Rose Valley

If heights aren’t your thing, ditch Cappadocia’s hot air balloons and keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. There are hiking trails all over the canyons surrounding Göreme, and on your journey, you’ll uncover all sorts of hidden gems: from ancient cave churches to hidden vineyards and chilled-out cafes. I found the Maps.me app super useful for navigating around poorly marked trails and crisscrossing routes. The most famous routes take you through Rose Valley and Red Valley. They’re known for their distinctive rose and red colorings, respectively. This whole region was formed through ancient volcanic activity, creating the tuff stone that allowed for ancient people to carve out the honeycombing tunnel structures around Cappadocia. It’s also the reason some of the valleys have their distinctive and gorgeous blush coloring. On both of these trails you will find caves to explore and the occasional café to rehydrate at along the way. My favorite hike is through Pigeon Valley, which connects Uçhisar to Göreme, so named for the carved pigeon roosts that dot the canyon side all along the route. The ancient people who used to live in the region raised pigeons for both food and fertilizer, and the sheer amount of roosts they carved is insane. It’s also an incredibly beautiful hike with lush plants, great viewpoints, and lots of hidden vineyards. You start out walking along the canyon’s edge with gorgeous panoramic views of the valleys and mountains until you arrive at a small café overlooking the entrance to the valley. Then you descend and it’s one of the deepest valleys with sheer cliff faces rising on either side of you. Take a hike through Love Valley to see some, um, very hard rocks, if you know what I mean. These natural structures are one of the region’s most famous sights. And if you like those, Ürgup, a nearby town, is home to more unique rock formations that make for an excellent (and honestly pretty darn phallic) photo opportunity.