The Sky Adorned By Hot Air Balloons In Cappadocia

The one that we will describe next is a region that is located in the center of a volcanic area in Anatolia, Turkey. This place is one of the best known, visited and photographed in the country, since the famous fairy chimneys and hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia give amazing views that will make anyone fall in love.

Cappadocia is a place full of charm, thanks to the rock formations that, whimsically, have acquired very particular forms. In addition, it is a region full of beautiful monasteries, mosques and houses. In fact, its natural and cultural importance have placed it as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get to know this fantastic site!

The lovely fairy chimneys

Before going on to tell you about the incredible adventure of flying in a hot air balloon, you should know why it is so magical to fly over this region, since it does not present views like anywhere else.

As we said, Cappadocia is located in a volcanic region. Volcanoes, wind, rain and ice for millions of years have shaped this region, which encompasses part of Kayseri, Aksaray, Niğde and Nevşehir provinces.

The “fairy chimneys” – as their inhabitants began to name them – are rock formations that arose as the landscape eroded. The basalt stones remained, and this is how these conical structures were formed, some of which measure up to 45 meters.

Likewise, it is surprising to know that the hand of man has also added charm to the rocks, since they have excavated many of them and built houses, churches and more than 250 underground cities.

The mythical legend of fairy chimneys

If you are going to fly over these magnificent formations, you must know a legend about them. It is said that in Cappadocia fairies and humans coexisted in the same place, but they did not intersect, they did not interact. One day, one of the fairies fell in love with a man, something that was not supposed to happen.

The fairy queen, shocked by what happened, turned all the men into rocks shaped like chimneys. For his part, he turned the fairies into pigeons, and for this reason there are many pigeons flying around the chimneys. Without a doubt, it is a beautiful and poetic story about this land full of charm.

The sky covered by hot air balloons in Cappadocia

Observing the geological formations sculpted by nature in Cappadocia is amazing from any point of view. However, the experience becomes more adventurous and incredible if you fly in the famous hot air balloons that, together with the sky and the formations, turn into a beautiful postcard scene.

Brief history of hot air balloons in Cappadocia

The French Montgolfier brothers had a paper factory. One day they designed and made a new model that was a mix of paper and silk. When it began to burn, they noticed that the bits and ashes were beginning to rise. They deduced then that if they could capture the air that raised the paper, the man could fly.

Said and done, they set about accomplishing this and became known as the creators of the hot air balloon. However, there was already some background to the principle of hot air lift.

Cappadocia invested heavily to become the hot air balloon hub in Turkey. Today, it attracts and is home to more than 450,000 tourists, making this region number one in activity. Hot air balloons were not born in Turkey, and yet this country has known how to take advantage of the most colorful aerial vehicles to decorate its sky.

What you need to know about hot air balloon rides in Cappadocia

If you go to Cappadocia, you cannot miss the experience of taking a hot air balloon ride. As the balloon rises, the excitement and adrenaline do as well. Hundreds of meters away, the ocher tones of the eroded rocks provide fantastic views. At the top, the sky is filled with the joyful colors that these contribute.

Osman, one of the Kapádokya Balloons pilots, told National Geographic magazine that it is necessary to book well in advance – ideally, a few weeks before. During winter, a few days in advance is enough, since the season is low; this means that there is little demand.

More than 20 companies are those that offer these flight services, of which the vast majority —or it could be said that even all of them— pick up tourists at their hotels. In the center of the valley is Göreme, the city from which hot air balloon flights depart.

Osman goes on to report that the flights take just over an hour and are around $200 per person. The balloons can hold up to 20 people and rise hundreds of meters. Some can even go up to 1000 meters.

The extra touch of “magic” occurs because of the time the flights depart. The ascent of the balloon still begins at night, almost an hour before dawn. When the dawn breaks, they begin to rise and you can see the reddish tones  with which the beautiful natural formations and buildings are stained. In addition, dozens of balloons rise at the same time.

An incredible flight

Flying through the skies of Cappadocia is truly fascinating. Even at night, you can get on the balloon basket to wait with all the excitement for the ascent at sunrise.

In Cappadocia everything is incredible: ballooning, sunrise and incredible views of the unique rock formations, along with the incredible constructions of houses, mosques and monasteries. Go to this beautiful place in Turkey and have the exceptional experience of seeing a sky adorned by hot air balloons.