Pigeon Valley ( Güvercinlik Vadisi ), just outside Goreme in Cappadocia, is one of Turkey’s most beautiful landscapes. The unique rock formations known as fairy chimneys, or peri bacalar, which are made from wind and water erosion on soft volcanic rock, rise high from the valley floor like chimneys and are dotted in their tops with birdhouses. Some reach at tall as 130 ft Pigeons live in these dovecoats carved into the rocks and cliffs. Years ago the pigeons were used to carry messages from this remote region, and their droppings have long been used by local farmers for fertilizer. Today, however, there are fewer Pigeons in the valley.
Pigeon Valley is a great place for hiking. The whole area around Goreme is made up of valleys with almost no fencing and there are well-marked trails. The mildly hilly trail through Pigeon Valley is free of charge and about 2.8 miles long running between Goreme and Uchisar.
Pigeon is ideal for walking as the trek is relatively easy. Within the valley are man-made caves which make for excellent exploration. Alternatively if walking is not your idea of fun, still head to the top of the valley at sunset where the vibrant orange colors moving down behind the mountains produce wonderful holiday pictures. The valley earned its name from the hundreds of pigeons that have made their homes in the rocks.
Pigeon Valley ( Güvercinlik Vadisi ) Goreme-Cappadocia
There was nothing much at the valley but the nice photo shooting spot with panorama view. Some souvenir shops, some ice cream shop, but trust me for souvenir, let's go buy it at Spice Market Istanbul, you will find more than 50% off the price..
Stop by hold some pigeons in hand there's a guy on the side near a pigeon house…take pigeons in hand click pics with the pigeon valley in the background.
Pigeons were important to the people here a long time ago, not for eating purposes but for their droppings. So they were very well looked after. The valley contains many pigeon nesting caves, views are sensational
Nice view. You can see the man made and bird made pigeon holes (or houses). Not sure why they would not let the birds make their own – thus why the man made. Although it is nice and was part of the tour it is not I would have gone out of the way to see. The walk from Goreme…
Been there for lunch, view is gorgeous from our restaurant. But we don't have time for the hike … can spend more time for next visit.
this was a nice half day adventure. we took the bus up to uchisur and visited the castle. Finding the way into the valley took a bit of time but then the path was real clear. eventually we ran into a couple with an older local man who needed to show them the way down the valley. we went on…
We walked the Pigeon Valley up from Goereme, had lunch at Uchisar and then found our way back down to Goereme on the plateau and back down Love Valley. A wonderful day, with magnificent views on the Erciyes volcano in the distance.
Near Uçhisar, this lovely place was a surprise for me. Thousands of pigeons flying above and though the valley. Nice spectacle!
The view from the top of the hill is breathtaking, ideal for photography. There are souvenir stalls on the hill and you can buy 1 miniature cave for only 1 lira.
We hiked from Uchisar back to Goreme, and it was a very pleasant hike. There are very cool natural tunnels in the rock, and the highlight for us was bumping into a local man from Uchisar, who took us to have tea at a small tea house at the bottom of the valley.