turkey, was built around AD 520 over the tomb of Saint Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop of Myra whose generosity inspired the Santa Claus legend. This Byzantine basilica, decorated with mosaics and frescoes, housed his relics until many were taken to Bari, Italy, in 1087. Used as a church until 1923, it’s now a museum and on UNESCO’s tentative list.

The church itself is not necessarily the most impressive, but its history (with the Russian Tzar adding paintings, a dome, etc) and significance make it a must see, even if you are not a believer. The man that preached there is essentially the origin story of modern day Santa, and his coffins are there!

A very interesting place with history and many stories of Bishop Nicolaus. A must if you are close by.

Myra (Greek: Μύρα) is an ancient Lycian city. In the 3rd century BC, the city came under Greek and later Roman influence. Currently, its location is occupied by the cities of Demres or Calais. The ruins of the Greco-Roman theater and rock-cut tombs have survived from the ancient city of Myra. Mentioned in the Bible (Acts 27:5)

Its quiet something to see these ancient tombs carved inside big rocks. If you are driving to a location and can take this route, its worth a stop.

Archeological site. Not that much to see, not that well maintained, no explanations. Artefacts are publicly exposed and degraded by touching. Entrance fee €13 for non-Turkish citizens. Total rip-off

Really nice ancient ruin tombs with a good bit of history. It is just what you see in the pictures but only £11 per person so worth a visit if you're nearby.

Great historic site A few tourist shops €13 to enter

Very nice place! Recommend it, though be aware that the site is not really too big, and the entrance fee is quite expensive. Is it worth it? Well, I did enjoy it, yet I kind of felt we would be able to walk around more places, but you can see everything in half an hour.

Very interesting place but I think €13 per person is a bit too much for a short walk around the amphitheater and towards the tombs. There’s also no information about the history of the monuments anywhere, so you don’t really know what you’re looking at if you haven’t done some research about it before. Unfortunately this is the standard for most historic sites in Turkey.

Tha price is to high for 15 minutes walk around. And the exchange rate from Turkish Lyra to Euros is very high. If in all places is aprox. 1eu=45 lyra then in this ticket place is 1eu=49 lyra --- Turkish bizness works well ☹️

The site is incredible but I failed to see the need of paying the 13€ entrance. Given the tombs are carved on the cliff, you can very well just admire from the entrance …

The €13 entrance fee for foreigners (6.5 times more than for locals) is not worth it, especially if you're not staying in Demre (although I don't know why anyone would stay in Demre).

This is poor value for tourists. They charge €13 for entry which is much more than comparable sites. All you see is the amphitheatre and some rock tombs. The walkways in the site are poorly maintained and also the access road. All you see is in the photo attached.

Fantastic ancient Greek theatre and carved tombs! Above the theater, carved into the cliffs, are the famous Lycian rock-cut tombs, dating back to the 4th century BCE. These tombs reflect the fusion of local Lycian traditions and Greek artistic styles, often resembling miniature houses or temples. They show the deep reverence the Lycians had for the afterlife.

Impressive historical site with many tombs, sarcofages from early hellenistic time. A few souvenir shops outside as well.

Absolutely fantastic and must do trip we could have spent all day there.

The worst place I ever been!

(Translated by Google) Quite decent food, although the place doesn’t really look like a restaurant, it’s more like a canteen. (Original) Вполне приличная еда, хотя заведение на ресторан как-то не очень похоже, скорее напоминает столовую.

