cappadocia , Turkey

Cappadocia Wine Country

Fairy chimneys get all the attention in Cappadocia, and for good reason. It’s a landscape like none other and rightly heralded, especially from above on a Cappadocia balloon ride. However, the adulation sometimes fogs over the many other attractions, like Cappadocia wine country. The same volcanic ash that established the the highly carvable tufa stone also enriched the soil’s nutrients significantly and created several compositional advantages, such as longer water retention and insulation from temperature fluctuations.

Typical cave hotel in Cappadocia, photo by Moyan Brenn via Flickr

Few people ever envision themselves staying in a cave, much less paying top dollar for it. Yet, among Cappadocia’s “fairy chimneys,” there’s no better way to immerse yourself after a Private Cappadocia Food and Culture Tour. A thriving tourism industry keeps them fully booked during peak season, especially around Goreme, but before putting down the sometimes high fees, it’s good to keep in mind these seven things to know about staying in a cave hotel.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Cappadocia’s caves were originally carved out by populations seeking refuge and security deep in the earth. As such, the walls of many were shaped by bare hands more than a millennium old, imbuing the rooms with an indelible personal touch, literally.

One of a Kind

Owing to the extreme individual nature of the construction of each space, no two are identical. As such, don’t be afraid to check out a few rooms before selecting, if the option is available.

Cozier Than Expected

Stone is rarely softer than when it’s volcanic tufa. Most hotels have added several layers of texture on top of this to fluff it further, including thick carpets, wall hangings, plush linen, bedding, artwork and lighting.

Bling Baby Bling

A night’s stay at a Cappadocia cave hotel is no cheap experience. In fact, many represent the peak of luxury hospitality in the area and sport names like Relais & Chateaux, where nightly rates can reach several thousand dollars for the best rooms. Nonetheless, a few budget versions exist.

Good Day Sunshine

The best of the caves’ ancient builders endowed their homes with lots of south facing windows to allow large amounts of sunshine into the room. Open the door in midday and the brightness can be downright squintifying.

Wifi-Schmifi

As expected, solid stone, however porous, doesn’t make an easy conduit for a wifi signal. Don’t expect good coverage unless staying in a top end place, and even then, double check. Some rooms probably have stronger signals than others.

No AC Required, but…

Inside the stone, temperatures are kept mostly cool in the summer, but as many tourists won’t book without it, some places have installed it nonetheless. So don’t let the lack of it be an immediate deal breaker, especially if trying to budget.

Watching the Dervish Whirl in Cappadocia

As the world turns, so do the Dervish.

Horseback Riding in Cappadocia

Fairy chimneys, rock churches, and balloon rides garner so much of the attention in Cappadocia, that most visitors have forgotten the meaning of its name—“The Land of Beautiful Horses.”

The Greeks in Cappadocia

Since antiquity, Cappadocia has been the home to a rich variety of civilizations, cultures, religions and people. For more than 1,500 years, Christian Greeks have been part of this legacy, and one can still witness their impact in the many Christian and Byzantine remnants of the Greeks in Cappadocia, with more than 700 Greek Orthodox churches and over thirty rock-carved chapels, some that date back as far as the 6th century.

The Cave Art of Cappadocia

It was erosion and volcanic instability that formed the otherworldly landscape of Cappadocia, but millenia ago humans began taking advantage of the region’s soft tufa and began carving churches into the rock. The subterranean cities and religious architecture that began to emerge here in the fourth century AD were only part of the artistic works created here.

Visiting Cappadocia in Winter

Cappadocia is home to some of Turkey’s most beautiful and evocative landscapes, and although the region is worth visiting year-round, certain seasons have their advantages and disadvantages. Tourists arriving to Cappadocia during the winter have the rare opportunity to see the magical moon-like terrain covered in a layer of white snow.

The Cave Hotels of Urgup

Tourists in Cappadocia have the opportunity for a truly unique lodging experience: staying in a luxurious cave hotel.

Exploring Cappadocia’s Underground Cities and Fairy Chimneys

The Cappadocia region of Turkey is famous for its pillar-like rock formations and ancient cave dwellings. There are two standard tour routes that are offered in the area that give visitors a closer look at a wide variety of these famous sites: the red tour (also called the north loop), and the green tour (or the south loop). As many of the sites in the northern loop are within walking distance of Goreme and neighboring villages, we opted for the green tour in order to cover more ground as we did not have a car. 

Exploring Cappadocia’s Underground Cities and Fairy Chimneys

The Cappadocia region of Turkey is famous for its pillar-like rock formations and ancient cave dwellings. There are two standard tour routes that are offered in the area that give visitors a closer look at a wide variety of these famous sites: the red tour (also called the north loop), and the green tour (or the south loop). As many of the sites in the northern loop are within walking distance of Goreme and neighboring villages, we opted for the green tour in order to cover more ground as we did not have a car.