Cappadocia Turkey

Cappadocia Turkey with its peculiar capricious and rocky formations and the architectural inheritance from the remains of millenarian cultures have given shape to a landscape that you will hardly find anywhere else in the world and also crown the region one of its kind with Cappadocia hot air balloons spot. Hittites, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Turks have left their mark and Cappadocia was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.

It is highly possible that when talking about Turkish travels while you are chatting with your friends, the image of hot air balloons flying over unique rock formations with festiveness comes to mind , without a doubt Cappadocia in Turkey is one of the best places in the world to fly in a hot air balloons.

Attractions go far beyond the experience to get carried away by the wind and, once there, it would be unforgivable not to spend two or three days more to know what is hidden on the other side of the rocks in the undergrounds of Cappadocia

Fairy chimneys are the most famous postcards of the amazing geography of Cappadocia. Located in the center of Turkey, Cappadocia is a region of just over 200 square kilometers that is characterized by having a geological profile comparable to that of lunar landscapes, with shapes capriciously carved by the erosive forces for several million years. You can book our Cappadocia tour from Istanbul to explore this magic land with a guide escort in small groups.

The majority of tourists visiting Cappadocia in Turkey with the dream of flying in a balloon. The number of people who want to enjoy the flight is incredible and that is why it is almost always necessary to book well in advance, there are several companies that organize the hot air balloon tours Cappadocia. In the low seasons during the winter(December, January, February), you can reserve a couple of days back and maybe one day before. But in the high season it is necessary to ensure balloon trip booking weeks or months in advance.

Architectural Treasures in Cappadocia Turkey

Both the fairy chimneys and the great majority of the rock formations of the region are made up of calcareous tuff, which is a very moldable stone. This allowed not only the work of erosion but also of man, who has built his dwellings in these rocks for centuries, digging them and creating artificial caves. The absence of wood in the area favored the almost exclusive use of these rocks as housing for the different civilizations that inhabited here. And so they reconverted these formations in the buildings, temples, towers and fortifications that were an essential part of their cities.

The most iconic and famous city in Cappadocia is Goreme. Its origins date back to the 3rd and 4th centuries, when the first Christians arrived in Asia Minor founded several monasteries excavated in the rocks here. Some of these ancient temples are part of the fabulous Goreme National Park, located around the city. Goreme is like a memory inside another…

Göreme/Goreme Open-Air Museum
The Göreme open-air museum can be reached on foot from Goreme town itself and we recommend it to be one of your first visits. It is a closed enclosure in which several Christian monastic complexes excavated in the rock are concentrated, many of them with frescos in their interior of the XI and XII centuries in excellent state of conservation. The churches of Santa Barbara, the Apple, the Serpent, the Dark, the Carikli or the Buckle are some of those that you can not miss, the magnificent state of their paintings make them the best in all of Cappadocia.

Cappadocia Turkey

Rose Valley

Rose valley along with Red valley are among the most famous. Their names are due to the hue of the valleys. Inside the Rose valley there are two churches that you should not miss: Hacli Kilise with its frescoes by a Pantocrator and the 9th century apostles, slightly damaged during the iconoclastic period and a carved cross on the ceiling, and the Columned Church, with its sculpted columns in the stone, in the latter, climbs the small stairs to the upper room.

Red Valley
More or less parallel to the Rose valley. Do not miss the Üzumlü Church with its frescoes. At the end of the valley, if you are in good physical shape, you can climb to the top of the mountains from where you will have spectacular views of the entire Cappadocia tours. If going up there is too much, there is another viewpoint a little further down that can be easily reached even by car.

Love valley
They call it love valley but they should call it differently…/shame!!! You can judge the shape of the rock formations for yourself once you come and you will agree. There is a viewpoint above with a heart and everything for you to take photos of yourself there. From the viewpoint you can also go down into the valley, which We recommend a lot because it is very beautiful.

Çavusin Castle and Church of Juan Bautista
This small town has an imposing castle that was completely carved out of the rock. A little further on is the church of San Juan Bautista, for which you have to pay admission.

Swords Valley
It is the closest valley to the city of Göreme in the direction of the Open Air Museum. If you are going to walk to the Red Valley you are going to pass through here for sure.

Pigeon Valley
Comparing to other valleys, it does not have many of the typical spike formations for which Cappadocia is famous, but worth a visit though if you have time in Cappadocia

The name “valley of pigeons” receives it because this is the valley where “houses” for pigeons were excavated as a farm in the stone. It is believed that it was to collect their droppings and use them as fertilizer in the vineyards in the area.

There is an observation point when you arrive at the valley from Uçhisar that leave anybody breathless. If you are going to walk on it, we recommend that you start on the Uçhisar side in the direction of Göreme and thus the path is downhill.

White valley
It is the continuation of the Love valley towards Uçhisar and as its name indicates it is very white.

Devrent Valley
Or Imagination valley. The most famous part of this valley is a camel-shaped rock formation. It is right at the entrance, next to the road. If you walk a little among the rock formations you can find (or imagine) other forms of animals on the rocks.

Goreme Turkey

Cappadocia specially Goreme Turkey represents one of those places on the planet whose visit must be on the list of destinations for any traveler. In this region of Central Anatolia the vagaries of nature have given rise to a unique and spectacular geological environment that leaves every visitor open-mouthed while flying on Cappadocia balloon tour and with the feeling of being on another planet or immersed in a very archaic civilization.

