You have seen it, on stunning photos online. However, it turned out, the promo pics are old ones. Pamukkale in Turkey, is not what it used to be. The terraces are not overflowing with azure water anymore – there’s just a few pools left. The cotton looking travertine I still found striking though. I am happy I landed on taking the detour, from Izmir, even though I was unsure it would be worth it. Lowered expectations definitely was key.
My favourite part of the site is the lower section of the travertine formation. It is where you really get the cotton feeling, and where there are little to no people. The area closer to the top, where the few remaining pools are, is very crowded. I entered from the lower gate, which meant an uphill climb. Not as strenuous as it looked like from afar. Pretty easy, actually. A nice view of the village, and beyond, on the way. Shoes are not allowed on the limestone, so it can be uncomfortable to walk, some places less than others. It might also be slippery, especially going down.
At top you’ll find the remnants of Hierapolis. The space the ancient Greek city once covered, was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be. I didn’t explore much, just walked along the rim of the plateau, but I saw lots of people in the far distance. I didn’t check out Cleopatra’s Pool either, as it was closed for renovation.
The site has three entrances – at the bottom, top right, and top left. I read somewhere they have different opening hours – I didn’t look into it. Next to the lower gate, there is a nice park, with splendid view of the hill, and a few parking spaces. If you want to enter through the gates at the top, you should go up by car, as it looked like long walks.
Whichever access point you go for, just be aware you might be scammed at the (official) ticket office. Yes, you heard correctly! The lady charged me for an audio guide, insisting it was included in the ticket price, it was a package deal, and several other excuses, even though they had listed one price for the ticket and one price for the audio guide. After arguing with her for a while, she finally gave up, and refunded me what she had overcharged me. She did this to several others. One couple, who asked me how I was able to get the refund, later told me I had done all the hard work, because when they approached her, she refunded them their money without any hassle 😀 I also spotted people carrying around their unopened audio guide boxes.
Although this place isn’t as stunning as it once was, it is still busy, even in October. I read some suggesting going at sunset, to have it all to yourself. There might be less people then, but it definitely didn’t look “empty”, from the balcony of my hotel.
I travelled to Pamukkale by bus from Izmir, via Denizli. I did not do this as a day trip, but if you plan well, leave early, and come back late, it might be doable. I spent 1.5 hour on the mountain, including walking up and down, but not venturing into the Hierapolis ruins. And that wasn’t me rushing things.
Website: ktb.gov.tr/EN-36238/pamukkale.html
Park at the bottom
Climbing the travertine terraces
At the top