(Translated by Google) Those who go on a Demre-Mira-Kekova tour from a guide for 50 BCH/person. (price for May 2019), then I warn you right away that you will come to this “chic” establishment for lunch. Exactly in it 🙃 I'll clarify why 1 star, the problem is not with the establishment, it doesn't bother you. You come to a baryzh's establishment, you see a baryzh's establishment and you eat baryzh's food in a baryzh's establishment. Everything is fair 👌 The problem is that when you pay 100 bucks, you want at least some kind of service, but here they shove you into a canteen, where they give you first, second and salads, which cost 2.5 dollars if you are a mere mortal from the street. And then the guide brings the herd in bulk, and he probably has a kickback from the person. And when you read the amount of 2.5, and I learned this from the review (thank you, kind and sick person, because I gave this place 5 stars and wrote the price), you can imagine the quality of the food 🧐 You can’t call it chic , and the eggplants tasted so disgusting that it was better not to eat them. In general, take Mezim with you, it’s good for your stomach 🤫 P.S. did you like the review? Like it, because I will save your stomach from negative impressions if you haven’t bought the Demre-Mira-Kekova tour yet 😇 And if you want to know more, then come to my account, there are all the descriptions of the places on this tour! P.P.S. It’s a pity I didn’t take a photo of these wonderful dishes, you would have appreciated it 😋 (Original) Те кто едет в тур Демре-Мира-Кекова от гида за 50 бачей/чел. (цена на май 2019), то предупреждаю сразу, вы приедете в это "шикарное" заведение обедать. Именно в него 🙃 Я уточню почему 1 звезда, проблема не в заведении, оно тебя не на""вает. Ты приезжаешь в барыжное заведение, ты видешь барыжное заведение и ты ешь барыжную еду в барыжном заведении. Всё честно 👌 Проблема в том, что оплачивая 100 бачей, ты хочешь хоть какой-то сервис, а тут тебя пихают в столовку, где дают первое, второе и салатики, которые стоят 2,5 доллара, если ты простой смертный с улицы. А тут гид приводит стадо оптом, и наверняка у него есть откат от человека. И когда вы прочитали сумму в 2,5, а я это благо узнал из отзыва (спасибо добрый и больной на голову человек, так как поставил этому месту 5 звезд, что написал цену), вы можете представить какого качества еда 🧐 Шикарным его не назовешь, а баклажанчики были на вкус такими отвратными, что лучше их не есть. В общем, берите с собой Мезим, желудку добре з ним 🤫 P.S. понравился обзор? Ставь лайк, так как я спасу твой желудок от негативных впечатлений, если ты ещё не купил тур Демре-Мира-Кекова 😇 А если хочешь больше узнать, то заходи ко мне на аккаунт, есть все описания мест данного тура! P.P.S. Жаль не сделал фото этих прекрасных блюд, вы бы оценили бы 😋

(Translated by Google) We came to this establishment for lunch as part of a tour for $65/person. The food is disgusting. We left at 6:30, they gave us one roll and two jams for breakfast, we were already very hungry and they brought us to this place, where we still couldn’t eat properly. Moreover, during the tour, drinks are not included in the price. I strongly don't recommend it, the quality of the food is terrible (Original) Приехали на обед в данное заведение в рамках тура за 65$/чел. Еда отвратительная. Мы выехали в 6:30, нам в завтрак положили одну булку и два джема, мы очень уже были голодные и нас привезли в это место, где мы все так же не смогли нормально поесть. Тем более в рамках тура напитки не входят в стоимость. Настоятельно не советую, качество пищи ужасное

(Translated by Google) За 15 лир/чел. и первое (суп), и второе (мясное), и гарнир, и салат, и чай, и десерт! It was very delicious and we ate at an affordable price, 15 TL per person. We have a 1 year old baby and he ate it with pleasure :) (Original) За 15 лир/чел. и первое (суп), и второе (мясное), и гарнир, и салат, и чай, и десерт! Çok lezetliydi ve uygun fiyatta yemek yedik, 15 TL kisi başı. 1 yaşındaki bebeğimiz var, o da afiyetle yedi :)

(Translated by Google) The food is very good, the waiters are always smiling, if you go in you will leave happy. (Original) yemekleri çok güzel garsonları hep guler yuzlu mustuz gırersenız mutlu cıkarsınız

(Translated by Google) A beautiful restaurant with a new look and friendly service. A good option especially for group meals (Original) Yeni çehresi ve güler yüzlü servisiyle güzel bir restaurant. Özellikle grup yemekleri için iyi bir seçenek

Worst food ever had. Went there as a part of Demre tour.

