Demre
Demre, on Turkey's Turquoise Coast, is best known as the home of St. Nicholas — the historical bishop of Myra who inspired the Santa Claus legend — and the 4th-century church built in his honor still stands in the town center, its Byzantine frescoes and sarcophagi drawing pilgrims and curious travelers alike. The town itself is unglamorous, a working agricultural center famous within Turkey for greenhouse tomato production, but its historical sites more than make up for the plain streets.
Just outside town, the ruins of ancient Myra include a dramatically cut rock-face necropolis of Lycian tombs and a well-preserved Roman theater, both easily combined with the St. Nicholas Church into a single half-day visit. Demre is also a common jumping-off point for boat trips to nearby Kekova, where the partially submerged ruins of a sunken ancient city are visible in the shallow water — a striking sight for anyone interested in the region's deep layering of Lycian, Greek, and Roman history.
Demre FAQs
Demre is the site of ancient Myra, where St. Nicholas served as bishop in the 4th century; his reputation for generosity evolved over centuries into the Santa Claus legend, and his church still stands in the town.
Myra was an important ancient Lycian and later Roman city, and its surviving ruins include an impressive rock-cut necropolis with tombs carved directly into a cliff face and a well-preserved Roman theater.
Yes, Demre is one of the common departure points for boat trips to Kekova, where you can see partially submerged ruins of a sunken ancient settlement from the boat.
Most visitors see Demre's sights as a half-day trip from Antalya, Kaş, or Kalkan rather than staying overnight, since the town itself has limited tourist infrastructure.
Both sites together can comfortably be seen in about two to three hours, making them easy to combine in a single half-day visit.
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