Patara, I‘ll have you know, is unquestionably the best beach of Turkey. Call me bold, rash, or ignorant, but I’ll hold steadfast. It simply is. To refute such claims of being uncouth, I’m placing all my cards on the table: an illustrative photo essay + a few reasons as to why I’d write a Patara anthem, if they asked for one.
Why Patara?
1. The 18 kilometer stretch of sand in Patara makes it Turkey’s longest, and as I boldly stated, the most beautiful.
2. Its sand and sand dunes are unique for Turkey. Many of Turkey’s beaches are rocky and studded with pebbles. Not Patara.
3. Patara is a protected beach and a natural home for breeding turtles. Need I say more? Yes. I wish I could have seen just one of these precious and endangered species.
4. The singular entry to the National Park of Patara is flanked by ruins (an amphitheater, tombs, columns, pillars, remnants of buildings and more).
The ancient civilization, known as the Lycians, presided over this area (now the Turkish Riviera) from the 6th century B.C. to 49 A.D. For an American, these numbers are almost incomprehensible. Moreover, the abundance of stones and pillars is simply mesmerizing, especially if you look over the sand dunes as the sun sets.
5. When you walk the boardwalk to get to the beach, young children and older women sell farm-fresh fruit.
After settling on a bag of purple figs, I also opted for the fleshy fruit of a cactus, my first bite ever. According to Turks, it aids digestion. Do I agree? I’ll need to do more research.
So, what do you think? I welcome any discord. What is the best beach of Turkey
Anna Frisk, the face behind Nomadic Ventures, is a modern nomad seeking a yurt (or tipi). Since leaving her humble home of 200 in Iowa, she has lived in Okinawa, Japan; Beijing & Zhengzhou, China; Santiago de Chile; Baeza & Madrid, Spain; and currently Fethiye, Turkey. Her next big move is scheduled for Arequipa, Peru. Follow her nomadic lifestyle on this blog.
I liked Patara but unfortunately while I was there, it poured down with rain and the beach was a no go area!