We were brought here after our trip to Myra. Food is disaster. You can choose only between rice, spaghetti with tomato, and potatto...I'm not picky with food but it is shame that travel agencies pick this place for lunch.

We were brought here to eat by the tour. The food is extremely bad, smells rotten and you only have the garnish to choose from. I want to state that I am not picky, but worse food than here I have never seen in my life.

The dirties reataurant ı ever been before foods are tast like staying from 5 6 day on the tomatos maybe 1000 mosquıtos were flying ı never recomend this restaurant

I threw up multiple times during my way back to hotel (~3hr) Please fix your macaroni

Terrible food. Any meal based on meat is distributed only by a waiter and you are anly allowed a tiny portion. What a disaster

Stop for lunch in the middle of excursion

(Translated by Google) Their attitude is as if they're beating you. We were the last to enter that evening, and when I asked if you could check our shorts the next morning, the gentleman scolded me, saying, "Do I have to keep track of your shorts?" I would never recommend a shopkeeper who shouldn't be making a living to anyone. (Original) Tavırları adamı döver gibi. Akşam en son biz girdik ertesi gün sabah Şortumuzu sizin orda unuttuk bakabilir misiniz dediğimde ben sizin şortunuzu takip etmek zorundamıyım diye azarladı beyefendi. Kesinlikle ekmek yememesi gereken bir esnaf tavsiye etmem kimseye.

(Translated by Google) Climbing to this fortress is quite a task. Firstly, you will need to try to find the path, and secondly, the path is not traveled and runs along the mountain. It is necessary to prepare shoes and pants. (Original) Подъём к этой крепости та ещё задача. Во-первых нужно будет попробовать отыскать тропу, во-вторых тропа не хожена и проходит по горе. Необходимо подготовить обувь и штаны.

(Translated by Google) There's not much left (Original) Geriye pek birşey kalmamış

(Translated by Google) Ruins of a dungeon and walls from the Byzantine period. Ascend as they say along the red and white Lycian trail. There are several wells, watch your children. The trail starts from the northern dead-end road in the private sector. It's a 5-minute walk from Mira to the trail. It's quite difficult to climb in the heat, it's better to do it in the morning or in the fall. (Original) Руины данжона и стен времен Византии. подняться как пишут по красной белой ликийской тропе. Есть несколько колодцев смотрите за детьми. Начало тропы с северной тупиковой дороги в частном секторе. Пешком до тропы от Миры 5 минут. Подниматься в жару довольно тяжело, лучше это делать утром или осенью

(Translated by Google) There's not much left. For some reason, everything in Antalya suffers from neglect. This place also got its share of this situation. (Original) Pek bişey kalmamış. Nedense Antalya’da herşey bakımsızlıktan muzdarip. Burası da bu durumdan nasibini almış.

(Translated by Google) To climb the fortress above Myra Lycian, you need to go through the private sector at the crossroads and further up the path, which is marked with red and white markers. Don't miss the turns that are marked with the same red and white curved markers. The ascent takes approximately 30 minutes. There are no fences along the path or at the top, so be careful and keep an eye on children. (Original) Чтобы подняться на крепость над Мирой Ликийской нужно на перекрестке пройти через частный сектор и дальше вверх по тропинке которая отмечена красно белыми метками. Не пропустите повороты которые отмечены такими же красно белыми изогнутыми метками. Подъем занимает примерно 30 мин. По тропинке и на верху нет ограждений поэтому будьте аккуратнее и следите за детьми.

(Translated by Google) Worth seeing but the entrance fee at €13 is definitely too expensive. You can see and photograph everything from the outside just as well. (Original) Sehenswert aber der Eintritt mit 13€ definitiv zu teuer. Man kann alles von außen ebenso gut sehen und fotografieren.

A must see place in the middle of a forgotten area. Its surprising that no one built anything around it. Such an important place, I hope the excavation goes deeper and reveals much more than we see.

