Pamukkale, meaning "cotton castle" in Turkish, is a natural site in Denizli Province in southwestern Turkey. The city contains hot springs and travertines, terraces of carbonate minerals left by the flowing water. It is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which has a temperate climate for most of the year.
Pamukkale is a natural site and a famous tourist attraction in south-western Turkey in the Denizli Province. Pamukkale is located in Turkey's Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley, which enjoys a temperate climate over the greater part of the year. The summers are hot and dry, and winters warm and rainy. Tourists travel from the coast of Antalya and the Aegean Sea to Pamukkale.
The
water (35 degrees Celsius) which is flowing down the cliff of Pamukkale
has turned the area into as white as cotton color, and carved this
fantastic formation of stalactites and basins. Pamukkale is a very
popular destination for a short visit, the stunning white calcium pools,
which cling to the side of a ridge, have been long one of the most
famous picture postal card views of Turkey. It is the largest and finest
example of elaborate calcium formation in the world, which dominates
the landscape miles around. Pamukkale was formed when a spring with a
high content of dissolved calcium bicarbonate cascaded over the edge of
the cliff, which cooled and hardened leaving calcium deposits. This
formed into great natural pools, shelves and ridges, which tourists
could plunge and splash in the hot water. According to ancient
tradition, the waters within the pools are said to be advantageous in
treating maladies and attracting people from all over the world. The
calceous waters rise from the ground at a temperature of 35 degrees
Celsius. In this white wonderland is an abundance of hot warm springs
which are recommended for the treatment of high blood pressure, heart
diseases, rheumatism, circulatory problems, nervous disorders, digestive
maladies, nervous and physical exhaustion, eye & skin diseases and
nutritional disorders.
Hotels were springing up from the 1970s to
cater for the large influx of tourists, and shortly afterwards UNESCO
declared it a World Heritage Site. But by the 1990s, this took its toll
on the state of the calcium pools and restrictions were placed on these
travertine terraces. Many hotels were knocked down, visitors are only
allowed on major paths around the sites, and must remove footwear to
stand on the calcium deposits. This seems to have been a successful
move, as the water supply is now used for preservation and some of the
damaged calcium deposits have been strengthened.
As you approach
the site of Pamukkale / Hierapolis from Denizli, a long white smudge
along the hills to the north suggests a landslide or open cast mine.
Getting closer, this resolves into the edge of a plateau, more than 100m
higher than the level of the river valley and absolutely smothered in
white travertine terraces. Some are shaped like water lilies, other like
shell - bathtubs with stalagmite feet, with simplest ones resembling
bleached rice terraces out of an oriental engraving.
The
ruins of Hierapolis are the other main attraction. The city was founded
in 190 B.C. by Eumenes II, king of Pergamon. In the 2nd and 3rd
centuries, it reached the height of its development as a Roman thermal
bath center. Hierapolis has such extensive ruins which is suggested :
the city walls, the octagonal Martyrium of St. Philip, the 2nd center
theater, Temple of Apollo, basilica then the necropolis which covers 2
km. and contains some of the best examples of tomb styles; it is one of
the best-preserved cemeteries in all of Anatolia. The East Bath is in
archaeology museum housing many of the remains from Hierapolis.
Just
outside Pamukkale are the Red Springs, the boiling waters of which have
emerged from thousands of feet below the Earth's surface to form
ribbons of deep red, blue and yellow on the surrounding rocks.
How to get there
The nearest major city is Denizli, where you will likely arrive first before getting to Pamukkale.
By plane
- Closest airport is Denizli - Cardak Airport is 65 km or 1 hour away and there are flights twice daily to Istanbul.
- Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is another alternative to the area. Pamukkale is 252 km from the airport, a drive of about 4 hours (4-1/2 to 5 hours by bus)or 6-7 hours by train.
By train
The nearest train station is in Denizli, which currently has services from Izmir only. The Istanbul service (Pamukkale Express) was suspended in 2008, presumably because of track renovations, and it is not certain when/if the services will re-start.
By bus
Bus to Pamukkale/Denizli can be found from almost all the cities of Turkey. Bus services include water, hot drinks and a snack.
