While some visit Pamukkale as a day tour from neighboring cities such as Bodrum, staying in the area for a few nights is highly recommended. As mentioned above, there’s a lot to see and you’ll want to take your time.
Visitors have the choice of staying in the modern village of Pamukkale or the nearby city of Denizli. But which one to choose?
While I stayed in Pamukkale, I’d choose Denizli if I had to do it over again.
The positives of staying in Pamukkale are that it’s quiet at night and within walking distance of the travertine pools. But that’s about all.
Far from being a laid back local experience, Pamukkale is the worst place for touts I encountered in all of Turkey. They’re very pushy and persistent, and you’ll constantly be approached with offers for paragliding tours.
You can’t even walk past a restaurant without being hassled, prompting me to mostly eat at my hotel.
I stayed at a hotel called Dort Mevsim (which translates to Four Seasons) and had a good experience. The family who runs it was friendly and spoke good English. They also provided helpful transport advice regarding how to visit the ruins of Aphrodisias.
But considering how the hotel was a little over twenty minutes on foot from the travertines, staying in Pamukkale didn’t save me any time. Minibuses from the Denizli bus terminal can reach the travertines area in about 15 minutes.
If you also plan on visiting Aphrodisias during your stay (which you really should), it’s better to stay in Denizli, eliminating two minibus rides from your total journey. Just be sure to find somewhere within close walking distance to the bus terminal, which is where you’ll find the minibuses to Pamukkale.
About 7 km to the north of Pamukkale is a village called Karahayıt, known for its red-colored hot springs. Though I didn’t visit, it also seems to be a popular area to stay, and many of the region’s hotels are based there. The location doesn’t seem very convenient, however.
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