A really worthwhile visit. We had a long debate whether to go for the ruins and beach or just the beach. We were told it was cheap just to go to the beach but once we arrived at the entry kiosk we told otherwise. It would be 1000tl (£30 approx) for a 5day pass - no other option!! Surely this cant be right??? We decided to go for the whole experience. It cost 340tl each (a little over £10 in October '23) and was worth it. We spent 4 hours wandering the ruined city and trying to piece it all together. Since we entered from the kiosk rather than the car park, we did not see the diarama until the end. Then it all made sense and we could visualise the ruins as a city with harbour. The downside of it all is that many parts of the ruined city are so overgrown as to be only partially visible or inaccessible. The signing and information boards leave a lot to be desired which meant we had to play it all by ear and guess our way around. The main features, as with most ruins, are the amphitheatre and the Assembly arena (this is very well reconstructed). We followed this with some time on the Patara Beach. An extensive and beautiful sandy beach which we did not have time to explore properly. The sea does not shelve too steeply so making it accessible to all.

It's a very beautiful beach with fine sand. While there are many people in the sunbed area, outside of that zone, it's very spacious. There are some waves, but the sea is shallow. Since it's located in an archaeological site, there's an entrance fee of 15 euros per person, which includes access to the beach and the ruins. Renting umbrellas and sunbeds costs 150 Turkish liras each. It's a shame that visitors don't take care of the beach and leave so much litter, especially considering it's a protected area for being a nesting area for turtles.

We visited Patara Beach twice last week while staying locally. Despite some mixed reviews, we found the beach excellent and very clean. It is a little pricey, we paid 80 Euros for a 10-visit access pass, which covered our family of five for two visits. Renting sun loungers and umbrellas is optional but we found it necessary due to the scorching heat. They cost 150 Lira each (about £3.50) so it was £25 for five beds and two umbrellas. There are a few stalls selling the usual items near the entrance. Our hotel offered a shuttle service, but we also took a bus one day, which ran approximately every hour, and taxis were available as well. We ate at the café, which was okay and offered the usual toasted sandwiches, omelettes, chips, etc. To watch the sunset, I would recommend heading to the sand dunes, accessed via a different road from the village and free!

Ok, so the price we paid today was 15 euros per person - this included the beach AND the ruins. The ruins are 4000 years old and really quite special. In the UK, we would pay £15 just for the ruins. Entry to Stonehenge is £30 for an adult, for example. The beach is beautiful. Some litter but not distressing. We paid 750 lire for 3 loungers and 2 umbrellas. You absolutely can sit on the beach without hiring any equipment, but be aware that the sand IS HOTTER THAN THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. My feet may never recover. Paid about £30 for a salad (fresh, delicious), two decent cheeseburgers and 3 ice cold drinks. Waited about 10 mins for our food. We nearly didn’t go because of the reviews on here, but I’ve really missed the sand during this holiday and needed a fix and I’m really glad we went. There were a lot of people, but the beach is huge and didn’t feel too crowded. Be careful how you park - you will quite probably get blocked in!

Patara beach is a definite must visit - beautiful unspoilt white sand, which is somewhat unique in this region of Turkey, and some great Lycian ruins (amphitheatres and columns) to look around beforehand. It is vast, with a beach bar and sunbeds in front for hire. If you want to bear the heat - it is so hot hottest sand perhaps I ever encountered at 40 C midday - you could lug your own. Overall it's an amazing day out and the sea is shallow for kids and warm. Most reviews on here are positive except for the price and in relative terms for turkey it is expensive but get some perspective please if you're on holiday it's 15 Euro a person (under 6s free) and sunbeds for a family of four is going to be about 20 quid. I think that's fine for a good day out at a really nice beach with some ruins thrown on. Burgers/grilled chicken for 4 and drinks ran to about 50 quid at the beach bar but again if that's a problem eat before or bring a sandwich. If you don't get hung up on cost then this is an amazing visit with no downside. Bring hats and sunscreen. Bring ideally crocs not flipflops the sand is exceptionally hot. Also good beach showers and toilets / general facilities available. Proper lifeguards on duty professional operation.