Antalya and Cappadocia - a seaside city and mysterious Turkish mountains
Antalya and its international airport can be the gateway to mysterious Cappadocia. Cappadocia - still an underrated land - is one of the most interesting regions of Turkey. It would be hard to find anything like it in Europe, too. Stunning rock formations, gorges carved by nature, cave churches and underground cities make for an appealing mix of landscape and culture. Antalya should not be just a stopover on the way to the Turkish interior, either - it is worth spending some time there.
Cappadocia: How To Explore It?
Thanks to volcanoes that once spewed out huge amounts of ash, Cappadocia is covered in soft tuff, easily eroded and easy to carve. Rain has sculpted gorges and shaped strange cones. People hollowed out caves, grottoes, underground cities and rock churches, which served the first Christian communities.
Exploring on your own
It is worth starting with the so-called Open Air Museum, 2 km from Göreme, where a well-described trail lets you see 12 rock churches, many of them with frescoes inside. 11 churches are within the fenced area and 1 is outside it - do not miss that one either; it stands by the main road, before you reach the ticket offices.
The interiors of the churches are often covered with beautiful frescoes: some are full of colour and realistically depict people, animals and biblical scenes, while others are limited to sequences of geometric shapes in a restricted palette. The most precious of the churches is the Dark Church, for which you have to buy a separate 30 TRY ticket. Taking photos inside is forbidden, but by the ticket offices there is a souvenir shop where you can buy albums with reproductions of the frescoes. Admission to the Open Air Museum is 100 TRY, or about 30 PLN.
Another area you can explore on your own, starting from Göreme, is the 3 valleys. I began with the White Valley. White-and-pink rock formations were arranged in mounds and cones, sometimes forming narrowing gorges. All around there were plenty of birds and leafless - it was December, after all - trees. The next valley is Love Valley. In fact, it is just a branch of the White Valley. Its name probably does not come from the lofty feelings that may unite people, but from rather prosaic associations with certain parts of the male anatomy... After a brief moment of reflection, I moved on towards the valley exit, where an asphalt road to Göreme began. The whole route takes about 2-3 hours.
As the sun was still shining brightly and the gusts of wind had eased, I kept going. From the bus station in town I took a minibus to the ruins of Uçhisar castle (it runs every half hour and costs 6 TRY, less than 2 PLN). After walking around the hill, riddled with tunnels and caves like Swiss cheese, I found the path down into Pigeon Valley. The name is no accident.
In Pigeon Valley, many pigeon houses have been carved into the rocks. Pigeon eggs were once used to preserve the frescoes in the churches, and their droppings were believed to be an excellent fertiliser for the soil. Halfway along, the valley ends at a huge cliff, so you have to be careful to turn uphill at the right moment. Unfortunately, the signposting is not ideal, and the right path is easily confused with the beds of dried-up streams carved out by the rain. The valley exit comes out on the outskirts of Göreme. Walking time: 1-2 hours.
Exploring with organised groups
Every day, 2 organised full-day tours set off from Göreme (9:30 - 17:30). The Red Tour covers the nearest attractions, which you can often reach on foot or by minibus on your own.
That is why I think it is better to opt for the Green Tour, which covers some 130 km and offers an overview of the more distant attractions. First comes a stop to admire the panorama of Pigeon Valley, with the ruins of Uçhisar rock castle in the background.
Then we squeezed through the narrow tunnels of the Kaymaklı underground city - we managed to go as deep as 30 m below ground. Several underground cities in Cappadocia are open to visitors, and some of them were discovered quite recently - Kaymaklı was opened to tourists in 1964. Narrow, winding and sometimes steep tunnels connect rooms carved into the rock that served various purposes. Air was supplied through ventilation shafts running vertically through the rock. The local population took refuge in these cities for up to about a month when hostile armies attacked. The great round stones used to seal the complex's 6 entrances have survived.
