8 Activities You Have To Do In Cappadocia
In the center of Turkey we find a place so magical that it seems out of a fairy tale. It can be reached by plane or bus from Istanbul, and more and more travelers include it in their trips to Turkish lands. In this article we tell you what are the activities you should do in Cappadocia.
Chimneys, caves, stone-carved churches, valleys, underground cities … All these things (and more) you will find in Cappadocia, an incredible region that will leave you speechless. We are not lying to you, you will fall in love with a mountainous area known for its hot air balloon flights and its vast history. Among the activities you must do in Cappadocia we recommend:
1. Fly in a hot air balloon
The whole trip to Cappadocia is worth it if we only do this excursion. That’s how wonderful it is! The walk lasts an hour and leaves very early, at dawn, so you can see the sunrise from the top.
You will fly inside a basket guided by a gigantic colorful balloon on an extraordinary ride that you will never forget. At times everything is silent and you cannot see the whole valley, with its peaks or chimneys and its towns or cities.
2. Enjoy a “Turkish night”
In different restaurants the service of “Turkish nights” is offered. In them, in addition to typical food, you can enjoy different traditional dances.
Without a doubt, the best known is that of the dervishes, a ceremony carried out by the religious and that consists of going round and round to the beat of the music. Then the show continues with wedding dances, belly dancing, knives, etc.
3. Tour open-air museums
The best known is that of Göreme, which offers a set of rock-cut churches, decorated with magnificent frescoes or wall paintings. You can also see different examples of cave architecture.
All the temples were created between the 10th and 12th centuries and include the churches of Santa Bárbara, Manzana, Serpiente, Oscura and Tokali.
4. Take a Turkish bath, another of the things to do in Cappadocia
The Hammam is a public or private place where people come to bathe. It is one of the activities to do in Cappadocia and in other parts of Turkey (such as Istanbul). Services may also include massages or stone body treatments. The bathroom includes a hot room and a cold room. When you go out you will be so relaxed that you will just want to go to sleep.
5. Know the underground cities
In Cappadocia there are many cities that were built entirely underground. One of them is Derinkuyu, 40 kilometers from Göreme and 85 meters deep. It contains different rooms such as stables, warehouses, cellars, churches, dining rooms, schools … all excavated underground!
The civilizations that resided there could spend years without surfacing and had an excellent defense system to avoid attacks or the entry of enemies.
6. Be enchanted by fireplaces
Cappadocia is characterized by having natural formations known as “chimneys”, which are throughout the region. Some hotels have been built and others were left empty after the government’s decision that no one could reside in such a precarious place. The best places to see them are the Pasabag Monks and Devrent Immigration valleys.
7. Know castles
It is not about castles as we imagine and of which there are hundreds in Europe … but about houses that have been dug out of high rocks and that served as homes for many people. Uchisar Castle is the most famous, 5 kilometers from Göreme .
The rooms are connected to each other by tunnels, passages and stairs. In some rooms you can see the typical dovecotes (the communication system used in ancient times).
8. Learn about Saint George
This Roman soldier was declared a Christian martyr and saint and is present throughout Cappadocia, as are the famous blue eyes. In the pictures he can be seen on top of his horse and killing the dragon that made him so popular.
