If you want to visit Pamukkale but would prefer to stay in a Turkish holiday resort rather than in the small village at the foot of the travertines then in the countryside nearby lurks Karahayıt, once a small village and now a shambolic thermal resort which would have benefited from tighter planning controls.
Karahayıt is little more than a place to stay for the night with the accommodation on offer a mixture of small pensions aimed at holidaying Turkish families and big hotels aimed at tour groups. Almost all offer access to the piping hot, rust-red thermal waters that gush from the ground here, and for some visitors this will be treat enough to make up for the many concrete eyesores in what can feel like a giant buidling site.
There are many more small shops in Karahayıt than in Pamukkale as well as a long street entirely devoted to stalls selling all manner of souvenirs. You’ll probably eat better in the small cafes here than in Pamukkale although prices aren’t necessarily as rock-bottom as you might assume.
Sleeping
Richmond Pamukkale Thermal Hotel. Tel: 0258-271 4294
Transport info
Frequent minibuses from Karahayıt to Denizli otogar run past the North Gate to Pamukkale and deposit you at the far end of the Roman necropolis, two km’s walk from the travertines. There’s a shuttle bus every 15 mins to run you to them.
A “tesettür mayo” is the full billowing Islamic bathing costume AKA the burqini