There are virtually no bus companies that take you directly to
Pamukkale despite what the ticket sellers tell you. The bus will drop
you in Denizli and then you have to get on the free minibus to Pamukkale
(about 20 km away).
By dolmuş
From Denizli bus station, take a dolmuş, a type of cheap communal taxi that usually seats about 10 (but it's possible they'll squeeze in more), from nearby Denizli. Frequent mini-buses serve the village of Pamukkale in a 20 minute ride. It cost 2 YTL per trip.
See
The Travertines of Pamukkale
These are a set of bizarre calcium cliff bathing pools
overlooking the town of Pamukkale. You can access them via a toll-booth,
however tough pollution control regulations require removing your shoes
in order to walk on them (so bring something to put your shoes in!), so
the travertines stay white as ever.
These petrified waterfalls/travertine are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The admission costs 20 TL per entrance. This price includes addmission
to nearby Roman city of Hierapolis as well. Lower parts of the
travertine cascades are reported to have better views than the top.
Day tours are offered for around 45 Lira (as of January 2010)
including English-speaking guide, entrance fee to Hierapolis and the
travertines (this alone costs 20 Lira) and buffet lunch. Different
companies seem to offer similar tours, ask around. Such tours leave from
the Pamukkale bus company office on the main street opposite the
travertines, and the Koray Hotel. There may be tours starting from other
places around the town as well. For those who rather not visit the
travertines under the scorching sun, there are also night tours as well,
which start from small guesthouses.
Other than the travertines,placesworthalooka roundPamukkale are:
- The great(12,000-seat) Roman amphitheater of Hierapolis should not be missed, and lies just above the travertines.
- Swim with roman ruins in a large natural swimming pool located just past the topmost travertines.
- Another lesser known site, but one that holds a considerable significance Biblically is Laodikya, just 10 km (10 minutes on a local dolmuş) from Pamukkale on the Denizli road. It's mentioned in the Bible as one of the 7 Churches of the Revelations and even though it hasn't been reconstructed as much as the more famous sites like Ephesus, is a great place to experience the Roman history without the crowds. A peaceful way to spend a day looking at ruins but also the beautiful scenery there as well.
- Karahayit, the red spring is also 5 minutes from Pamukkale, not as big as the calcium outcrop, but worth a look.
- Kaklik caves are like a small version of Pamukkale, but in a cave, underground and are about 30 minutes from Pamukkale.
Thing To Do
- You can walk down barefooted in the waterfalls from the village. The place is crowded when the tour-buses arrive. No shoes are allowed on the travertines. If you don't want to walk back to top, you can use the buses dropping off people back to top, which depart from near lower end of the travertines. You should wear swimming suit. A lot of people bath in the baths here.
- It is also worth making the effort to get to the remains of the ancient city of Aphrodisias—one of the best preserved Roman sites in southeastern Aegean. You can rent a van from Denizli to get there. Local bus companies will arrange bussing for 30-40 TL.
- Bathe in the mineral hot springs. This is an enclosed pool, with additional entrance fee of 25 TL as of July 2011, above waterfalls.
- Of moderate interest might be visiting Denizli. It's a bit dull but there's a lively market.
Shopping
The Pamukkale/Denizli area is famous for its cotton and the homewares. These are becoming sought after world wide (Arnold Schwartzenegger decked out his house in curtains and furnishings specially made in Denizli - so the story goes!) and the best place to go is the town of Buldan, about 30 minutes drive from Pamukkale. Many of the other souvenirs and traditional Turkish wares that you can find in other parts of Turkey are cheaper around Denizli/Pamukkale because they are produced there.Food
The best and freshest food is to be found in the small family run pensions, but for a great open air restaurant where you can eat 'borek' the Turkish pancakes and gaze across the valley, try Alis on the main highway just before you come into the town.- Mehmets Heaven, on the main street near the Travertines has an excellent view of Pamukkale from his porch out back. Great food and well priced. Super nice owner as well.
- Kayas Wine House, Kale Mah. Ataturk Cad. No 3 (centre), ☎ 0090 258 272 2267. Recently started serving food, not only Turkish but also international (Korean, Japanese...) in traditional but trendy surroundings. Located in the centre of town, close to all the major hotels.
