This is a destination that had me exclaiming, “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this before?” Chances are you’ve never heard of Pamukkale’s travertine slopes even though they tend to overwhelm first-time visitors. What appears to be a sheer cliff of snow rising above the plains of central Turkey is actually the “Cotton Castle” – a mountain coated with calcified carbonate and thermal hot springs bubbling through it.
The ancient Romans and earlier civilizations recognized the region’s “curative” qualities and built the vast city of Hierapolis atop it. The remains of its boulevards, cemeteries, fountains, pools, and bathhouses have been designated a UNESCO Heritage Site.
Today, Pamukkale (pronounced pa-moo-ca-lay) is, as in Roman times, a destination for modern tourists who flock to soak and swim in its healing waters.
After soaking our feet in the springs atop the cliff, the travelers in our Gate 1 tour group chose to stay about ten minutes away in the authentic local village of Karahayit at the wonderful Doga Thermal Health & Spa, a contemporary elipse which encircles a series of indoor and outdoor chilled and steaming swimming pools and natural springs.
Ground floor reception is located on the third floor of the five-story building and is furnished with Barcelona chairs and seating nooks overlooking the azure-tiled pool, which meanders through the oval central lobby around the glass elevator. It encircles a central dome equipped with twinkling lights and bubbling water jets.
A handy gift shop sells tea cups, books, and swimsuits. The bar overlooking the pool is a place to play cards or table games.
Ascending two floors in the glass elevator to the top, I checked into room 501 furnished in comfortable contemporary shades of gray, including a throw across the foot of the queen-size bed. Convenient shelves on either side of the bed were topped with extra reading lights and plugs for recharging cell phones and electronics.
Facing the bed, a handy console held a coffeemaker, glasses with a wine-opener, and a widescreen TV broadcasting the BBC and TCM in English, along with several Turkish channels. There was a safe and an extra pillow in the sleek armoire and a mini-bar stocked with basic beverages. Sliding glass doors opened to a balcony with city views and a table and chairs for lounging.
The bathroom was lined in matte gray with a modern stone slab sink providing natural hot water pouring at will from the faucet. The wall above the bathtub was a window looking into the bedroom with blinds that could be opened or shut for privacy. Offered on the counter were the hotel’s own name-brand amenities, along with a cotton bathrobe and slippers.
Elaborate buffet meals were served in the second floor dining room, furnished with brocade upholstered side chairs and white linens. On refrigerated cases decorated with charming food “bouquets,” chefs provided full selections of cheeses, meats, vegetables, and prepared salads that preceded the hot selections. One night, these included chicken roti, eggplant casserole, mushroom gratin, steak wrap, and “furnace” fish stuffed with lemon and grilled in parchment.
The spa and fitness facilities were located on the below-grade first floor. Besides the exercise room with fitness machines, the spa provided a full array of services: sauna, steam room, hammam Turkish bath. massages, facials, and other treatments conducted in spacious, dimly lit rooms with soothing music.
Swimmers meandered around the curves of the indoor pool, pausing within its bubbling dome. One standard outdoor swimming pool served for stroking laps and sunbathing. But the piece de resistance was the outdoor pool fed directly by three natural hot water thermal springs that gushed into a steamy central dome and heated the full-size swimming pool to the temperature of a bathtub.
Guests swam around the pool or sat on benches beside the flowing springs, savoring the same therapeutic waters that Romans basked in centuries ago. Divine!
Sharon King Hoge has an extensive background in print and broadcast media and in public relations. Currently a media consultant and writer, she was one of the original Contributing Editors at Conde Nast Traveler. She is a Contributing Writer at Global Travelerand Editor at Large for the Cottages & Gardens magazines.
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