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Turkey’s single most-visited attraction, with over two million visitors annually and named a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the city of Pamukkale. Located in the southwest region of Turkey, the destination is a treasure trove of both man-made and natural wonders.
Known for its mineral-rich thermal waters cascading along travertine caverns and down hillsides, the city of Pamukkale neighbors the ancient Roman city of Hierapolis, founded around 190 B.C. and touting ruins like a well-maintained theater and necropolis with a 2-kilometer-long sarcophagus.
Why Make the Trip?
Quite literally, a trip to the region allows visitors to bathe like the Romans did in a region seemingly suspended in time. The Antique Pool in the Greek-Roman spa city of Hierapolis is filled with warm water (36C), rich in healing minerals where visitors can swim and soak while submerged in a setting surrounded by columns from great antiquity.
Tourists can explore wondrous travertine formations, created over thousands of years from limestone accumulated by the plentiful hot springs and walk along colonnaded streets, bath houses and historic temples.
What to Bring When Visiting Pamukkale
Starting at the south gate, visitors are encouraged to walk through the formations by traversing the travertine path. Shoes are not permitted to prevent erosion and staining of the fragile calcite deposits so bring a bag to carry your footwear. Wearing a swimsuit to the ancient site will let you enjoy the antique pool situated at the top of the terracing.
Best Times for Exploring
For those preferring to avoid the crowds, consider spending the night in one of the quaint hotels available in Pamukkale village and arriving at the formations and ancient site first thing in the morning. Most tourists frequent the relics of Pamukkale in late afternoon.
Getting to Pamukkale
Many make their way to Pamukkale by taking one of the rigorous day trips from the cruise port of Kusadasi. The easiest form of travel is to simply rent your own car and make the three-hour drive from Kusadasi or the four-hour trek from Antalya and Marmaris. Another good option is to take a comfortable inter-city coach to Denizli, the closest city to Pamukkale, and grab a bus for the 40-minute ride to see the sites.
Two airlines, Turkish Airlines and Pegasus both service Denizli’s Cardak Airport from Istanbul. For those enjoying rail travel, trains run four times a day between Izmir and Denizli by way of Selcuk.