Pamukkale one of the most visited tourist attractions in Turkey but also one of the smallest! I had booked two nights here thinking I would need it to explore the area. Well I go there early in the morning and left the same day.
Pamukkale is in fact really pretty, but a “hot spring” its not. They tell you it’s this amazing hot spring full of these pools of water well it is, but you are not allowed to go in any of them. So its more of a thermal formation that you get to look at rather than one you get to soak in. Don’t be fooled by the tour photos back in Istanbul showing people swimming in the water, they are photoshopped!
But is it still worth it? Heck yeah it is. You get to walk barefoot through the water is some places and splash your feet in others which is really fun (and sharp!). At the top of the water pools which I didn’t really see advertised was a ancient roman city. Suprise. This city is actually really cool and even has a full sized amphitheater you wonder around in and a museum you can visit. The whole area is actually really cool and it makes for a great day trip.
So why did I leave early? The town is tiny, I mean really tiny. There is absolutely nothing for you to do in town other than eat Korean food. The thermal pools and roman ruins are awesome but really you will be ready to go back to town after a few hours. Once you’re back in town, well do you like Korean food? I think I got there at 3am, slept until 8am, hiked around until 12pm and then bought the first bus ticket out of town at 4pm.
