Patara Beach - relaxing after visiting the Patara ruins

Tuesday, 10 December 2013 23:37
Written by Portal Editor

Patara Beach - The pristine sandy beach of Patara transports the astonished visitor to another world, and not only because of its vastness. A wonderful refreshment after a tour of the ancient city.

Over 16 km long and up to 400 meters wide, the still almost unknown sandy beach of Patara offers true bathing and beach lovers an incredible paradise, one that can only be described as unique in its size.

The sand here on Patara Beach is dreamily white, but scorching hot in midsummer. Anyone seeking absolute peace and contentment will find it here. It is unimaginably quiet, like a paradise. You can hear the waves lapping in a soothing rhythm, and the water shimmers crystal-clear from turquoise to dark blue. The shallow shoreline is absolutely child-friendly, as there are no stones or unpleasant sea creatures like jellyfish or sea urchins to hinder swimming. The Taurus Mountains, rising high into the sky in the background, appear particularly idyllic and frame this idyllic paradise.

Since many sea turtles, including the Caretta caretta, use the beach to lay their eggs, and the dune landscape behind it is a sanctuary for rare bird species, there is fortunately a complete ban on building here. Access to the beach is also understandably restricted.

Patara Beach - More details about the loggerhead turtle

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most common sea turtle species. They can be found in all major oceans and in the Mediterranean. A special feature of the loggerhead turtle is that they always lay their eggs where they were born, which is why it is so important for the conservation of the species to protect their nests on Patara Beach. Their English name, loggerhead turtle, comes from the large head of these marine reptiles. It supports their powerful jaws and jaw muscles. This allows them to crack open even hard-shelled prey such as whelks and mussels. The loggerhead turtle is one of the larger sea turtles, with shell lengths of just over 1 m and a body weight of between 90 and 160 kg.

To lay her eggs, the female turtle checks the soil temperature, distance from the sea, and sand quality, choosing the best location. She then digs a 50 cm deep hole and slowly lays the small, soft eggs. Each nest contains approximately 120 eggs. 60% of them hatch after about 50 days.

The baby turtles follow the horizon and the moonlight reflected on the seawater, moving toward the sea.

Unfortunately, only a small portion will survive because of the many obstacles on the beach that confuse the baby turtles. However, once they reach the seawater, dangers still lurk, and only one in 1,000 turtles will survive to adulthood. Patara Beach - Daytime access is permitted only

According to signs on Patara Beach, the Caretta Caretta turtle species is more than 95 million years old. This is one of the reasons why beachgoers are only allowed to stay on the beach during the day and only near the water. Please follow this rule and do not enter the protected areas, and your stay at Patara Beach will be a truly enjoyable experience.

After visiting the ancient city of Patara, it is especially relaxing to unwind with a swim in the clean sea. We took full advantage of this opportunity.

Please read as well:

Patara - Important ancient harbour town of Lycia

Phaselis Antalya - ancient harbour