Very interesting place. Some lovely little shops. And cafe. Could do with a little tidy up as the whole site is tired. But an enjoyable 2hrs

The ruins were interesting, with several very well preserved Roman and Lycian ruins, but the infrastructure leaves a lot to be desired. Quite expensive entry cost which doesn't tally up to the quality of the maintenance of the site.

Good and small ancient city. The amphitheatre is nice and the tombs are preserved nicely. Before the city there are some amenities, sitting for some refreshments, buying some souvenirs, etc. And I saw tours are coming if you don't have your own transport

Stunning place and fast visit. If you are visiting by yourself, hire the audio guide from the ticket booth.

Beautiful but not very big. 30 min max needed to explore

Very impressive, beautiful, a touch of history.

We didn't realize there was a road so we parked at the bottom and trekked our way up through the stickers and scaled the rocks. We made it in about an hour and it was worth every scratch and scrape. Breathtaking.

One of the well hidden ancient places. A little tricky to get there through a dirt road but no SUV or jeep needed. You'll find some tombs, an amphitheatre and a beautiful sunset view over the hills. Much more to see on foot if you take a walk around.

Kyaneai (also spelled Cyaneae or Kyenai) is an ancient Lycian city located on a high, rugged cliff near the village of Yavu in the Demre district of Antalya Province, Turkey, on the highway between Kaş and Demre. It was the second-largest city in central Lycia after Myra and its Lycian name is thought to have been Xbahñ. The Greek name, Kyaneai, means "dark blue" but it is also known as "Ringing Rocks" due to the sound the wind makes when hitting the stones. Kyaneai's history dates back to at least the 6th century BCE, and it grew in importance during the Hellenistic period, eventually having the largest territory among the cities in the region and becoming a member of the Lycian League after 168 BCE. The city is most famous for its extensive burial grounds, boasting the largest sarcophagus necropolis in Lycia, with close to 400 sarcophagi, many featuring the distinct pointed-arch lids characteristic of the area. The ruins visible today mostly belong to the Hellenistic and Roman periods, including a relatively well-preserved Hellenistic theatre built into the natural slope. Other remains include city walls and the monumental Iason Monument, which honors a wealthy and philanthropic citizen who served as the Lyciarkh. Although the city thrived through the Roman and Byzantine eras, serving as a bishopric center, it was eventually abandoned around the 13th or 14th century.

Magnificent untouched site above the village of Yavu. Well worth the effort. The track with care is manageable in a normal car. Impressive theatre, 100+ pillar tombs and extensive city walls. Actual site is shown where yellow star is.

Lovely, peaceful place. My favorite was the little natural “garden” at the center of the amphitheater with the subtle aroma of flax-leaf Dafne flowers

I'd give 10 stars if I could. Ancient theater in the middle of nowhere, no tourists and no tickets. One of my favorite places in Turkey. I suggest leaving a car at the village beneath and enjoy hiking to get there

Note: the actual site is 1km further along the track than indicated here. An isolated site with tricky dirt track access. Well worth the effort required to visit. I spent 2 hours exploring the extensive ruins in complete solitude. On a hot day make sure to bring plenty of water as the tracks winding through the shrubby undergrowth are steep and demanding.

Average ruined city. Not much in terms of fine and exquisite architecture or delicate carving - seems it was more a trading and working community rather than sophisticated one like in several other cities. Large Lycian museum is a well-preserved one, which is interesting, but findings in there are scarcely distributed all over its vast halls. Water cistern is almost intact too. Together it’s only two reasons to visit the place. Cashier doesn’t accept card as a payment, though they have Pos available in the shop museum:(

Closed today we saw the review from a week ago and thought it might be open again but it's still closed. We did walk around the ruins which was nice but the museum is shut.

A beautiful ancient site to visit. With a museum on the site. Compared to other sites in Demre, the entrance is very cheap. Especially for what you can see and experience.

