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.
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