The Letoon:The Letoon was the most important sanctuary of ancient Lycia. The ever present Fellows couldn't find it and it was excavated in the 1950's by a French team, responsible for the informative signs you'll find there today, in French. A well preserved theatre rises above the little village that surrounds the site. The excavations are usually half submerged, now being below the local water table. The triad of temples, identifiable by their foundations, formed the heart of the sanctuary and it was here that Lycians came to pay their respects to Artemis, Leto and Apollo.

Half the charm of the Letoon lies in the concentration of terrapins and frogs that have made the site their home, an unusual combination of attractions. The site itself lacks the rugged appeal of the other cities in the valley but it will repay a visit nonetheless and it's proximity to Patara makes it a nice stop on the way to the beach.

Features:

• Temple of Artemis - oldest temple on the site, origins a little mysterious

• Temple of Leto - largest and best preserved of the 3 temples, Ionic and measuring 6 by 11 columns

• Temple of Apollo - marked by the presence of a central floor mosaic

• The Nymphaeum - not much left but a large semi circular pool. Probably the location of the first monument to Leto on this site.

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