Things to do in Myra and Demre

5 hours from the airport, so most visitors treat this as a stop rather than a base.

The two sites are separate and often confused: Myra is the Lycian rock-cut tomb complex and Roman theatre carved into the cliff face, a paid ticketed site; Demre, the modern town a short walk or drive away, holds the Church of St Nicholas, a separately ticketed building linked to the historical figure behind the Santa Claus legend, with no connection to the tombs beyond geography.

Both are manageable in half a day, which is roughly how long most itineraries allow before continuing toward Kaş or Kalkan.