‘Land of Beautiful Horses’ in Persian, Cappadocia is home to beautiful fairy chimneys and unusual rock formations. They were created by soft volcanic rock that has been shaped by erosion into towers, cones, valleys and caves. Some of the landscape reminded me of SW Colorado and Utah. It is arid and dusty with apricot orchards and aspens trees dotting the country side.

Goreme

I stayed in the little village of Goreme, which had narrow, winding roadways and friendly people who would say hello out the window when driving by!

Cave Hotel

Staying in a cave hotel, one that is set into the rock, was definitely something I was looking forward to. The hotels are all family owned. My room was on the 2nd floor and had a window, so wasn’t damp or overly dark. However, the wall would occasionally crumble a bit and I would hear debris fall to the floor. 😂

My stay here also included a Turkish breakfast, but this one was enormous! For just me, it took up an entire table for 4. It was a feast! 😋

Hot Air Ballooning!!

This was definitely the highlight of my stay here! It was absolutely breathtaking and so unique to see the landscape in this way. Our female pilot guided us over white rock valleys with aspen trees, our basket skimming the tree line! We then ascended to just over 2,700 feet, watching all of the other balloons as the sun rose in the distance. We celebrated with champagne after a soft and smooth landing. I took so many photos, but here are a few of my favorites.

Kaymakli Underground City

First opened to tourists in the 1960s, this underground city was likely established within the soft volcanic rock in the 8th-7th centuries B.C. by the Phrygians. It was expanded in the Byzantine era when it was used for protection from Muslim Arab raids.

According to our guide, it held livestock near the entrance and had a system of long running vertical tunnels to aid with oxygen in the network of rooms underground. There was a church, winery and large kitchen with social area. There is a large rock that was used to block an exit and it looks like something out of Indiana Jones.

Several of the tunnels were incredibly narrow and we were warned about not coming in if we have any claustrophobia. Only 10% of the underground city is open to tourists!

I was only able to snap one quick picture of the map they had at the entrance to show what the rooms look like. It’s a bit blurry, but so interesting to know that an underground city was built and that people actually lived here!

Exploring the area

I took a day tour to see some of the unusual rock formations around the area. We started at a place called Imagination Valley that is known for rock formations that look like animals and other objects. The most famous is the camel, and I thought I found a chili pepper as well. 😉

We walked across a suspension bridge in the little town of Avanos. The Red River is the longest river in Turkey.

My hotel manager was nice enough to take me to a pretty look out spot over Goreme as well.

We also toured a place called Zelve Ruins which contain some of the most prominent of the area’s well known fairy chimneys.

I took the tour with a big group of digital nomads, mostly from the US, who travel full time and work remote. The one I asked to take my photo was a total goofball and I could not stop laughing! 😂

Love valley was our last stop. Couples will buy a small pottery container and write their names on it, then tie it to the few trees marking the landscape.

Horseback Riding

I decided to try horseback riding for an afternoon through the unique terrain. My horse was a bit sassy and hated when I tried to get her to slow down, but she was also pretty good at staying with the rest of the group without my having to direct her, so it was very enjoyable!

Overall, I found Turkey to be incredibly friendly and safe! Everyone in Cappadocia treated me like a guest rather than a tourist. This has definitely been one of my favorite countries.

One last picture of balloons from my hotel rooftop on my last day here. Lovely!