Balloon Tours in Cappadocia

To get to know Cappadocia the best option is to take as a starting point the small town of Goreme, which is located in the same valley that bears its name and in which, in an incredible way, its inhabitants have managed to make the unique rocks that make so characteristic the Cappadocia region. To do this, its ancient inhabitants excavated interconnected cavities in the hard stone, and even at different levels, which were initially occupied as houses or places of worship and which over time and the rise of the fame of the place have been transformed into accommodation. and tourist attractions in many cases.

The ancient inhabitants of the place took advantage of the famous fairy chimneys (unique elongated and / or conical rock formations) that plague the valley to turn them into their places of worship, houses or rooms for animals (the famous dovecotes). The hardness of such a continent has allowed many of the structures to be preserved to this day and continue to be used today, although quite different from the original in many cases. Tourism has known how to exploit the uniqueness of these buildings and in many cases they have been used to their advantage (a large number of lodgings use as a claim to have a room, however small, excavated in the rock). Although not all the old fairy chimneys have had the same luck, it is easy to see how time and abandonment have allowed their deterioration. The town offers magnificent views, giving great postcards to lovers of photography and good views. Being in a valley it is not difficult to find great viewpoints from which to contemplate the place and, already inland, while walking through its streets it is also easy to enjoy good walks and imagine that you are in a prehistoric place, or science fiction, although its origin may really be from the time of the Romans.

What to see in Goreme and Cappadocia
There are three typical excursions: green, red and blue color named tours operated by almost all local travel agencies in Goreme.

The green tour is the longest and the most interesting. It includes sites such as: the Valley of the Doves, the Ihlara Valley, the Derinkuyu underground city and the Selime cave church.

The red tour covers places that you can access by bike from Göreme, so there is no need to hire an agency. It covers the area north of Göreme, including the Pasabag Valley of the Monks, the Devrent Valley, and the Göreme Open Air Museum.

The blue tour is good if you have more free time. It takes you to the Kaymakli Underground City, the Soganli Valley of the Churches, the ancient city of Sobesos, and the town of Mustafapaşa.

Best place to stay in Cappadocia: Goreme Turkey

In our opinion, in Cappadocia you have to stay in Goreme. Urgup and Uchisar have relatively few interesting places accessible on foot, while Goreme Cappadocia has many. Goreme has an excellent tourist infrastructure, incredible cave hotels and all excursions arrive here. Most independent tourists stay here, and package tourists elsewhere. However we are preferring this spot in our Cappadocia tour from Istanbul. Its surroundings are more dramatic, with fairytale fireplaces and spectacular views everywhere. Finally, there is a good offer of restaurants with Turkish and international food such as Indian, Chinese etc. And let’s not forget the tea and coffee shops and their thousands of sweets! We offer only the most recommended hotels according Tripadvisor ratings such as Sultan Cave Suites, Hera Cave Suites, Ottoman Cave Suites, Doors of Cappadocia Hotel, Artemis Cave Suites, Cappadocia Cave Suites, Henna Cappadocia Hotel, Kelebek Hotel and so on.

Why do you have to go to Cappadocia now?
Cappadocia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. The number of tourists is increasing considerably and it can be unpleasant to come in the high season. But due to its size and the large number of sights you can easily escape the crowds and explore the region with our guided day trips. Of course the most interesting way is hiking, but taking a tour with a hot air balloon is considered as the best of all. The authorities are bothered a lot to protect the area, so there is not lot of construction activity but lots of renovations are being done. So don’t wait until it’s too late, visit Cappadocia now!

Love Valley – Cappadocia Turkey

Nature is capricious and sometimes it gives us the possibility to contemplate surprising places that we could not even imagine in dreams.

A clear example of this is found in Pamukkale (Turkey) and, especially, in the Cappadocia region, where the combination of a very particular geology, meteorological phenomena and the ability to adapt of the human being has given place to landscapes that seem to mix between elements of science fiction and prehistoric.

We do not know for sure if this popular name has something to do with what can be seen there, but surely more than one or one would say yes.

In this valley huge pillars of volcanic rock rise above the ground, giving rise to formations of deep erotic reminiscence. Come on, clearly speaking, the rock columns are shaped like a phallus or male sexual member on a large scale from which angle you look.

Such particularity has turned the valley into a very popular place among travelers and tourists, who come there to contemplate perplexed similar columns of rock.

The Love Valley is very close to Goreme, to the southeast of the town and to the west of its Open Air Museum, and can be easily reached on foot from said town.

Once there, various unmarked trails run through the interior of the valley and allow access to the vertical columns of volcanic rock. It is an incredibly curious place to go hiking.

You have to be careful, because the absence of signs and the entertainment of the visit can favor getting lost. We already know of a case and that is why, given the possibility that it happens, it is advisable to bring your mobile phone loaded (in case it is necessary to use the GPS or make an emergency call), leave a notice in the hotel that you are about to visit it, and above all, bring water. Although, if you pay attention to the path followed, there should be no problems during your visit.

Most of the mortals remain in the singular image of the place, with its numerous columns of up to 40 meters high and phallic shape.

But the really curious thing is to know how and when this place of such unique rock sculptures has been formed.

What we see today is the result of thousands of years of erosive phenomena, carried out by water and wind, which have been polishing the softest volcanic sediments on the ground. Until you get this landscape of columns, pinnacles, fairy chimneys and rocky cones that flood the Love Valley

In other words, it is the result of a 100% natural geological process that has capriciously shaped the terrain for a long time and still continues to do so. This means that the erosive process does not cease and, unless the human hand tries to prevent it, it will continue to occur until the valley formations are reduced to sand and dust.

But this is something that, in theory, will still take many hundreds of years to occur and that is why we will be able to continue enjoying this curious and interesting Valley of Love for a long time

Category Archives: Travel Cappadocia