Travel report: mountain biking in Cappadocia

Certain typical images instantly spring to mind when we think of particular countries and regions. Iceland? Volcanic eruptions and sulphur springs surrounded by clouds of steam. Italy? Leaning towers and Margherita pizza. And Turkey? Istanbul’s Blue Mosque – and hot air balloons over the fantastic rocky landscapes of Cappadocia. Erosion and human hands have created a collection of bizarre pillars, cone-shaped dwellings and countless caves in the sandstone, while underground cities, well over 1,000 years old, extend 80 metres below the surface. It’s hardly surprising that Cappadocia is a firm fixture on traditional tours of Turkey. Taking a hot-air balloon ride above the fairytale landscape is a near-mandatory experience for tourists, but we want to explore this unique area in our own way, away from the crowds. Namely, on our mountain bikes.

Göreme National Park in the heart of Cappadocia is slightly larger than the canton of Zug. The region is served by two airports that ferry holidaymakers in and out. Most of them spend a maximum of three days completing the traditional Cappadocia itinerary: hot-air balloon, bazaar, underground city.

Ahmed’s insider tips

Ahmed, our host and the owner of the hotel where we’re staying, is delighted that we’re taking a week to explore ‘his’ Cappadocia: ‘There’s so much to see here that you could even stay for another week on top of that,’ he explains, with a laugh, in perfect German. He lived in Germany for more than 30 years and has been back in Turkey for more than a decade. He adores the country, and Cappadocia in particular. Ahmed knows every path, every ruin and countless special places – even those that are not marked on any map. ‘First thing tomorrow, I’ll drive you to a lookout point where you can start your bike tour.’

In the dark, we pack up Ahmed’s small truck and climb onto the loading area to join our bikes. The journey takes only ten minutes. Dawn is breaking and we see dozens of coloured dots rising into the sky in the distance. The view is spectacular from up here on the ridge: as the sun rises slowly, more and more hot air balloons take off. ‘The baskets can hold up to 30 people. They’re essentially flying coaches,’ says Ahmed. You can take a balloon ride all year round, unless it’s stormy or snowy, with thousands enjoying the unique bird’s-eye view every day.

For the time being, we’re very satisfied with what can we see in front of our handlebars: a narrow trail winding its way along a slope for miles and miles. It takes a little while to get used to braking delicately on the dusty, loose surface. After a few kilometres, though, we settle in and are rewarded with magnificent vistas. The formations of soft tuff that surround us are unique – with the best of them comparable to the iconic landscapes to be found in some national parks in the US. Meanwhile, the route doesn’t require overly advanced technique, making it all the more enjoyable for us to cycle. Another plus: a much-longed-for moment of solitude away from the souvenir shops. We hardly see another soul in this beautiful valley, except for a few hikers. Our lunchtime stop, Çavuşin, is visible in the distance. We reach the small settlement on narrow single tracks and return to reality (and other tourists). Countless shops in the village peddle homemade souvenirs or antiques. We stroll through the alleys, haggle over a few clay bowls, and indulge in Turkish coffee and sweet baklava.

But we still squeezed in a balloon ride over Cappadocia

With a large network of trails to choose from, there are all kinds of ways for us to wend our way home. We opt for the ‘Rose Valley’. Despite our GPS’ assistance, it is not always easy to take the right turning, as the paths are so tightly intertwined. The Rose Valley tapers down, all we see of the sky is a narrow blue strip above us. It’s impossible to get lost here now, and we move through the gorge like marbles down a marble run. Then, out of nowhere, we come across a ramshackle kiosk à la turque: an old man, surrounded by oranges and pomegranates, laughs at us. His scribbled sign promises ‘Fresh Juice’ – and the juice is actually fantastic. Fortified, we continue pedalling to our starting point and ride downhill to Ahmed’s hotel with a sense of contentment.

He greets us with a beaming smile: ‘I could organise a hot-air balloon ride for you tomorrow.’ It’s not the cheapest activity in the world – but going to Cappadocia and not going up in a hot-air balloon is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. OK, Ahmed: we’re in! At 4 o’clock in the morning, we step out of our beds and into the shared taxi that’s waiting for us. We’ve booked a small balloon with a maximum of 16 guests. The smaller the balloon, the more expensive it is – but the more you enjoy the view.

It’s still pitch black outside when we reach the launch site. The countless companies running the tours coordinate the departure points every day according to the prevailing conditions. The day gradually dawns and we slowly begin to float upward. We were accompanied by the noise of the gas burner to start with, but we now float silently over a plateau, only a few metres above the ground. We approach a ravine. The experienced pilot releases hot air and we glide into the gully, with the thermal pushing us downwards. Slowly, the balloon’s basket rotates clockwise. What an experience! After the 90-minute drive, we all agree that – no matter how touristy – it was an experience we wouldn’t have missed for the world.

Having the famous Ihlara Valley almost all to ourselves

After an hour’s drive, we make it to the Ihlara Valley. This is another hotspot, and it’s nothing like the national park – both appearance-wise and in terms of cycling technique. Most holidaymakers start by visiting the underground city and then head to the valley, which is further away. We plan to do things the other way around and are actually the first vehicle in Ihlara’s huge car park. You enter the gorge via several flights of stairs. However, it is possible to cover them with the full-suspension bikes. ‘Clack, clack, clack’ goes the rhythmic beat of the chain. We travel downstream on narrow trails, shaded by trees, and our flow is interrupted time and again by sections where we need to carry or push the bikes. But, in exchange, we have the route almost to ourselves for the early part of the morning. We stop on a platform on the river to take a break, where we enjoy a sip of tea and the cool air coming off the water. Of course, we took our shoes off. Our waiter accidentally bumps into one of our cycling shoes, which falls – luckily landing sole-side down – into the water and floats away like a toy ship. It is only thanks to the lightning-fast reaction of a second employee that all the members of our group can complete the tour fully shod.

Timing matters

We take a detour to the underground city of Derinkuyu on the way back. The huge car park, dozens of souvenir stands and entrance turnstiles – like those at subway stations – signal that we have rejoined the masses again. Thanks to our timing, it’s just us and a few stragglers in the city, which stretches eight storeys deep. At full capacity, the attraction is doubtless somewhat of a challenge for anyone with claustrophobia. After five more cycling trips, it’s time to say goodbye to Cappadocia and Ahmed. We loved the area for all kinds of reasons. Its dense network of trails went down very well with us, as keen cyclists. The cuisine – with oriental and Arabic influences – fuelled us every day, while a culture that dates back thousands of years and the breathtaking landscapes were the cherries on the cake. And yes: the balloon ride was a real highlight, too. Safe to say, Cappadocia is too beautiful and too diverse a place to spend just three days there.