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pamukkale, Türkiye
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From a distance, Pamukkale looks like a ski resort all the way. A cascade of sparkling white slopes, the peaks dotted with tourists, as if preparing to slalom down to the valley below.
So why doesn’t it melt as midsummer temperatures creep toward 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius, and heat hangs in the glistening air?
Because this rare and beautiful wonder, located deep in the sunken hills of southwestern Turkey, is not snowy at all. In fact, the water that forms it can burst out of the ground at boiling point.
And the visitors wandering its upper reaches are in no hurry to go anywhere. Most people come here to admire this extraordinary sight. Then, paddle or soak in some of the most photogenic pools on the planet.
Now filled with milky mineral water, Pamukkale’s travertine limestone slopes and pools are perfect for Instagram moments, especially as the magic hour sunset tints its rippled surface pink.
But the site became a tourist sensation thousands of years before the advent of social media, when first the Greeks and then the Romans flocked here for its hot springs and to pay homage to a place revered as the gateway to hell.
Today, the ancient city of Hierapolis, spread out on a plateau above Pamukkale and the White Terraces, is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts busloads of tourists. Most people only visit for a few hours, but it’s worth spending at least a day in this geological and historical playground.
Enter from the south gate. Tickets cost 30 euros (about $33). It can be confusing at first. There isn’t much to see right away, apart from the fallen ancient columns that are common in this part of Turkey.
In fact, the grounds of Hierapolis and Pamukkale are so vast that it takes time to get to the good parts (for those who are really pressed for time or who cannot walk the distance here, you can rent golf carts). But that also means it’s even more awesome when big announcements are made.
After walking for about 10 minutes along the paved road from the gate, you will see a line of trees marking the edge of the plateau. Even if you know what’s going to happen, it’s still a surprise when you finally get there and that white landscape is revealed.
Over thousands of years, calcite deposited by hot water rising from the ground reshaped this hillside, creating the white terraces that give the area its name. Pamukkale means “cotton castle” in Turkish.
These terraces were once home to numerous naturally formed blue ponds. Most of these are now without water and off-limits, with some complaining that the places no longer look like the photos from years ago.
“It’s beautiful, but there’s not as much water as I expected,” said Mary Fan, a tourist from Guangzhou in southern China, as she took a photo at the edge of the pool. “Anyway, the view is amazing.”
There is still a series of impressive tranquil pools cascading down the hill. It’s a fun spot to paddle and lie in the shallow water and mud, which is said to have therapeutic properties.
Visitors must remove their shoes to explore the terrace. The rocks are uncomfortable and slippery at times, but it doesn’t take long before you reach the first of a series of pools where your toes sink into the soft sediment.
The terrace at the top is the busiest, but for those who want to go further down there are plenty of opportunities to have the pool to yourself.
Korean music producer DJ Tiz, who is on a road trip across Turkey with his partner, singer Frey Naz, is one of those who gets slathered in mud while being watched over by a friendly dog. Having already experienced many of the country’s stunning landscapes, he declares, “Pamukkale is my favorite.”
For a more complete spa experience, there is an antique pool about a 5-minute walk from the top of the terrace. Here, for a small additional fee, visitors can use the changing rooms and bathe or swim in the crystal-clear hot springs, which sit atop the collapsed ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo.
Even better, if you approach the water source in the corner of the pool, it will fill with tiny fizzing bubbles. It’s like swimming in warm champagne or soda. This water is said to soothe skin, cardiovascular, and rheumatic conditions. Drinking water from the water pumps here is said to be good for your digestive system.
You can spend hours wandering through the ruins of Hierapolis. High spots include the large 2nd-century Agora market, the magnificent Roman theater, and the tombs of the Necropolis.
The scale of the ruins reveals the city’s former power and popularity (so much so that it is named in the Bible, along with another nearby ruined city, Laodicea, which is also worth a visit). Much of Hierapolis’ status derives from the geothermal power that lies beneath its surface.
Many of the Romans and Greeks who visited the city no doubt came here for the warm waters, but the site also had great religious significance as the site of the Plutonium Cave, or entrance to hell.
Here, to the amazement of onlookers, sacrificial animals such as bulls fall to their deaths after inhaling the noxious carbon dioxide fumes swirling from below. The priests who guided them learned to hold their breath and would come out unharmed.
Now located between the Ancient Pools and the Roman Theater, Plutonium is another highlight of a tour of Hierapolis, and one of the many places in the city worth visiting on a cool evening when several sights are dramatically lit up after sunset.
Although Pamukkale enjoys a more modern reputation thanks to its photogenic exterior in social media posts, some locals lament the changing nature of tourism to the region.
Ali Durmus, who runs Turkey Magic Travel, a Pamukkale-based travel agency, said that since it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, much of the travertine has been roped off and water has been diverted, depriving tourists of an experience they have enjoyed for thousands of years. He says that prevents them from staying long-term.
The designation of Pamukale as a UNESCO World Heritage Site meant that the hotel on the site was demolished, a new pool was built, water was diverted into an artificial channel, site management was improved, and the slopes were closed to reverse the deterioration that had turned the area from white to grey.
“If they can’t enjoy the water, they won’t stay long. Maybe they’ll stay overnight or just visit for an afternoon,” Durmus says.
He worries that the decline in geothermal experiences means people will miss out on exploring surrounding areas with other geothermal attractions. Stretching northwest from Pamukkale along a geological fault, towns take advantage of the increasingly hot steam and water that bubbles up from underground.
The town of Karahayit, about a 20-minute drive northwest through the surrounding Denizli Basin, has a spa and heating system built around iron-rich red waters that bubble up at about 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). The town also has a lovely covered market, where street vendors sell delicious locally produced mulberry juice.
Further afield, in Bukharkent (whose name means “steam city”), boiling water powers Turkey’s first geothermal power plant.
In winter, it can be cold enough to snow in Pamukkale, but it’s always a hot destination thanks to the primal forces that jut out from hellish underground portals and paint the hillsides white.
This article was first published in October 2024 and updated and republished in October 2025.
