Göreme - Cappadocia


Göreme is situated in central Turkey and forms part of the area informally known as Cappadocia. It is an area famous for its outlandish rock formations and fairy chimneys. Until recently Göreme was the name of the valley and the village was called Avcilar but for touristic reason the village also took the name Göreme. Unlike the other towns in the area Göreme is notable because the fairy chimneys and houses all blend into one making for an unusual and slightly bizarre looking town. In the mornings the sky above Goreme fills with hot air balloons as tourists and travellers get bird’s eye view of Göreme and the surrounding valleys. There is plenty to see in Göreme including the world famous Göreme open air museum and Göreme valley both listed as UNESCO world heritage sites, there are also so fascinating rock cut Byzantium churches. The town offers a charming combination of traditional village life combined with a tourist fuelled boom and cafe culture all set amongst the spires of the other worldly fairy pinnacles.

Göreme offers a large selection of hotels, inns and pensions (most of these offer cave rooms) and is particularly popular with budget travellers and backpackers. Whilst in Göreme we stayed in the ShoeString Cave Pension which I can thoroughly recommend click the link for a review.
Göreme Is a good place to use as a base to visit the rest of Cappadocia particularly if you like walking as it is a perfect base from which to explore the surrounding valleys. Goreme is also a perfect destination if you enjoy hanging out and meeting other travellers.

Getting There
The transit hubs in the area are Kayseri and Nevşehir, it is possible to fly to Kayseri although the majority of travellers come by bus. If travelling from the coast by bus be advised that some of these journeys can take an excruciating 13 hours, although it is well worth it in the end. Also it’s a good idea to check that your ticket includes a transfer to Göreme as many travellers have been stranded at Nevşehir otogar (bus station) although if you find yourself in this situation repeatedly requesting the free service to Göreme (serviş Göreme nerede or for the more lingually ambitious Göremeye servişleri nereden kalkar?) usually works and you will hopefully be bundled into a minibus to Göreme.

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