This place was so cool! We were planning on just going to Myra but stopped here also when we saw it driving by. I am so glad we did! It was definitely one of the most interesting ancient sites we have seen. The granary is incredible, and the way they restored it and turned it into the museum was really fascinating, the size of it gives you a sense of how much grain was being shipped to Rome. We also loved the replica of the ship, I never really understood why the pots were shaped like that, but when you see them stacked in the ships cargo hold, it makes sense.

Wonderful, absolutely fascinating city.. We couldn't resist going and goung here again

Beautiful place to visit well worth the 75tl to get in

Great ancient city with a small museum. Its the best historical landmark after Myra ancient city in the region.

Beautiful beach and beautiful sea. If you are looking for less crowded (almost no one there) beach, that is multiple kilometres long, where you can relax and feel alone among the waves this beach is for you. There is not much in terms of restaurants, bars and entertainment, but that’s exactly why you would choose this place. You can even drive your car onto the beach which is cool.

If you’re in the area, I’d absolutely recommend this beach! I came for a quick swim after a day in the sun and there is great parking, many showers, changing rooms and is not overcrowded. The view is beautiful too. If you have a car I would recommend!

Great beach. Very long, quiet, and clean. I love chilling there in the evening.

This beach is very underrated. It’s a must go if you’re in Antalya/Kas. The beach is very wide, plenty of seats/chairs. Umbrellas and sun beds are available to rent. Multiple restaurants in the area. The water was so calm and the views are great.

A great beach with pebbles and crystal-clear water. The depth increases quickly—it's already 1.8 meters deep about 5 meters from the shore, so it's comfortable to swim to the buoys. There are several cafes on the beach that rent out sunbeds with umbrellas, with a price of around 250 rubles per sunbed as of early August 2024. The only downside is that the cafes aren't too happy when you bring your own drinks and food, even if you're just relaxing under an umbrella without using their services. However, the beach isn't crowded, so you can enjoy a peaceful and quiet time.

I loved it... Wonderful sea and but not cosy place cause some cars by loudy music🫤

Nice beach, clear water, not a lot of people, might be a bit windy at times

Lovely quiet beach. Great for watching the sunset. Two cafes that look out onto the sea and with friendly owners. Easy to park a car or motorbike nearby and almost always empty apart from weekends at this time of the year. Good for swimming. sandy beach. Negatives are that there is a lot of rubbish/plastic washed up as well as stray dogs who can chase you if you’re on a moped. The dogs come and sit next to you and guard your belongings if you go in the sea which for some people is a good thing but others not. Can see the mountains behind Demre from the beach and it’s big enough to have a decent walk along.

This is a beautiful beach! We went on a hike along the shore. We came upon some ruins and it was a lovely hike. I highly recommend it.

The beach is quite wide and the water is shallow so it is suitable for depth and distance. There are not many facilities around it, there is a small business. We drank Turkish coffee and it was very delicious. The toilets are outside but the sink tap was broken so we could not wash our hands. Overall, it was nice.

A wonderful blue-flag beach. Sandy, fine sand suitable for castle-making) . Shallow waters. Weeds somewhere. On the right side of the beach there is a free outdoor shower and a changing room, right near the road. To the left there is a hotel, more people there, and rocks. Litter in the bushes near the road and somewhere on the beach that needs to be attended if they want to keep their blue flag reputation.

It is a long and sandy beach, take your umbrella and portable chairs with you. There is a little coffee called kumsal in the beach for a cold beer and chips.

Beautiful trip to a stunning location

Get your umbrellas and chairs and icebox with you. Fantastic sandy beach for children .

fascinating and super calm place, far from civilization, it was quite a hard path down because we didn’t know where the normal one is, so i will show you it on the screenshot

(Translated by Google) Ruins in the fields by the Kekova road. It consists of a rock tomb, a sarcophagus and a ruined castle. A must-see Lycian monument. (Original) Kekova yolu kenarında, tarlaların içerisinde kalıntılar. Kaya mezarı,lahit ve harabe bi kaleden oluşuyor. Görülmesi gereken bi Likya anıtı.