Next came the Ihlara gorge and a great trek along the river, ending with lunch. There were 3 dishes to choose from, and the last item on the programme - at sunset - was the climb up to the stunning religious and residential complex of Selime. The most impressive part was the multi-storey Selime Cathedral, carved into the rock. Halls, rooms, tunnels, columns, frescoes... the complex dates from the 8th and 9th centuries, and the frescoes from the turn of the 10th and 11th centuries. The cathedral is where, after years of operating in secret, the first public Christian service in Cappadocia was held.
The tour costs 40 EUR, including lunch by the river (drinks and desserts are extra). Outside the programme, we visited a sweet shop and a jeweller.
What I have described above does not exhaust the activities in Cappadocia. You can rent quad bikes or go horse riding. There are also vintage convertibles for hire with a driver.
But the most famous thing here is probably the balloons. Some tourists come here just for them. It is a pity they are not interested in the nature, history, churches, frescoes, underground cities... their whole stay revolves around "their" balloon flight and a few Instagram photos. The only topic of conversation is whether or not the balloons will fly the next morning. Many cannot come to terms with the whims of the weather and cancellations; their reactions are downright hysterical. I was told that some eager customers - very often guests from China - try to hand out bribes to get to the front of the queue for the adventure. The short flight - about 1 hour - starts just before dawn. Off-season prices start at 60 EUR and depend mainly on the size of the basket - the bigger the basket and the more people, the cheaper it is. During my three-day stay, it was too windy every day for any of the 160 balloons to take off.
Souvenirs From Cappadocia?
Sweets, namely the ubiquitous "Turkish delight" (a sweet paste with nuts and pistachios), are well worth recommending. You can buy ready-packed sets, or choose a particular type and flavour cut "by the metre". Larger shops will vacuum-pack it for you.
According to popular superstition, the blue "Eye of the Prophet" will protect you if someone tries to put a curse on you, so a keyring like this is almost a must. In some places you can buy jewellery with an unusual stone called "Zultanite". Its colour changes depending on the intensity and type of lighting, and the jewellery world is appreciating it more and more.
Göreme: Where To Stay In Cappadocia?
Göreme is an excellent base for exploring Cappadocia. Set in one of the mountain valleys, the small town offers almost everything an independent traveller needs: along a few main streets there are Turkish and Asian restaurants, travel agents and shops (although there are surprisingly few of the latter, and I did not find a single one selling outdoor gear). Winding lanes lead up to the higher parts of the valley, taken over by hostels, hotels and guesthouses. There are no chain mega-hotels here; it is intimate.
In Göreme, it is worth staying at a stylish guesthouse that blends in with its surroundings, with views and usually a very good breakfast. Most places have "cave" in their name, which means rough stone finishes, unplastered walls, tunnels connecting separate parts and buildings on different levels (lots of stairs). Most guesthouse owners come from Göreme; there are very few outside investors here. That is why you can sometimes hear fascinating stories about how a particular place came to be.
At the Aydinli Cave Hotel, where I stayed, the head of the family told me stories about converting the former farm "caves" that belonged to his father and cousin. I learned that where the massage room is now, apples picked in the orchards were once stored. The hotel serves breakfast on a terrace at the highest point of the complex, which guarantees stunning views in the morning. The hosts offer free lifts to nearby attractions. Off-season, prices for a bed and breakfast drop to around 30 EUR, while in season they are 50 EUR.
Antalya: How To Explore This Big City With A Small, Charming And Attractive Old Town?
Antalya is a large city - around 2 million inhabitants - in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean. This is where the international airport is located. All visitors head for the old town and the charming harbour. The old Kaleiçi quarter is also the best place to look for accommodation. At every step you will find a guesthouse in an old house; some are luxurious, lovingly finished boutique hotels, others are more basic. The cheapest rooms (with breakfast) cost 10 EUR, and decent ones 20 EUR. If you take the tram from the airport, get off after about 30 minutes at the İsmetpaşa stop.
Besides strolling through the narrow, winding lanes and seeing a few historic mosques, you have to go down to the harbour. Off-season it is quieter, but 45-minute cruises around the nearby waters are still on offer (15 EUR). On the edge of the old town, you must see a beautifully preserved Roman monument, Hadrian's Gate. Proof of how busy this place once was can be seen in the ruts worn into the hard stone by chariots and carts. Looking at them, you can almost hear the clatter of hooves...
