The Travertines of Pamukkale

The Travertines of Pamukkale, one of the most amazing works of nature, is a must see when you visit Turkey. These bizarre calcium cliff bathing pools overlooking the town of Pamukkale are products of very hot springs with a very high mineral content (notably chalk) arose at this location. Although there are some similar sites around the world, these cotton white (Pamukkale means 'Cotton Castle' in Turkish) are "almost" unique in the world. Since 1988, Pamukkale is a world heritage site and it has always been a very popular spa and tourist destination for people, tourism is and has been a major industry and people have bathed in its pools for thousands of years.

The hot water spas on the pools of Pamukkale are just fantastic. Since the water temperature is hot, you could even swim in them when it is snowing and many people swam here when I was kid. But currently, you  cannot swim in the pools of terraces. But still, there are mineral hot springs above the waterfalls and you should swim in these enclosed pools. They charge around 25 TL here.

Walking on the terraces of Pamukkale is the main attraction but they do not let you to walk on these natural wonders by your shoes so bring something with you to put your shoes in. Still, there are many hot pools around and you should bring your swimsuit with you even if it is winter. There are also a lot of hotels in Pamukkale which has thermal pools for you to enjoy. 

Pamukkale pools

The white terraces look really fairy and out of this world. The water here has a temperature of around 33 degrees Celcius and it contains high levels of calcium carbonate minerals. These minerals causes calcium sedimentation and forms the terraces, which are sedimentary rock deposited by water from the hot springs.

Pamukkale hot spas

Pamukkale also has another main attraction: Aphrodisias. This is one of the best preserved Roman site in southeastern Aegean. In fact this site contains some of the most impressive Roman ruins in Turkey, and is in some aspects more worthwhile to visit than more famous Ephesus.

Aphrodisias Entrance

The location of Pamukkale:
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