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,
Unique adventure to explore the Thermal Pools in Pamukkale, Turkey.
Bring a swim suit & towel to swim with ancient ruins in the warm water. Small price
for the swim, but go for it.How often does one swim among ruins?
Lovely place to have lunch.
Swim, walk the "cotton castle" or "white cake", and enjoy lunch or a drink.
Awesome experience. The view is simply beautiful! Beautiful garden! Walking up and down the cascade was so funny. I was happy I did not forget my swimming suit 🙂
that stunning beauty with its healing waters and the relation with the myths of gods.staying in waters among the marbles you feel amazingly relaxed.
Just got back from Pamukkale and had the most amazing experience with my 15 year old and 11 year old . It was just magical , we had one day and managed to spend good time in the travertine pools and then the natural mineral water pool . A lot of walking climbing to do,it is hot in the summer…
We took a day coach trip to pamukkale from fethiye and it cost 80TL each or (£25ish) depending on exchange rate at time. We stopped for breakfast at a very shabby and not very nice place after and hour. Then 2 hours later we arrived and what an amazing sight. You are not allowed to wear shoes to walk around…
Let me first say that the most common pictures one would see of the iconic tavertine pools of Pamukkale, are at least a decade or so older. This can lead to an initial spell of disappointment (as we had), to find many such pools dry & devoid of water, especially the ones of which we see the most pictures of….
Amazing experience you can not have this view any where else in the world water pools in calcium ponds looks like taking bath in snow
This is one of the most amazing sights I have seen in the world. It was one of the attractions of visiting Turkey and we weren't let down. When we arrived in Pamukkale it was late afternoon and we viewed the pools from ground level and it was spectacular. However, the next day when we visited the top and were…
This was absolutely one of the highlights of our recent trip to Turkey, we started off the at south gate and climbed up the hill, wading through the limpid blue pools. At the top of the hill is ancient Hierapolis, with a magnificent amphitheater and the antique "Cleopatra's" pool. While the ruins were interesting to explore IMO the travertines is…
Like so many wonders, this one is slowly going away – with global warming or erosion or – whatever. What is there is simply amazing and beautiful and…well – there is nothing like it.