Food in Turkey is cheap, but can you eat and drink... completely for free? Yes, you can. All you have to do is... take a walk around the bazaar. In the low season the traders get a little bored, and any interest in their goods is a welcome change from the monotony of the day. Several times I was invited to pleasant tastings of Turkish sweets, washed down with various kinds of tea. Along the way I listened to a few "life stories" and titbits about the products and... tourists, and took a few photos. All very relaxed, with no pushy selling.
FOOD: WHAT TO EAT AND DRINK?
A stay in Cappadocia would not be complete without a few culinary experiences. The breakfasts at the Aydinli Cave Hotel were superb. Various "delicacies" were added to the full spread served at the start. Once it was menemen - Turkish scrambled eggs with tomatoes and other vegetables, usually served spicy. Another time I was offered pekmez. In appearance and smell it resembled heavily watered-down honey, but it is grape juice boiled for 10 hours. Everywhere in Turkey, lamb is worth ordering. One day, for lunch in town, I chose meze from the menu. It was several small bowls filled with vegetable spreads, which of course included mashed and seasoned chickpeas, that is hummus. To drink, there is sweet tea served in a small, narrow, tall glass, or Turkish coffee, served with the grounds. In many places you can get freshly squeezed pomegranate and orange juice.
It is worth noting that for Turks tea is no ordinary drink, and it is very different from what we drink in Poland. First, the glasses are tiny, and second, the tea has to be very sweet. It happened to me that people "did it for me" and served tea already heavily sweetened, considering that drinking it any other way was an unbearable blasphemy. In places for locals, tea costs 30 groszy and Turkish coffee 1.5 PLN.
Food will not be a problem in Antalya either, and it is worth trying the local specialities. Öncü Döner is a chain of Turkish fast-food outlets where you can eat quickly and incredibly cheaply. A "kebab + chips + drink" set costs less than 10 PLN. As a drink, I strongly recommend ayran, a Turkish drinking yoghurt with a slightly salty taste. It goes wonderfully with a spicy kebab. Another place where I ate was the "Pacasi Semsi" restaurant just outside the old town, where locals eat with their families. They serve good lamb dishes for about 15 PLN. Interestingly, the "chef's" starter is a huge plate of... rocket, with onion and lemon. In the old town there are plenty of places "in the European style" with fish, seafood and various meats. Of course, prices there are much higher.
Logistics: How To Get There And Get Around?
I flew to Antalya with Corendon Airlines, which had very attractive tickets from Warsaw in a sale. One drawback was the hand luggage, which was limited to... 3 kg.
Travelling on from Antalya to Cappadocia, I chose the bus. The night bus (Aksaray company) left at 21:30, and I arrived at 7:30. The pluses: you gain an extra day, save on a hotel night and experience the local colour. The return journey (9:30 - 20:00) was - for a change, to enjoy the views - by day (Metro company). In both cases the coaches were clean and very comfortable, with 1+2 seating, and made several stops along the way (toilets and a chance to buy a meal). Both had a "steward" and served drinks, but "Metro" also had free internet and there was no change of bus. With "Aksaray", the changes, smooth but at night, of which there were two, were a bit gruelling. The cost: 120 TRY / 8 EUR "there" and 130 TRY / 9 EUR for the return. Antalya and Göreme are more than 550 km apart, and the driver allows 9 hours to cover them. But as Marek Kamiński once told me: "The road can also be the destination"... (you can read my interview with Marek Kamiński here)
To get to Cappadocia, you can also fly with a connection. The nearest airports are Kayseri (85 km from Göreme) and Nevşehir (20 km away). Convenient connections are available via Istanbul. While I was writing this article, Eurowings announced plans to open a direct route from Poland to Kayseri for the 2022 season. That would make things much easier for anyone wanting to visit Cappadocia.
It is well worth visiting both seaside Antalya and Cappadocia. Antalya, though bustling and modern, has a charming old town and harbour. In Cappadocia, nature combined with the creations of the people who once lived there makes a fascinating mix.
