Ürgüp Cappadocia

Urgup is a picturesque little town about 20km from Nevsehir and a good location from which to explore Cappadocia. The accommodation in Urgup is a little bit more up market then the backpacker’s pensions you find in Goreme and is obviously targeting the more affluent. Many of the hotels feature cave room accommodation that has been decorated to a high standard, we stayed at the Yunak Evleri Hotel (Review here) and our cave room had the luxury of having a Jacuzzi. The old part of the town is full of old stone houses that remain from when the area was a Greek settlement, often with cave rooms. Most of the larger of these have been converted for use as classy pensions or hotels. Look out for the beautiful stone carvings and architectural features on some of the grander buildings that feature beautiful gated courtyards’ and decorations around arched doors and windows.

The town centre is small but functional with easy access to everything you need, bus station, bank, restaurants, pharmacy, car hire etc. Most of the centre is geared up towards the tourist trade and there are many gift shops and eateries that have that touristy look about them and a Haman that allows visiting men and women to bath together, which is not the norm for Turkey and rather bizarre in what is actually quite a religious area. If you walk northwest and up the hill bearing right there is a lookout point known as Temenni wishing hill that offers stunning views over the town and a photo gallery of old Ürgüp, there was also a terrace where you could sit and drink tea but due to a landslide just before we visited this has yet to be reinstated.

Eating out

There is quite a selection of restaurants aimed at tourists in Ürgüp so I’m going to recommend one that’s not,
we absolutely loved a restaurant called Ikinci bahar possibly not the sort of venue for a night out but the perfect place for eating in the day, they are doing a roaring local trade and the food was very reasonably priced, not to mention delicious certainly the best food we ate whilst travelling in Cappadocia. Also whilst in this area you have to try the local specialty kebab Testi kebab, which is slow cooked in a pottery urn which the waiter will bring to your table and literally beheaded with a sword.

Around Urgup

Goreme

Derinkuyu underground city

Pasabagi

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