Pamukkale is located 11 miles north of Denizli and it is the main natural mineral bath spa of Turkey because of its calcium-rich hot water spring that comes from under the ground and cascading over the cliff. As the water cools they form into travertines of brilliantly white coloured hard calcium pools.
The Cotton Fortress
Pamukkale is also called the Cotton Fortress and it has offered natural spa since the Romans had built Hierapolis (spa city) around the considered sacred water spring. Today, that antique pool is still in existences and is beautifully littered with the pieces from the Temple of Apollo’s marble columns. Swimming in the water spring costs a small fee and lockers are available for all of your belongings.
Reaching Pamukkale
Pamukkale can be reached by bus, train, car or through the air. Most tourists consider this place as an ideal overnight stop between Marmaris, Kusadasi, Ephesus, Izmir or Selcuk and Cappadocia, Konya or Antalya.
Day Tour
You can book for a day tour going to Pamukkale from Selcuk or Fethiye. This tour will take you to the historic ruins of Hierapolis and it also will allow you to climb the seats of the magnificent Roman Theater.
Other activities you can do while on the day tour include; splashing along the permitted areas of the travertines, soaking in the marble column littered Antique Pool, and visiting the exhibits displayed at the Archeological Museum.
Four Significant Locations to Visit
In Pamukkale, there are four important locations that should be visited. These are Laodicea, Pamukkale Town, Karahayıt, and the Pamukkale Plateau.
Laodicea is located four miles of Denzil and it is a very old city that is being reborn through extensive archaeological restoration. From Denzil, Laodicea can be reached by car in less than three hours.
The Pamukkale Town is located at the foot of the famous travertines and it boasts of small hotels, restaurants, pensions and a bus ticket office. If you want to indulge in a private mineral water dip, you can go into one of the pensions that offer their own warm water pools.
On the north is the Karahayit and it is a village once known for the rusty-red calcium and iron riched mineral waters it produced. This place is now filled with developed huge luxury spa lodgings like the Colossae and the Richmond.
The Pamukkale Plateau is the place where the Roman Hierapolis was built. It has three main entryways and entering here also requires a small admission fee.
