A town in Cappadocia, in the Nevşehir Province in Central Anatolia, Turkey, located 750 km southeast of Istanbul and 500 km northeast of Antalya.
The town is the tourism centre of Cappadocia and one of the best tourist attractions in Turkey. Goreme is right in the centre of the Goreme National Park famous for the amazing “fairy Chimney” rock formations made of volcanic tuff and formed by continues erosion by wind and water over millions of years.
The area has a significant historical and archaeological importance, with the first settlements traced to 2000 BC, and to the Roman era, when Christian population run out of Rome to hide here. The soft rocks could be easily carved out to form houses, churches, and monasteries, richly decorated with unique coloured Byzantine art frescos. In the 4th century small solitary Christian communities were formed in the region, carving cells and underground communities in the soft rock, to avoid attacks by raiding Arab tribes.
The cave homes and underground communities, and the churches and monasteries “built” into the rocks are the great attractions of Goreme and its adjacent valleys, including the must see Goreme Open Air Museum.
People in Goreme still live in rock houses or use them as storerooms, with some rock formations and caves used as cave hotels and restaurants. Explore the Fairy Chimneys, rock churches and pigeon houses within the town’ borders. There are quite a few easy, tranquil, and enjoyable hiking trails in the surrounding valleys, starting from Goreme or from the adjacent villages of Uçhisar and Çavuşin.
You can spend hours or days, exploring the rock formations, cave homes, rock churches and much more. If you visit the area in the summer consider the high temperatures when you plan your hike and consult your hotel or the tourist office for recommendations, routs and maps. Hiking, ATV, and regular tours are all available in town.
A world famous and popular “must make” attraction, is a Hot Balloon Flight high above the National Park and its valleys. Remember to reserve a Sunrise flight well in advance and take into account frequent cancelations due to severe winds.
Additional attractions in Goreme is s relaxing experience in a Hamami Turkish Bath in the town center, a Turkish Night Dinner with a traditional show, and watching the Sunrise or Sunset from a high observation point.
Goreme, which serves as a starting point for traveling Cappadocia, has many small cave hotels, restaurants, cafes and small local shops offering local handcrafts, pottery, carpets, and souvenirs.
The summers in Goreme can be quite warm (July, August), but Spring and Autumn are very comfortable with cool nights.
Reaching Cappadocia and Goreme from Istanbul or the southern Beach Resorts of Antalya and Marmaris, can be by car, public transportation, or private tours from both destinations, but to avoid the long ride and to save time you can take a reasonably priced flight. Cars are available for rent in the Goreme area, and driving is simple and non-stressful.
While in Goreme Thetjoy.com recommends visiting;
- The Goreme Open Air Museum
- The Goreme National Park
- The nearby valleys and the villages of Zelve and Cavusin
- The surrounding towns, Avanos and Urgup.
- Further away visit (either or);
- The underground cities Derinkuyu, Kaymakli south of Goreme, each for 2-3 hours
- The underground city of Ozkonak north of Avanos
- The Ihlara Valley offering hiking trails from few hours to a full day
