Pamukkale

In our effort to see more of Turkey and improve our Turkish, we made a one week round trip from Kalkan to include Pamukkale, Ephesus and Datça.

Pamukkale and Hierapolis are together a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a three and a half hour drive inland from Kalkan. We stayed for two nights so we could enter the site before 7am to avoid the crowds.

Pamukkale was formed by warm thermal waters cascading over a limestone cliff edge. The literal meaning is cotton castle. It is now the most visited single site in Turkey, with two million visitors a year – the vast majority arriving in coaches from coastal resorts such as Marmaris or on day tours from cruise ships. The village of Pamukkale, in the shadow of the cliff, is therefore very quiet in the early mornings and evenings, with a handful of small guest houses.