Should Cappadocia be on your bucket list?
The next stop on my Türkiye bucket list is: Cappadocia. Have you seen instagramers posting roof top views with hot air balloons rising in the distance? That is Cappadocia, Land of the Fairy Chimneys and more… Although Cappadocia is on many a bucket list if you plan accordingly you do not have to be in the tourist rush. This place is a gem that I recommend for empty nesters, over 50s, solo travelers and adventurers 1000% and here is why…
As soon as you arrive in Cappadocia, it is like no place you have ever been, the landscape is surreal with unique rock formations made of ash and lava housing archaic cave dwellings, underground age-old cities that once housed up to 20,000 people, hidden churches carved into the ash and lava domes revealing drawings and frescos from the 1700’s. The entire area of Cappadocia is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Click for highlights) In addition to these remarkable landscapes and ruins: the locals are friendly, there aren many different sites to explore, the town and sites are easy to navigate, the food amazing and the area is safe. I wandered around Paşabağ Valley and the town of Cappadocia by myself at night and never encountered any unwanted attention. Perfect!!
Good to know: If you are like me and yearn for quieter, off the beaten path experiences, traveling during the off-season, in this case – Oct and Nov are the sweet spots. I visited Cappadocia mid October and had the place to myself. If you really want a unique experience go in December for snow covered Cappadocia
First views
I arrived at night and checked into my funky cave hotel. This one had low ceilings and the floors had wall to wall turkish carpets laid out. After checking in and dropping off my bags, I set off for food, walking alone in the dark navigating dirt roads and the uneven levels of cave dwellings built into the mountain. Walking alone, I felt completely safe. The full moon was lovely and also the village glows with small lights illuminating the clay walls and pathways. I discovered that the bazaar was open as well as individual shops for handmade shoes, leather goods, carpets etc. I made it to the upper part of the mountain and to the restaurant that promised traditional home cooked Turkish food, think clay pots filled with meat and vegies (testi kabob), fresh meze, saksuka, made from a rich tomato-based vegetable ragu, most commonly using eggplants, zucchini, onion, and peppers cooked in olive oil. Delicious food, fresh healthy ingredients and homey atmosphere in a cave. Alone but not lonely people! I wandered to my cave hotel around midnight with a smile from the most beautiful evening exploring destinations unknown.
Turkish Vibes
The Underground cities
After being blown away from being in this crazy looking place it was time to explore. I had rented a car and so my journey begins. I decide to drive to the Underground Cities of Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu. Easy drive, no traffic. I pull in to Kaymakli first and it feels like an abandoned place. I park on the street and start walking down toward the cave entrance. This underground cave is amazing. Hard to believe that families lived inside. I come across a gentle old soul and we begin to converse. He tells me he actually grew up playing with his friends for countless hours in the caves when he was a boy. It would be pitch black so they would have to have candles. We wished each other well and I was on my way.
Heading under ground for both Kaymakli and Derinkuyu I noticed that these structures are very defined, the ceilings are low, passageways narrow, lots of cutoffs and rooms, basically it is a maze. I learned that these structures were build for persecuted Christians to hide thousands of years ago. Kaymakli is 40 meters deep with 8 floors holding 3,500 people and Derinkuyu is 80 meters deep with 18 floors and held 20,000 people! Derinkuyu wins for the most claustrophobic space – deep and narrow. They contain animal stables and storage rooms, communal kitchens, wine storage and deep water wells, extensive ventilation shafts and massive stone round and thick ‘sliding doors’ to shut out intruders. Many places I needed to duck so I would not bonk my head. Hard to believe that these fortresses housed tens of thousands of humans.
Heading to Uchisir Castle
There is a pullover on the way to Uchisar Castle with a cafe and a little store selling items like evil eye wind charms. A great spot to stretch, shop and check out the evil eye tree and this view overlooking Pigeon Valley and Uchisar Castle. Wow! It just rattles the mind. Pigeon valley got it’s name because there are actual pigeon houses carved into the soft volcanic rock.
Good to Know: There is a scenic hike from Uchisar Castle down through Pigeon Valley to Göreme, about 1.5 hours best done in the cool temps of morning or late afternoon
Historic Uchisar
After climbing up to the top of Uchisar Castle and soaking in the views I explored the surrounding area and was surprised at what I found. I ended up walking through an entire neighborhood carved into the hillside with narrow cobblestone roads, terraces with lovely gardens and sitting areas, Fairy chimneys, Pigeon homes and amazing views. I even found a lovely hotel.
