Pamukkale & Hierapolis

Pamukkale — the 'cotton castle' — is one of Turkey's most surreal sights: a hillside of dazzling white travertine terraces filled with warm, mineral-blue water, crowned by the ancient city of Hierapolis.

Travertines and Hierapolis

Over millennia, calcium-rich thermal springs have built cascading white terraces down the hillside. Above them spreads Hierapolis, a Greco-Roman spa city (a UNESCO World Heritage Site together with Pamukkale) with a grand theatre, a vast necropolis and the famous Cleopatra's Pool, where you can swim among submerged ancient columns.

A long but rewarding day trip

Pamukkale is about 180–190 km from Selçuk — roughly a 3-hour drive each way, so it's a full-day excursion, almost always done as an organised tour. Bring swimwear, and remember you must walk barefoot on the travertines to protect them.

On the map

Photos