What's up guys we're here in Pamukkale Turkey and in Turkish Pamukkale actually means cotton castle.
And in this video we're going to show you all of the amazing things to do here. Of course there's
these beautiful thermal pools behind us but there's also many other things like the ancient
city Hieropolis and some pretty cool caves so we're going to show you all the cool stuff to do
and enjoy the video. We are Zac and Ine, full-time digital nomads from the United States and Belgium.
We met while studying abroad in 2018 and have been traveling the world together ever since.
We're here to inspire your next adventure, whether it's hiking in the Canadian Rockies,
a road trip through the US, or backpacking across Africa. On our channel you'll find
unfiltered videos of hiking guides and the best things to do in destinations around the world.
Pamukkale is located about 200 to 250 kilometers from Antalya, Izmir, and Isparta. It can easily be
reached within a day by bus, tour, or car. And the biggest city near the cotton castle is Denizli,
which is about 30 minutes away. If you're staying overnight in the area,
we suggest staying in the town of Pamukkale itself which is situated right beneath the thermal pools.
The nice thing about visiting the cotton castle is that your ticket includes access
to both the thermal pools and the ancient city of Hierapolis. Now let's dive into how
to explore this world wonder. Make sure to stick around until the end of this video,
when we reveal a bonus activity that is a true hidden gem of the area.
Pamukkale is called the cotton castle because of its one-of-a-kind thermal pools nestled
within the thick layers of white limestone. The mineral rich pools have a range of temperatures,
some feel like a regular hot tub while others have a lukewarm or even cold feel to them.
Make sure to take your shoes off when visiting the pools so as not to damage the limestone.
When we were there we saw about 25 pools filled with blue water, 15 of which were accessible
to swim in. However, there were hundreds of dried up pools surrounding us as well.
If you're lucky enough to go to Pamukkale after a heavy rain,
you may see even more pools filled than we did. Drones aren't allowed at Pamukkale, but we've
included some stock drone footage here to see what the pools look like when they're filled up more.
We recommend visiting the thermal pools about two hours before sunset. That way
you'll enjoy less crowds and you'll also have the opportunity to enjoy one of the
most beautiful sunsets of your life from the natural pools. If you choose this option,
then you can visit the ancient city of hieropolis during the day prior to exploring the pools.
If you come about halfway down the hill you can find these
cool thermal hot tubs to enjoy the sunset from here.
Many people don't know that there's actually an entire city behind the thermal pools of Pamukkale.
This city is called Hierapolis or Holy City, and stretches for about 2.7 kilometers or 1.7 miles.
The city is so large that it can even be seen from the city of Denizli, which is 20
kilometers away from the site. The Holy City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988
and has since enjoyed more protection to keep its beauty and history intact.
Give yourself at least a few hours to visit the ancient city,
since there is so much to explore here. You'll come across the museum, ancient theater,
main streets, and many other Roman ruins. You can also spend some time at the Cleopatra pools
during your time in Hierapolis. These green pools were artificially created. However,
the water does sit on top of ancient columns that fell from the city during an earthquake.
That means you're literally swimming amongst history when you jump in these pools.
Find more info about a full day tour of Pamukkale in the description below.
We are here at the Hierapolis museum and there's all these like sculptures that are actually part
of the theater or they belong there. They put them all in this little museum. It's included
in your entry ticket so you should definitely check it out because it's quite impressive.
The Kaklik Cave is a hidden gem of the Pamukkale area. This cave is about a 40-minute drive from
the town of Pamukkale and can be easily reached by car. The cave is not well-known.
In fact when we were there we only saw one other car and a dog in the parking lot.
When you descend into the cave you'll find spectacular underground cotton castle.
Similar to the thermal pools of Pamukkale, this site has layer upon layer of limestone.
However, the limestone has cascading waterfalls all around it.
The cave was formed about 2.5 million years ago and has a maximum depth of 14 meters.
When you visit make sure to take off your shoes since the waterfalls spill over the walkway.
So we just entered the Kaklik Caves and it's basically these thermal pools just
like at Pamukkale but then in a cave. And there's no one here.
and seems like a pretty hidden gem and let's check it out.
All right guys that's it for our video on Pamukkale, Turkey. We hope you enjoyed it.
Pamukkale is a magical place that you have to visit if you have the chance.
Make sure to subscribe to our channel to watch other videos from across Turkey and also make sure
to download our free giveaway in the description below. Catch you on the next adventure!