(Translated by Google) An ancient city with beautiful ruins. Necropolis, that is, a cemetery area. (Original) Güzel kalıntıların olduğu bir antik şehir. Nekropol yani mezarlık bölgesi.

(Translated by Google) The buildings were beautiful. But there are no roads. There's only a very small climbing path. You can reach the buildings in less than five minutes. (Original) Yapılar güzeldi. Fakat herhangi bir yol yok. Çok az bir tırmanış yolu var. Yapıların olduğu kısıma 5 dakikadan az bir süre de ulaşım sağlıyorsunuz.

(Translated by Google) We reached it by walking from the end of the stream with a canoe, it was very nice. (Original) Kano ile derenin sonundan yürüyerek ulaştık çok güzel .

(Translated by Google) There is no road leading down to it, maybe there are some maniacs who want to go down the steep slope among the rocks, bushes, spider webs and thorns, but climbing up to the Temple of Apollo on the side of the road and looking down from above was enough for me. If you have to go, go on a cloudy day or in the evening. (Original) Yanına inen bir yol yok belki kayaların çalıların örümcek ağlarının ve dikenlerin arasından dik yokuşu inmek isteyen manyaklar vardır ama yol kenarındaki apollon tapınağının üzerine çıkıp yukardan bakmak bana yetti. İlla gidecekseniz bulutlu bir günde veya akşam gidin

(Translated by Google) A very hard to reach place, and obviously completely unexplored. Mentioned by historians 2000 years ago as a center of worship of Apollo and fortune telling by priests "by fish". I did not find any modern references. I was unable to find information about the church, and it is VERY large for such a small and uninhabited gorge. That is, Christians revered this clearly pagan sanctuary. The most interesting thing is that there is a hydrogen sulfide spring there, which is not mentioned anywhere. That is, fortune telling could have taken place, as in other famous oracles, through poisoning the priest's body with volcanic gases, and not only "through fish". Access is very difficult, the ancient path is not observed, modern tourists have trampled many clearly not the most convenient options. (Original) Очень сложнодоступные место, и очевидно абсолютно не исследованное. Упоминается историками еще 2000 лет назад как центр поклонения Аполлону и гадания жрецов "по рыбам". Современных упоминаний не нашел. Не удалось найти информации что за церковь, а она ОЧЕНЬ большая для такого маленького и незаселенного ущелья. То есть христиане почитали это явно языческое святилище. Самое интересное - там находится сероводородный источник, о котором нигде не упоминается. То есть гадания могли проходить как и в других известных оракулах, через отравление организма жреца вулканическими газами, а не только "через рыб". Доступ очень сложный, античная тропинка не наблюдается, современные туристы натоптали много явно не самых удобных вариантов.

Beautiful beach, the water is calm and in the beginning it is half warm half cold, because 2 cold rivers are flowing into the sea there, later on its normal sea temperature. Beach is sandy. Not a lot of people. Parking is 50 turkish lyra.

fascinating place, i especially liked the spot where the river falls into the sea. But as usual there are plenty of garbage which has ruined my early positive impression

Same thing with a lot of Turkey. Garbage everywhere. It's a known sea turtle place yet boats go in and out with extreme speed. You literally walk through gas and oil in the water you can see. The beach is full of plastics, glass bottles, etc. Turkey really needs to step up and make an environmental change and protect it's wildlife.

You won’t want to stay on this beach. It’s a good idea to rent a boat at the harbor here and go visit Kekova Island.

This place is the most beautiful and peaceful part of the south Lycian Way. I suggest to camp close to the west part of the beach next to the stream river. There are big turtles caretta caretta coming to this stream so if you stand on the tiny bridge you can have a beautiful spot to watch them.

We came here in early June, rented a kayak, and paddled down the nearby river. Amazing how many turtles there were!! We didn’t expect to see so many. The water isn’t always clear so it can be hard to see… but if you are quiet you will notice them moving and breathing. They gather near the reeds on the side of the river. A few swam under our boat!

Nice beach and cold river at proximity. Presence of turtles. Chartered boats shouldn't throw bread overboard as it ends on the beach.