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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)

Demre

Give Demre one night, two if you want Kekova by boat: Myra's rock tombs and St Nicholas's church are a half-day, the coast is the rest.

Demre is a small farming and greenhouse town on the D400 coast road, built over ancient Myra and known as the see of Saint Nicholas. The ruins are walkable from the bus station, the beaches and Kekova boat harbour need wheels, and most travellers pass through between Kaş and Antalya. One night covers the church, the tombs and a swim; two nights add Kekova and the Lycian Way section.

AdanaAdapazarıAfyonkarahisarAkçakocaAksarayAkşehirAlanyaAmasyaAnamurAntakyaAphrodisiasArmutluAssosAvanosDemre200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Türkiye (Turkey)
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
Avoid
Jul–Aug (mid-30s °C and humid), plus the Kurban Bayramı and Ramazan Bayramı holiday weeks when coast buses and hotels fill
Stay
1–2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
TRY
Money
Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
Daily spend
Budget ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₺3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
Emergency
All emergencies 112 · Tourism police, Antalya 0242 243 1015
Plugs
Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
Tipping
Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
Water
Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.

What things cost

ItemPrice
Turkish coffee or tea₺40–80
Döner or pide lunch₺150–300
Sit-down dinner, one person₺300–600
Draught beer in a café₺120–200
Dolmuş Demre → Kaş₺100–180
Taxi in town₺150–300
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

AYT · Antalya
About 2 h 30 min by car on the D400; Havaş and shuttle transfers run to the Kaş/Fethiye coast, check times
DLM · Dalaman
About 3 h by car west along the D400; the usual arrival airport for Fethiye, Kaş and Demre

Typical fares

Dolmuş Demre → Kaş
about ₺100–180, about 45 min (check)
Dolmuş Demre → Finike
about ₺80–150, about 30 min (check)
Kekova boat from Çayağzı
about ₺800 per person, 3–4 h (check)

Get around

The centre is walkable: bus station to St Nicholas Church about 200 m, to the Myra ruins about 1.5 km. Dolmuşes on the D400 link Demre with Kaş, Finike and Kalkan; taxis wait near the otogar. For Andriake, Çayağzı Beach and the Kekova boat harbour take a dolmuş or taxi, or drive.

See and do

Known for

  • Rock tombs and amphitheatre of Myra
  • St Nicholas Church (Noel Baba Kilisesi)
  • Andriake, the ancient port of Myra
  • Kekova sunken city by boat

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Kekova and Kaleköy (Simena)Boat from Çayağzı marina, about 3–4 h round trip; or drive to Üçağız and walk to KaleköyHalf day
AndriakeDolmuş or taxi 3 km west to Büyükkum, then walk1.5–2 h
KaşDolmuş or car west on the D400About 45 min
Kınık, Xanthos and LetoonDolmuş or car west on the D400About 1 h
FinikeDolmuş or car east on the D400About 30 min

Sleep

Town centre, around the bus station and St Nicholas Church
Walk to the church, Myra and a dozen eateries; some rooms face the D400 and are noisy.
D400 and coast strip
Camping and small hotels strung along the highway and the shore; you need a car or dolmuş for everything.
Çayağzı (Andriake) and Kekova road
Quietest option, near the boat marina for Kekova trips; 3–5 km from town.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
HelloMerhabamer-hah-BAH
Thank youTeşekkür ederimteh-shek-kur eh-deh-rim
How much is it?Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR
Can I pay by card?Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?kart-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-leer mee-yim
Where is the toilet?Tuvalet nerede?too-vah-LET neh-reh-deh
The bill, pleaseHesap, lütfenheh-SAP loot-fen

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
  • Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
  • Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
  • Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
  • Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
  • Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
  • Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
  • Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone

Scams and watch-outs

  • Summer heat: plan ruins before 11:00 or after 16:00, carry water, there is little shade at Myra.
  • Myra's rock tombs involve steep, uneven steps and no railings; wear shoes with grip.
  • Kekova is protected: boats cannot anchor and swimming or snorkelling over the sunken ruins is not allowed.
  • The Lycian Way east of Demre has no accommodation until Finike, about 30 km on: two nights of camping or a tent are needed.
  • Museum and site tickets are priced in lira and rise often; carry cash for small hotels and camps, some are cash only.

Demre is a small, low-crime town and the tourist core is calm. The real risks are summer heat and dehydration at the ruins, uneven tomb steps, and unmarked swimming off the harbour; use the beaches and keep valuables out of sight at the sites.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Demre yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Rock tombs and amphitheatre of Myra
  • St Nicholas Church (Noel Baba Kilisesi)
  • Andriake, the ancient port of Myra
  • Kekova sunken city by boat

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Demre

Bu adrese, lütfen

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

No embassies in Demre; the US, UK and most EU missions are in Ankara, with consulates-general in Istanbul and Antalya (check the address).

Tipping: 5–10% in restaurants, round up taxis. Carry small lira notes for sites and camps.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/demre). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.