The reason for travelling out this way, is not the hamlet itself, at the foot of Turkey’s famous cotton hill. Because Pamukkale village, looks to be a result of the sight’s popularity only, and has little else to offer. Its centre is made up of a tiny square, and a few side streets, with some shops and restaurants. There’s a park, next to the world heritage site’s lower entrance, which appears to be of newer date, and offers great views of the cotton castle. I found a superb bakery on the corner of Turgut Özal Cd (main street) and Oguz Kagan Cd. Selection limited, but goods as fresh as they get. It is anonymous looking, so follow the smell. Luckily, I also happened to find a well-stocked pharmacy, with very helpful staff, albeit limited English, located just outside the village centre, a bit further down the main street from the bakery. Let me put it this way, I do not recommend eating, or drinking, at Asian Kitchen – #FoodPoisoning. Even though this small village is less than exciting, I’d still choose it as the place to stay, while exploring the natural site it is home to. It’ll be for a couple of days only.
Pamukkale village is easily reached by minibus from Denizli. I travelled by bus from Izmir, via Denizli. A trip that was done in less than 4 hours. When leaving, luckily I stumbled upon affordable airport transfer, at the Metro tour company, located at the main square. A shared shuttle, instead of the 55 USD private car alternative my hotel offered. With a cash only policy, a friend of the manager insisted on taking me on his moped to, and from, the several ATMs on Memet Akif Ersoy Blvd – customer service 😀 On the day of, the shuttle showed up a bit more than a little late. Called the number on the ticket, at 6 in the morning, and was reassured it was on its way. Might have been car trouble, as we changed cars after being picked up. Arrived at the airport in time.