- Lamuko's Lokanta, Main Street Pamukkale, ☎ 0090 542 390 8175. Japanese and Korean food in the centre of Pamukkale, next to Pamukkale Bus Company office. Delicious!
- Kale Hotel, Atatürk Cad. 16 ((on the main street in the centre of town)), ☎ +90 258 272-26-07. This place has great Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food at an excellent deal. It's also got Turkish food, but is a great change if you'd like something other than gözleme, pide or kebabs. Entrees are around 10 TL and it has beer and wine.
Drink
- Ayran is a salty yogurt drink similar to a salty lassi. It may be an acquired taste, but should be tried while in Turkey.
- The wines produced in the Pamukkale area are becoming quite famous and are winning awards for the quality and standard. Note that Turkish wine may disappoint.
- Raki is a traditional Turkish drink, generally served with mezes (tapas like appetizers, generally followed by a fish or meat dish). With an anise-seed flavor, it may be an acquired taste. Great with fish or any long meal as it is meant to open up your appetite.
- Efes or Tuborg are the go-to beers in all of Turkey, and are often the only beers available.
Stay
There are small family-run pensions at the village south of the travertines. Most have swimming-pools filled with the warm greenish milky water from the travertines. They also offer very delicious Turkish food.- Artemis Yoruk Hotel, Atatürk Cad. 48/A, ☎ +90 258 272-26-74 (info@artemisyorukhotel.com, fax: +90 258 272-26-75), Hotel just opposite the bus stop with a pool and a nice garden, and a rooftop restaurant which serves traditional Turkish food. Rooms with en-suite, TV, and air-con. Owners can speak English. € 12/€ 20 single/double rooms, including breakfast. € 5/€ 7 pp dorms without/with breakfast.
- Hotel Dört Mevsim (they also go by the name Four Seasons though neither affiliated nor has any similarity to the hotel chain), ☎ +90 258 272-20-09 (info@hoteldortmevsim.com, fax: +90 258 272-26-32), checkin: 7:30AM-11:30PM; checkout: 11:30AM. Hotel with free wi-fi, swimming pool, free car park, babysitting service, and air-con. They allow pets at no extra cost. They also have a campground on their yard. € 14/€ 17 sinlge/double rooms, € 10 pp dorms, all including breakfast. Visa, Euro/Mastercard are accepted.
- Kale Hotel, Kale Mah. Atatürk Cad. 16 (on the main street in the centre of town), ☎ +90 258 272-26-07 (info@otelkale.com, fax: +90 258 272-26-07), checkout: 11AM. A family-run guesthouse. Rooms with satellite TV. Roof-top terrace, swimming pool, free wi-fi, Ottoman Corner, restaurant, day trips and excursions. € 12.
- Koray Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Fevzi Çakmak Cad. 29, ☎ +90 258 272-22-22 (info@otelkoray.com, fax: +90 258 272-20-95), Friendly and family-run, with garden bar and restaurant and a large swimming pool. Rooms with satellite TV. The hotel can organize day tours, express bus tickets, plane tickets, and offers a transfer service.
- Melrose Allgau Hotel, Vali Vekfi Ertürk Cad. 8, ☎ +90 258 272-22-50 (sales@melroseresidence.com, fax: +90 258 272-31-20), A nice family-run pansiyon at the eastern end of town with nice rooms, all of which have air-con. The friendly owners serve cheap but tasty home cooked meals. There's a laundry service and a pool filled with spring water. They also used to allow campers to put up their tents. € 20/€ 25 single/double rooms, including breakfast. Credit cards are accepted.
- Öztürk White Hill Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Fevzi Çakmak Cad. 31. A small family-owned hostel.
- Venüs Hotel, Pamuk Mah. Hasan Tahsin Cad. 16, ☎ +90 258 272-21-52 (info@venushotel.net, fax: +90 258 272-29-93), A comfortable hotel with wireless internet access, a swimming pool filled with thermal water from travertines. Rooms with en-suite, and air-con. Staff can speak English. € 20/€ 28 single/double rooms, including breakfast.
