Göreme Valley

Central Turkey’s Göreme Valley is an arid region of eroded volcanic stone that takes fantastic forms, ranging from tall spires and sharp cones to totem pole-like hoodoos, topped with caps of hard rock. Often called fairy chimneys, these whimsical wonders can rise dozens of feet over the chalky soil of an area inhabited long before the fourth century B.C.

Some of the most striking sights within the Cappadocia Plateau are villages carved into the volcanic tuff, rock-hewn churches, and cave homes deep within the sediment. The town of Göreme, in a region first settled during Roman times, emerged as a center of monastic activity in the fourth century when Christian communities created underground communities and subterranean sanctuaries with frescoes that visitors can see today. The Göreme Open Air Museum is pocked with caves and studded with fairy chimneys. Valley hikes, hot air balloon rides, and guided tours hit the high points of this low-lying region. And when night falls, families can check into cave hotels and sleep in stony silence.