Turkey (Cappadocia)

Turkey (Cappadocia) – What you should know

Cappadocia sits above 1,000 metres on the Anatolian plateau — and has nothing climatically in common with Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Summers are hot at 31°C but dry: July brings 6 mm across one rain day, with 12.6 hours of sunshine daily. Winters are harsh, at 5°C in January with night frost down to -4°C.

That winter is one of the region's attractions. Snow lying on the fairy chimneys and tuff formations of Göreme produces an image found nowhere else. The flip side: the famous balloon flights are cancelled in wind or poor visibility, and that happens more often in winter. Anyone coming for them should allow several days.

The best months are April to June and September to October at 18–27°C. September is especially dependable: 14 mm of rain, 10.3 hours of sunshine and comfortable temperatures for walking the Rose Valley and the Ihlara gorge. In high summer the morning hours are the only sensible time for longer routes, as the open terrain offers no shade.