Stunning Pamukkale - It’s Why We Travel the World

This morning was awesome! We woke up for the 6:30am opening of Pamukkale and had the pools completely to ourselves for a solid 30 minutes. It is so over-sensationalized, I never expected to enjoy it so much. So worth it and so much fun!

The stunning travertine terraces, a natural wonder, are arguably one of the most popular tourist destinations in Turkey - and thus get insanely crowded. Pamukkale's terraces are made of travertine, a sedimentary rock deposited by mineral water from the hot springs.

A perk of going to Pamukkale when it opens at 6:30am is seeing the hot air balloons hover over!

One thing that surprised me about the travertine pools is that there is no pathway with room to walk. I can't imagine getting through a crowd of tourists in the high season.

It's experiences like these that keep us travelling the world year after year

As the only ones here, we had no need to walk all the way down the line of pools. You aren't allowed to wear shoes on the travertine, and the stone is uncomfortably pokey on your feet.

It is impossible to tell the difference but the part of the travertine that you are allowed to walk on is actually man- made to prevent <further> damage to the site. The natural pools do still remain intact, but are rarely, if ever, filled with water. In other words, all of the picture advertisements for Pamukkale are deceptively from a bygone era.

Pamukkale's roped off area is natural travertine - but isn't filled with water

I would say that technically Pamukkale is three sites in one: the travertine pools, the ancient site of Hierapolis, and Cleopatra's Pool. We spent about an hour at each one.

Since the pool wasn't open yet, next we walked around the more interesting sites in the connected ancient city, Hierapolis. Founded as a thermal spa early in the 2nd century BC, today the city ruins take the appearance of a typical Roman city that had lost its Hellenistic character. The ancient city had a grid plan consisting of two monumental gates and perpendicular streets parallel to the main street.

The main street of Hierapolis is also known as the "Colonnade Street"

The ancient theater, over 1,800 years old, was built during the reign of Emperor Hadrian in 129 AD. After improvements were made, it could hold ~10,000 people thus becoming one of the largest ancient theaters in the world.

With an intact stage, the theater is unique - and very large - compared to what we've seen so far in Turkey

When I first saw online pictures of people swimming in the ruins of Cleopatra's Pool, I thought it was so cool, and assumed it was from yet another bygone era of "back when" tourists could do crazy things, like having a picnic on the top of a pyramid. Nope! Still to this day you can soak in the royal waters like Cleopatra. The 97 degrees water is rich in minerals that help heal skin problems, cardiovascular diseases, stomach problems and rheumatism. Usually not a fan of water due to my eczema, I relaxed happily for an hour - soaking up its benefits. (I even spent time with my face submerged just in case it helps heal the scar from my recent surgery removing skin cancer.)

Cleopatra's Pool - I still can't believe that we could swim in this amazing and completely empty setting.

Even after spending three hours at Pamukkale, we still made it back to the motel in time for its generous breakfast!

Logistics: the information I grabbed from the official website is already outdated on our arrival. Instead of $21 the cost is now €36 (€30 for main entrance and €6 to swim). Something I haven't mentioned yet is that Turkey's big players (hotels, government-owned sites, tours, hot air balloon rides) all set their prices in euros - probably since the lira is so quickly being devalued. While not readily advertised, the South Gate entrance opens at 6:30am; the popular main gate opens at 8:00am. The prettiest time to visit is afternoon and sunset, when the bright sun shines on the travertine pools. But if you want a chance of experiencing them empty then first thing when they open is best. There is no re-admittance and I wasn't willing to spend over 12 hours at the site. Ideally, you would pay twice to see it both ways. If you want to see Cleopatra's Pool, you can walk into the complex for free; only swimming has a fee. Because they have professional photographers, no cameras are allowed in the pool.

Turkey has some toll roads with a contactless payment system. Rather than try to avoid our only two tolls today, which would've added another 40 minutes to our 2 hours 40 minutes, we had faith in the Sixt employee who told us they only charge us the exact toll and no added service fees. We shall see when we return home!

Sirince is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Turkey and is only a short 15-minute drive from Selcuk (home to Ephesus). It is known for its stunning views, old stone houses and cobblestone streets. The town was built on a hillside surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and orchards, giving it the perfect setting for its biggest attraction: wine. From afar the village looks like a painting.

Sirince's narrow and windy cobbled streets contribute to the charm.

The biggest attraction in Sirince is its wine. We bought a bottle of Öküzgözü, a dry red wine made with the local grape.

You haven't been to Turkey if you don't leave with either an evil eye or a lamp

Sirince does a good job disguising that it is tourist trap. It is big enough to warrant the destination, the shops are cute, the wine is good, and its shade and altitude give you a break from the heat.

One of the original World Wonders is located in Selcuk: the Temple of Artemis. If you've made it this far, you have to do a customary visit to the barren site, where now only a single column remains.

Built in the 6th century BC, the Temple of Artemis was estimated to be at least two times bigger than the Parthenon in Athens. Now only a single column remains here. (Topped with a stork's nest.)

Tonight we are staying in Selcuk, the closest town to the ruins of Ancient Ephesus.

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