Travertine and an Ancient City at Pamukkale

Pamukkale is the most photographed natural formation in Turkey, but something never appears in the photographs: a whole Roman city stands directly above the terraces and covers far more ground than they do. One ticket includes both, so there is no reason not to climb.

Getting there: twenty kilometres from central Denizli, with regular minibuses taking about forty minutes. Denizli has trains from İzmir and Ankara and flights from İstanbul. There are three gates; entering by the south gate reduces the uphill walking.

The day: shoes are banned on the terraces, you walk barefoot and the surface is rough. The water is rotated between pools for conservation, so not all are full; this is a choice, not a fault. At the top Hierapolis begins. The stage building of its twelve thousand seat theatre is among the best preserved in Anatolia. The northern necropolis holds close to two thousand tombs, for a sad reason: people came for the healing water and died here. Swimming among fallen columns in the antique pool is possible with a separate ticket.

Eating: options inside the site are limited and expensive. The village of Pamukkale has home cooking; Denizli kebab and roasted chickpeas are the local specialities.

Tips: sunrise and sunset are both the least crowded and the best light. In midsummer the white surface reflects hard, so sunglasses are essential. Bring a swimsuit if you plan to use the pool, as hiring one is expensive.