Please sign in to post.

Recommended Turquoise Coast itinerary that includes Pamukkale?

My girlfriend and I will be entering/leaving from Antalya for a 4 day stint in southern Turkey, and I'd like to try to tie in Pamukkale if possible. Excluding nearby Hieropolis or somewhat-nearby Aphrodisias, it seems to be somewhat stranded from the Turquoise Coast - or, for that matter, the Izmir/Selçuk/Ephesus cluster on the Aegean.

We'll have a car and it seems it's a manageable 3 hour drive direct from Antalya to Pamukkale. Instead of heading directly back to Antalya, I was thinking of going south to Fethiye or Kus to take in some coastal day hiking for a day or two. Either way, I'd like to maximize all that road time, though, so I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for worthwhile destinations to or from the coast to Pumakkale. Our preferences are in-line with the typical RS criteria for great places with a slant towards outdoorsy activities.

Thanks everyone!

Posted by
60 posts

With 4 days I think you would be hard pushed to fit in Selçuk Ephesus,but...I can offer you another wonderful site which would also appeal to your wish for something'outdoorsy '.Have you heard of Sagalassos?This is a huge,little visited site located on top of a mountain at Ağlasun in Burdur Province.
It is c.2 hours drive from Antalya so you could go here first and then either stay overnight there or,if you leave Antalya early enough continue on to Denizli late afternoon and stay there overnight.
So that would be your first day.
Second day head straight to Aphrodisias,about an hour away.In the afternoon drive back to Denizli and head slightly north to visit Leodecia,where a lot of new discoveries have been made this year.Again stay overnight in Denizli rather than keep moving hotels for single nights all the time.
Third day explore the travertines and Hierapolis and then set off south to Fethiye for the night.
Fourth day take a slow drive back along the coast to Antalya.
No Ephesus but some very nice and much less visited alternatives-i.e.with no huge cruise ship crowds :)
Do some research on the suggestions I've given as I think they could be unfamiliar to you but would appeal.