Meskendir Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys of Cappadocia that is situated between Ortahisar and Goreme Open Air Museum. After a pleasant hike, the museum can be visited which is at a pretty close walking distance. The recommended you to follow the path starting from the Kaya Camping and follow the route by keeping the stone wall of the camping area on your left, walk to the end of the wall, then turn right.
Walking the Meskendir Valley
Meskendir is one of the longer valleys of central Cappadocia and its path runs north from near the Göreme Open Air Museum towards Çavuşin, with branches into the Red and Rose Valleys. Along the way you pass through a few short tunnels cut into the rock, and you see old dovecotes, small rock-cut chapels and the orchards and vineyards that the villagers still cultivate in the valley floor.
The walk is easy to moderate and takes about two to three hours, depending on your pace and how many stops you make for photographs. In spring the valley is full of wild flowers, and in autumn the vineyards and the poplars turn golden.
Tips for your visit
The paths of the valleys cross each other, and the signs are not always clear, so we recommend walking with a local guide, who knows the shortcuts and the hidden chapels. Your driver can wait for you at Çavuşin, where the old village and the Church of St. John the Baptist make a nice end to the walk. See our hiking in Cappadocia for ideas.
Cappadocia in winter, from the air
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