Pamukkale tour tips in Turkey
If your holiday includes travel to Turkey, make sure you get tickets to visit Pamukkale in the central Aegean region so you can enjoy a warm, invigorating thermal bath and rest your weary limbs while reflecting on your Turkey tour.
Pamukkale tour tips
Described in some holiday travel books as one of the most interesting places in the world, Pamukkale is a modern name meaning Cotton Castle - a perfect description of the unique geological formations that encase the natural thermal pools pictured above.
The site’s ancient name was Hierapolis (Holy City) and its terraced white mineral formations have thermal waters that are rich with calcium oxide said to be magical and healing.
The thermal springs were located in the centre of Hierapolis and the ruins of this ancient city’s baths and temples are scattered everywhere, along with other Greek monuments.
Pamukkale is renowned for its unreal landscape dotted with petrified waterfalls, mineral forests and terraced basins, some of which are pictured above.
Twenty kilometres from the town of Denizli, Pamukkale’s stunning geology is caused by calcite-laden waters dripping down the plateaux from the main springs in a cliff almost 200 metres high overlooking a geographic plain.
The hot thermal springs flowing down the hillside deposit calcium carbonate and this hardens to become what’s called travertine.
The colour of the landscape changes in different lights and Pamukkale at sunrise or sunset offers one of the most unique scenes in the world.
Only a few of the thermal baths are nowadays open to the public so it’s worth enquiring before you travel if you’re hoping to dip your toes during your Turkey holiday tour.
A great way to travel from Istanbul is aboard the Pamukkale Express, a daily train service departing Haydarpasa Station. The journey takes 16 hours and, as a result, the Pamukkale Express is rarely crowded.
Dozens of coaches make the three hour journey to Pamukkale each day from Marmaris, Bodrum and Kusadasi, and the tour can be a highlight of your Turkey holiday travel.