Lycian rock tombs and St. Nicholas.
Demre (ancient Myra) houses the Lycian rock-cut tombs and the original church of St. Nicholas — 145 km from Antalya Airport, a day-trip favourite combined with sunken-city boat tours.
Demre is unhurried and gently authentic — a sun-baked farm town where greenhouses ripple to the horizon and ancient tombs watch over the orange groves. There's no resort glitz here; instead you get tractors on the main road, family tea gardens, and the quiet weight of two thousand years of history sitting comfortably beside daily life. It feels less like a destination and more like a place that simply got on with living next to its wonders.
The standout features that set Demre apart from every other Antalya region.
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All reachable on a half-day or full-day private Mercedes tour.
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Fixed EUR price per Eco Van (1-6 guests). Vito and Sprinter quoted on request.
Fixed EUR price per Eco Van (1-6 guests). Vito and Sprinter quoted on request.
Quick answers about transfers, distance and what to expect on arrival.
Demre is roughly 145 km west of Antalya Airport (AYT), about a 2 to 2.5 hour drive along the scenic D400 coastal road. Allow extra time in peak summer, when coastal traffic can add half an hour or more.
Demre is best known as ancient Myra — home to dramatic Lycian rock-cut tombs and a large Roman theatre — and as the town of St. Nicholas, the bishop who inspired Santa Claus. It's also the gateway to the Kekova sunken city and a major greenhouse-farming area.
Yes, but it's a full day. Myra and the St. Nicholas Church are both in Demre and need only a couple of hours together, while the Kekova boat trip departs from Üçağız harbour around 35 km away. A private transfer makes linking all three realistic; relying on buses does not.
Most Kekova excursions and sea-kayak trips depart from Üçağız (also called Tersane harbour), about a 40-minute drive east of Demre town. Some tours also leave from Çayağzı, Demre's own small harbour, and from Kaş or Kalkan further along the coast.
For most visitors, yes. Intercity buses to Demre are infrequent and slow, and once there you still need transport to the boat harbours and ruins. A private door-to-door transfer from AYT removes the connections, lets you set your own pace, and easily covers Myra, the church and Kekova in a single trip.
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