Demre, ancient Myra, is a town of greenhouses and orange groves on the Lycian coast, between Kaş and Finike, and it has two sights quite unlike anything else in the region: the Byzantine Church of St Nicholas, the 4th-century bishop whose legend grew into Santa Claus, and, two kilometres away, the Lycian necropolis of Myra, with tombs carved into a cliff face above a Roman theatre.
You can see both in half a day and combine them with a boat trip to the sunken city of Kekova. It is one of the most rewarding stops on the Lycian coast.
A little history
Myra was one of the six leading cities of the Lycian League and, in late Roman times, the capital of the province of Lycia. Its harbour, Andriake, supplied Rome with grain, and St Paul changed ships here on his way to trial in Rome. Nicholas was bishop of Myra in the early 4th century; tradition says he attended the Council of Nicaea, and he died around 343. The stories of his miracles (the gold for three poor sisters, the sailors saved at sea, the children brought back to life) made him the patron saint of sailors, children and merchants throughout the Christian world.
The church was built over his tomb in the 6th century and rebuilt several times. In 1087 sailors from Bari, in southern Italy, carried off his relics, and in the 19th century Tsar Nicholas I of Russia paid for a restoration. Russian pilgrims still come, and a service is held every year on his feast day, 6 December.
What to see in Demre and Myra
The Church of St Nicholas
The church is a Byzantine building on a cross-shaped plan, sunk several metres below today’s street level by silt from the river and now sheltered by a modern roof. Inside are frescoes from the 11th and 12th centuries, floor mosaics with geometric patterns, the synthronon (the tiered bench for the clergy in the apse) and, in a side aisle, the marble sarcophagus with a broken lid that is attributed to the saint. Outside stands a statue of Nicholas surrounded by children.
The Lycian tombs of Myra
A cliff face riddled with tombs from the 5th and 4th centuries BC, carved to look like the façades of timber houses, with beams and doors in relief and, on some of them, figures of the dead. You see them from below and from a viewpoint; you cannot climb up to them. Alongside those at Fethiye, they are the finest Lycian rock tombs you can see.
The Roman theatre
At the foot of the tombs stands a theatre that held 10,000 spectators, rebuilt after an earthquake in the 2nd century, with vaulted galleries and theatre masks carved on the blocks of the stage building. From the seats you look straight across at the tombs.
Andriake and the Museum of Lycian Civilisations
Five kilometres away lies the ancient harbour of Andriake, where Hadrian’s granary has been turned into the Museum of Lycian Civilisations, and where the boats leave for Kekova. You pass it on your way to the sea.
Tips for your visit
Allow an hour for the church and 45 minutes for Myra. You reach the church down a flight of steps; Myra is flat, with a short uphill walk to the viewpoint.
- Get to the church as it opens: the coach tours from Antalya and the cruise-ship excursions arrive mid-morning.
- Dress modestly and keep your voice down in the church: it is a place of Orthodox pilgrimage.
- The stalls by the exit sell icons and figurines of St Nicholas, but the best souvenir is a glass of Demre’s orange juice.
- For children, the story of Santa Claus and the masks in the theatre are the highlights of the day.
Tickets and prices
At the time of writing (2026), entry to the Church of St Nicholas costs €19 and to the archaeological site of Myra €15 under the official 2027 tariff. Prices for foreign visitors are revised every year, so check the official Turkish museums website (muze.gov.tr) before you go. On my tours, entrance tickets are either included or I take care of them.
Where it is and how to get there
Demre is about 45 kilometres from Kaş and 140 kilometres from Antalya along the coast road, two and a half hours’ drive from the city. The church is in the centre of town, and Myra is two kilometres to the north, clearly signposted.
How I include it in my tours
On my 10-day Turquoise Coast tour it is the stop on the coastal drive from Antalya to Kaş, the day before the boat trip over the sunken city of Kekova. For the rest of the coast, read Kaş and the Lycian coast and the Lycian Way.
If you are travelling with children or in December, tell me when you plan your tailor-made trip: Demre makes for a very special day.