The Five Best Nature Spots in Turkey

The Five Best Nature Spots in Turkey

Turkey has so many incredible sights that taking a trip to see the country is a must. While there you can learn about the history and culture of the country, taking in ruins, temples, cultural events and visiting museums. In addition to a lengthy history, Turkey also has a lot of natural beauty to offer its visitors. You can see stunning beaches, amazing rock formations and deep, dense forests. To get a sense of the stunning landscapes Turkey has to offer, consider visiting some of these top natural locations.

Pamukkale

Pamukkale is a famous landscape located in Western Turkey. The region, whose name translates to “cotton castle,” is famous for its many white terraces. The terraces are composed of travertine which is a sedimentary rock coming from the hot springs. For thousands of years the people of the region have bathed in the springs. Hierapolis, an ancient Greek city was built on top of the springs and today you can see many Greek ruins at the gorgeous site.

Uludağ

Located in Southern Marmara, Uludağ is a national park and winter resort. It has an incredible richness of both flora and fauna, making it quite the site for hiking, camping and general exploring. Due to its high elevation, Uludağ is quite chilly all year around. The season for winter sports begins in October and lasts all the way until April. Snow cover and below freezing temperatures are guaranteed between December and March if you want to get in some skiing.

Sumela Monastery

Built in the fourth century by two Athenian priests, the Sumela Monastery is located in the forests found South of Trabzon. It’s hewn of rock and perched carefully on a narrow cliff ledge, surrounded by thriving, dense forests filled with amazing wildlife. The monastery was abandoned in 1923 and today it is both a museum and a popular attraction. Take a hike in the area around the monastery to get a view of how deep and far the gorgeous woods go.

Göreme Fairy Chimneys

Cappadocia is a region of Turkey well known for its crazy, breathtaking natural rock formations. In the region, Göreme is one of the best locations to see the stunning natural sculptures. The small town is located amidst a large amount of the pointed tuff cones or “fairy chimneys.” Tuff, or consolidated volcanic ash, is covered by a thin layer of basalt to make up the beautiful formations. Tuff is quite easy to carve so townspeople have hollowed out many of the chimneys to make churches, homes, storage locations and more.

Kaş

Kaş is a pleasant Mediterranean town, perfect for a relaxing holiday. The city is renowned for both its history and the incredible natural beauty, found primarily underwater as opposed to the other sites on the list. Kaş is one of the top SCUBA, snorkeling and diving towns in Turkey. You can dive in caves, tunnels, wrecks, and reefs and through an abundant amount of marine life. The ruins around the town from the ancient city, which used to be there, are also quite a sight to behold. 

 

If ever you should find yourself in Turkey, these sights are definitely worth checking out. You can wander through forests, dive in mysterious waters or marvel at breathtaking rock formations. These formations are surrounded by both new towns and ancient ruins, giving you a taste of the breadth of history these natural attractions have seen.

John Gower is a writer for NerdWallet, a personal finance website dedicated to helping you save money with financial tips on everything from travel in Turkey to the best credit card rate.