Nature And Outdoors in Göreme

From Göreme you step into nature straight out of the village: paths start behind the last houses and lead into valleys that water and wind cut out of compacted volcanic ash. Pigeon Valley runs to Uçhisar along walls riddled with dovecotes; Love Valley takes its name from the shape of its pillars; the Rose and Red valleys look best an hour before sunset. The walks are short, an hour to three, but the paths are well trodden and signposts are few.

Horse riding here is a local tradition rather than an attraction: the name Cappadocia itself goes back to a Persian phrase meaning the land of beautiful horses. The routes follow valley floors that no car can reach and that take a long time on foot; horses are matched to your level and beginners are accepted. Morning and evening rides suit better than midday ones, because the open plateau offers no shade at all in the middle of the day.

The best-known activity is the balloons, which rise from here before dawn. Those not flying can buy a watching tour: a drive to a viewpoint with tea while the baskets are filled and lifted. Practical notes: flights depend on wind and get cancelled, so a spare day is not wasted. The valleys need closed shoes — tuff crumbles — and water, because there are no springs along the routes.