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,
The thermal pools are amazing, the only place looking like this in the world, Unesco Heritage Site.
Views are magnificent, the experience is unique.
The Hierrapolis site itself is quite big so make sure you have at least 3-4 hours there.
The only minus as any of the world famous sites is that it was crowded with tourists, but I…
Arrive early if you can- it's a busy attraction. The best viewing time is 9-11am. Although the carbonate deposit terraces are stunning they can be tricky to walk over in the heat. I actually thought the best bit was Cleopatras pool- an oasis of thermal water that you can swim in with ruins from an ancient temple in it!!! Arrive…
This was one of the best attractions I ever seen. If you want to go there I recommend you to go to Antalia and stay there and take a one they trip to Pamukkale. It is white natural castle of thermal springs.
I liked it very much. The rocks seem like snow. The natural pools are blue and the water is blue. The view is something else. It is a place you should visit. I had only a couple of hours but I enjoed it.
Before soaking yourself in the pool, the Breathtaking views already have its own healing properties.
We fell in love with this place. If you visit istanbul, you should visit pamukkale, too. It is only 40 minutes flight from istanbul to denizli airport and than just one hour drive. One day is enough for this place. The flights are mostly very cheap and you can come in the morning and turn back in the evening.
Apart from being constantly busy with people, it really is an incredible place, well worth the visit if you are nearby on holidays
Third time visit completes our dream come true, spend the whole afternoon, sunset till night time when the lights are lit at the travertines, we went up mid afternoon, best time and not very busy, no more day trip coaches and only few. It was a bliss and delightful to watch the sunset, capture the beauty of travertines and surroundings…
was long day out well worth visiting to say you been, the high thermal pools in the hill side were very clean and the swim in Cleopatra pool was soothing to the aches and pains of us elders lol, the people who look after you speak good English so asking questions was easy, always go to different sales outlet to…
While researching Turkey's sites, I happened up this…We travelled by bus from Istanbul to Pamukkale then bus down to Bodrum…extremely cheap and good to hang with the locals. Being in Pamukkale was magical…swimming in thermal waters in such a unique setting was unforgettable. Swimming over actual roman ruins, cascading with bouganvilla in such a setting is a once in a…