Pamukkale village has some charming hotels and pensions, and despite the constant coach parties it’s a good place to get a taste of village life, if you steer clear of the main road. Several other attractions are within easy reach, including Afrodisias, one of Turkey’s most complete and absorbing archaeological sites, and Laodicea, one of the biblical Seven Churches of Asia.
Long before Unesco, the Romans recognised the appeal of the site and built a large spa city, Hierapolis, to take advantage of the water’s curative powers. The tourist boom of the 1980s and 1990s had a detrimental effect on the site, as a line of hotels above the travertines drained away the waters, leaving the travertines dry, dull and dirtied. In a drastic attempt to preserve the site, all the hotels have been demolished and visitors can no longer bathe in the pools; however, the flow of water is still very slow, and it may be that the real culprits are the many swimming pools in the village below.
Calcium’s not just good for bones. If the many habitués of the spa town of Pamukkale are to be believed, it works wonders on muscles and sinews too. ‘Cotton Castle’, 19km north of Denizli, has built a centuries-long reputation on the restorative qualities of its calcium-rich waters. The unique formations of travertine (calcium carbonate) shelves, pools and stalactites, which hug the ridge above town like a white scar, were created by the area’s warm mineral water, which cools as it cascades over the cliff edge and deposits its calcium. It’s a strange piece of landscape unlike anything else you’ll see in Turkey, and it now appears on the Unesco World Heritage list.
The pools of Pamukkale
Pamukkale,
we went to pamukkale a few years ago , its a stunning place and a must see if you ever venture that far from your all inclusive hotels…it can be done in a day , but it's far better to have a two day excursion and stay in a hotel over night , as the journey takes a least 6…
Pamu means cotton while kale means castle. An entrance fee of 20try covers the whole hierapolis and thermal pools area which you can easily spend 4-5hours at. The area is huge and with 2 omnitheatres, tombs, cleopatra pools, travetines, etc. We signed up for the day tour which started at around 930 and ended at 3 costing 60try per person….
Not as fascinating as the stills you see, but quite breathtaking in their own smaller span… The walk through the part natural, part manmade greek/turkish park is rather historically impactful.
Went to the pools during an excursion to Pamukkale.
It is a fascinating site, we spent more than an hour is the different pools cooling off, taking pictures, enjoying the sun. You need to take off your shoes when you enter, not to damage or soil the calcium deposits. They channel the waters into man made pools of different depths….
It's a very interesting geological formation, but I wouldn't go out of your way to see Pamukkale. It worked out for us as we were on our way from Fethiye to Selcuk and it was somewhat en route. However, it was so crowded and hot that it was hard to enjoy. I'm sure it would be better in the off…
A breath taking walk along the cotton castle. Views are amazing and the pools are fabulous. Loves the brightness and tranquility ambiance of the place. Definately worth a visit by all age groups. Somewhere that i will most certainly visit again
On our trip to the pools we were in awe of the surrounding area, we ad just been to Ephesus and thought we ad had our fill of Roman archaeology how wrong we were. On the way to the pools you travel for miles through a Roman burial ground with sarcophagus as far as you could see, thousands of them….
highly recommended day out,we stayed in icmeler , so a
two day trip, stopped overnight at hotel near pammukele,even had earth tremors and i would still stop again.
So here's the deal. There are daily buses arriving around noon and leaving at 4pm. Depending on the heat, you have several options. Bear in mind the admission is steep, and you can only enter once. If you are staying in Pammukale itself, this is what we did, which worked out ideally:
We arrived around 11. Take the time to…
You could spend all day here, as apart from the falls which most people come to see, there is also Hieropolis ruins, which are stunning. Only thing to bear in mind is the heat, so an early morning visit may best.