So far I have regrettably not managed to get anything useful down on paper for friends (probably somewhere between a collection of ideas and a precise route description).
If only conditions in Cappadocia were a little more like those in the Austrian mountains…
In central Anatolia hardly any hiking trails have been prepared for walkers and markings, sign posts and the like are (perhaps thankfully) almost unknown.
This has advantages and disadvantages. One consequence is that it is not easy to describe a route over terrain, which frequently lacks identifying features from which to pinpoint your exact location.
One good attempt at this (but in German!) is shown here. I am hoping to do something similar myself later this year, focusing on Ortahisar (my favorite) and surrounding area. I hope it will be a good complement to Martin’s tips.
If you do not have much time and are paying your first visit to Cappadocia, I would recommend Göreme as a starting point for beautiful walks. Although Göreme is not my personal favorite because there are a lot of tourists (tourism and money seem to have a detrimental effect on the local people), there is still much to recommend the place, which draws so many touring hikers. Göreme is a good base for a first visit and for getting oriented because:
It is situated centrally in the beautiful Göreme National Park.
It provides direct access to some of the most impressive locations and hikes.
The village caters for guests offering facilities for money changing, bank machines, Internet, cycle and scooter hire.
Outline sketches of the surrounding countryside and of hiking trails are available free. However, most of these maps given out by guest houses and tourist offices prove to be of only limited use because the information is imprecise.
Due to the number of tourists it attracts, Göreme is more readily accessible by bus than other locations. (direct buses to Göreme from Istanbul or other parts of Turkey)
There are many guest houses, some very beautiful, in traditional old houses.
You can get by without any knowledge of Turkish.
Despite this (or maybe partly because of this), on my first visit to the area I moved on to Çavusin and then Ortahisar after a few days. Çavusin is also a first class location for hiking and much quieter than Göreme.
Ortahisar is my personal favorite, certainly because the village (and people) have been markedly less impacted by tourism compared to Göreme a few kilometers away.
The reason may be that the cliff formations here are less spectacular and that income is generated from numerous subterranean storage areas, hewn out of the rock.
Many scenic hikes can be undertaken from Ortahisar (in the direction of Ürgüp, Ibrahimpasa und Göreme), but finding your way is more difficult if you do not have good knowledge of the area.
As well as the “heart” of Cappadocia, there are, of course, other beauty spots, particularly the Ihlara valley. This is an excellent hike, which is probably best undertaken over two days.
There is also the valley at Soganli.
One of the churches in the Ihlara valley is shown in one of the photographs.
If only conditions in Cappadocia were a little more like those in the Austrian mountains…
In central Anatolia hardly any hiking trails have been prepared for walkers and markings, sign posts and the like are (perhaps thankfully) almost unknown.
This has advantages and disadvantages. One consequence is that it is not easy to describe a route over terrain, which frequently lacks identifying features from which to pinpoint your exact location.
One good attempt at this (but in German!) is shown here. I am hoping to do something similar myself later this year, focusing on Ortahisar (my favorite) and surrounding area. I hope it will be a good complement to Martin’s tips.
If you do not have much time and are paying your first visit to Cappadocia, I would recommend Göreme as a starting point for beautiful walks. Although Göreme is not my personal favorite because there are a lot of tourists (tourism and money seem to have a detrimental effect on the local people), there is still much to recommend the place, which draws so many touring hikers. Göreme is a good base for a first visit and for getting oriented because:
It is situated centrally in the beautiful Göreme National Park.
It provides direct access to some of the most impressive locations and hikes.
The village caters for guests offering facilities for money changing, bank machines, Internet, cycle and scooter hire.
Outline sketches of the surrounding countryside and of hiking trails are available free. However, most of these maps given out by guest houses and tourist offices prove to be of only limited use because the information is imprecise.
Due to the number of tourists it attracts, Göreme is more readily accessible by bus than other locations. (direct buses to Göreme from Istanbul or other parts of Turkey)
There are many guest houses, some very beautiful, in traditional old houses.
You can get by without any knowledge of Turkish.
Despite this (or maybe partly because of this), on my first visit to the area I moved on to Çavusin and then Ortahisar after a few days. Çavusin is also a first class location for hiking and much quieter than Göreme.
Ortahisar is my personal favorite, certainly because the village (and people) have been markedly less impacted by tourism compared to Göreme a few kilometers away.
The reason may be that the cliff formations here are less spectacular and that income is generated from numerous subterranean storage areas, hewn out of the rock.
Many scenic hikes can be undertaken from Ortahisar (in the direction of Ürgüp, Ibrahimpasa und Göreme), but finding your way is more difficult if you do not have good knowledge of the area.
As well as the “heart” of Cappadocia, there are, of course, other beauty spots, particularly the Ihlara valley. This is an excellent hike, which is probably best undertaken over two days.
There is also the valley at Soganli.
One of the churches in the Ihlara valley is shown in one of the photographs.
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