Flying high in stone valleys

Cappadocia, Türkiye, June 2022

By Francisco Morais

June 27^th, 2022

Starting early for a balloon flight

The day before was spent in Istambul Airport (SAW) waiting for a seven hour delayed flight to Kayseri Airport. All the flights to Kayseri were delayed due to thunderstorms and we arrived at the Grand Cappadocia Hotel at 1:00 a.m. instead of arriving at 1:00 p.m. (12 hours delayed). We were tired, hungry and convinced that the balloon flight that we've booked will not happen if the weather was that bad. But the weather was perfect, no wind, no clouds and everything was confirmed for 4:00 a.m. A quick nap and we were transported to one of the valleys around Goreme where several balloons were getting ready to take off.

A few hours later, before sunrise, we soared above Göreme’s otherworldly landscape. Balloons inflated like lanterns against the dark sky, lifting us gently over tufa spires and hidden valleys. As dawn broke, the fairy chimneys took shape in warm hues, and the sweeping panorama felt suspended between earth and sky.

The scenery

From the ground

Watching the balloons from the ground (on the magnificent terrace @ Grand Cappadocia Hotel) was a different spectacle. The sunrise at the rock formations and hundreds of balloons quietly wondering trough the air, in silence.

Sunrise Spectacle from the Terrace

Back on solid ground, we retreated to the hotel’s terrace for a second performance. Hundreds of balloons drifted quietly across the horizon, their vibrant colors mirrored in the newly lit rock formations. From this vantage, each sunrise felt like an unveiling—revealing centuries of geological artistry under a silent, golden glow.

Göreme

It is not known when Göreme was first inhabited, but it is known that there was a settlement there during the Hittite era, between 1800 and 1200 BC. For many centuries, the location was central between rival empires, such as the Hurri-Mitanni, Hittite Empire, Middle Assyrian Empire, Neo Assyrian Empire, Persian Achaemenid Empire and the Greek Seleucid Empire, leading the natives to tunnel into the rock to escape the political turmoil. During the Roman era, the area became home to Christians retreating from Rome. Christianity prevailed as the primary religion in the region, which is evident from many rock churches that can still be seen today. In modern times, Göreme is most well known for tourism offerings, such as hot air balloon rides, ATV rentals and tours, and guided regional tour buses. The town is also known for its open-air museum.

A Tapestry of Civilizations

Cappadocia’s history is carved into its cliffs. Archaeological evidence traces settlement back to the Hittite era, when rival empires drove locals to tunnel into soft rock for shelter. Over millennia, Christians etched chapels and frescoes within these caves, leaving a mosaic of belief and refuge that survives in Göreme’s rock-cut churches today.

Goreme Open Air Museum

Valley Adventure on ATV

In the afternoon, we swapped baskets for helmets and mounted ATVs to explore hidden gullies. Engines hummed through Rose and Red Valleys, skirting pillars shaped by wind and water. Each twist revealed new clusters of fairy chimneys, and the tactile thrill of off-road trails connected us intimately with Cappadocia’s raw, sculpted terrain. Riding the valleys on a ATV was the best option to discover the fairy chimneys on the Cappadocia Valleys. Valley Adventure on ATV