This small, rural village, steeped in traditional culture is set in the foothills of the mountains, next to the wonderful 15km sandy beach of Patara, regularly featured as one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful and unspoilt beaches.
Much of village life here is geared around agriculture and most of the locals who run the hotels, pensions and restaurants are farming in the winter months. In the summer, gardens filled with trees laden with figs, mulberry, peaches, apricots and cherries stand alongside vines heavy with grapes, the dense grapevines provide much needed shelter from the hot summer sun and then in the late summer and early autumn the sweet grapes are ready to be picked and eaten. The autumn is also a time to enjoy freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and to pick apples and pears and watch the locals gathering olives at the start of the olive harvest. A short walk into the woods around the village and you will also discover little clusters of traditional beehives for the production of delicious local honey.
Set in peaceful countryside, the area around Patara is a National Park – a perfect place to release the stresses of modern day life in an instant. Go for a wander along one of the tracks in the hills and soak in the beautiful scenery, trek part of the Lycian way, go horse riding through the forests and over the sand dunes, relax with a picnic, spend a few hours exploring the fascinating archaeological site, take a canoe trip along the river or simply pass the day relaxing on the beautiful beach.
The locals are warm and hospitable and as many of our returning guests will tell you ‘you arrive as a visitor and leave as a friend’. A stay here will enable you to learn a little of the local way of life as it has been in rural Turkey for many years.
In the centre of the village is the ‘cay’ (tea) garden where the locals meet in the evenings and put the world to rights. There is the mosque from which the evocative sound of the call to prayer can be heard several times a day and there are a handful of restaurants and lokantas in which to enjoy simple, but delicious, locally grown organic food. Freshly barbecued meats and fish are available in addition to an amazing selection of vegetables and vegetarian fare.
The Mediterranean coast of Turkey has attracted an international clientele for many years, however more recently it has become increasingly popular with Turkish visitors and domestic tourism is growing. There is an increasing demand for holiday homes and self catering apartments. In Gelemis village new holiday villas and houses together with small pensions and hotels offer a wide variety of accommodation choice to suit all requirements and budgets.
When a little more sophistication is required, Kalkan is only a short bus ride away. This old greek harbour village has now developed into an attractive, sophisticated harbour town and offers a fantastic array of rooftop and harbourside restaurants. It is also worth visiting Islamalar, located in the hills above Kalkan , famed for its fresh water trout restaurants where you can eat in a simple restaurant with the most amazing views.
Taxis and dolmuses (small mini buses) regularly run to neighbouring villages and towns.
A holiday in Patara suits those in search of a relaxing holiday away from the crowds. A walkers haven, a beach lovers paradise and an archaeological treasure!