Pasabag at sunset: Wait, What?
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in cappadocia
This list of UNESCO sites are the highlights of Cappadocia. I am moving right along having visited Pasabag, the underground cities and Uchisar Castle, next stop Goreme open air museum. Even though Pasabag and Goreme are top tourist destinations in mid October I had both places to myself.
Pro tip: The Cappadocia Museum Pass include most of these UNESCO sites and is good for 3 days
- Göreme Open-Air Museum: The cultural heart of the site, containing a massive cluster of rock-cut monastic churches, chapels, and living quarters dating from the 10th to 12th centuries, complete with beautiful Byzantine frescoes
- Paşabağ (Monks Valley) & Zelve Open-Air Museum: Famous for the multi-headed, mushroom-capped fairy chimneys, as well as an entire abandoned rock-cut village inhabited up until the 1960s.
- Kaymaklı and Derinkuyu Underground Cities: Massive, multi-level subterranean cities carved deep into the volcanic tuff that served as hiding places for early Christians during Arab-Byzantine war.
- The Troglodyte Villages: Historic rock-settlements and cave dwellings scattered across Uçhisar, Ortahisar, Ürgüp, and Mustafapaş
- The Eroded Valleys: Spectacular geological landscapes including Rose Valley, Love Valley, and Pigeon Valley, all shaped by volcanic ash and centuries of wind and water erosion.
Göreme Open Air Museum
At first look Göreme Open Air Museum is similar with other sites having distinct mountains of lava with doors and windows carved out. What makes this area special and earning a UNESCO label is that inside the carved out spaces there are chapels and churches. What is even more amazing is that inside the chapels and churches are frescoes from the 10-12th centuries. These paintings are beautifully preserved and the red dye lines and drawings somehow still are vivid.
Zelve Open Air Museum: Last but not least of the uNESCO sites
Like Göreme Open Air Museum, Zelve Open Air Museum is a UNESCO site and has cave churches. There is an ancient Monastery dating from the 9th-13th century with some of the oldest rock cut architecture. Unlike Goreme which was mostly monasteries, churches and chapels used as a spiritual compound, Zelve was a bustling community of long term cave dwellers (troglodytes) that lived here until 1952 when they had to move because the structures were degrading and became dangerous. Here muslims and christians lived side by side until the mid 20th century. There were farmers and families living here for centuries.
Seen around town and more to check out
Cappadocia is an adventurers paradise. There are some places in the world that are eye candy: visually stunning and extraordinarily unique. Cappadocia is like that – it is an entire area set in the desert that is made up of volcanic domes and caves. It is an ancient place and feels like either a dream or an exhibit at a museum or world’s fair.
So far I have seen many of the UNESCO sites here. To learn about more of the culture you need to eat the amazing food, look at the handmade crafts and leather goods, visit a carpet factory where women are hand weaving rugs like they have done for thousands of years.
The last thing I will mention is an activity that every one does here, in fact many come for just that, the hot air balloon rides. Hopefully my misadventure will be helpful to insure you get on that balloon. Read more below…
Hot Air balloon rides: The one that got away
I signed up for a balloon ride and it was the night before so a bit late, I asked my small cave hotel to help set it up. I was told to show up at the office in the morning before 6:00 a.m. There were probably 10 people gathered and they went over the safety and landing instructions and we filled out paperwork and paid before being shuttled out to Pigeon valley for our ride in a hot air balloon. By the time we got out there is was after 6:30. I noticed that there were many balloons that were already beginning their flight and were off the ground. This was confusing and as we watched countless balloons leaving the ground and us behind we all realized that this was not looking good. We were waiting for some instructions on where to go. Needless to say we never received any instructions and after the sun began to rise and all of the balloons were launched we were not going anywhere. We were grounded!
This is one of those unfortunate things that happen. Sometimes with excursions that tourist clammer for like this (or a boat ride to Komodo Island in Indonesia perhaps) there are many ‘tourist agencies’ booking the same trips.
Luckily things have changed and there is now a digital booking system.
Here are some other tips to insure that you get what you pay for whether its Hot Air Balloon rides or River raft rides:
- Book directly with Balloon operator – bypass general tour agencies, street kiosks, and hotel front desks. Find the actual company that owns and operates the physical balloons
- Avoid all inclusive ‘activity’ bundles with balloon ride added on
- If booking with third party make sure they are highly reputable and regulated (Get Your Guide or Viator)
- Confirm with actual Balloon Company the night before
Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
