Cappadocia by bike

I spent a weekend cycling in Kapadokya with Boostcamp Live, here how it went and my best advice to enjoy the region at its best

The collective imaginery of Cappadocia features two things: the fairy chimneys and the baloons, but Kapadokya is much more than that.

Nestled in central Turkey on a plateau over 1000 meters of altitude, Cappadocia is easily accessible by air from Istanbul with daily flights towards the two airports of Kayseri and Nevşehir. Something interesting you might want to know is that for international flights with Turkish Airlines until the end of the year you can carry your bike for free, this applies to all flights arriving to Antalya, Alanya, Adana, Kayseri and Nevşehir.

I had the chance to have a taste of Kapadokya fairiness thanks to Boostcamp Live, a growing cycling holiday concept that puts together riding and training with tourism and the chance to experience the land and its culture, taking care of all the organization and offering participants the opportunity to bound with other cycling addicts from around the globe.

Cycling in Cappadocia: a few tips and an itinerary to discover its most famous landmarks

I was standing in front of the amazing scenery of Göreme, waiting for some tourist buses to leave when I truly realized why bike is a great option to visit the Turkish region: it gives the opportunity to distance yourself enough from the classic tourist itineraries, whilst diving into the surroundings and appreciating them for real, breathing in the majestity of the land and going beyond the postcard settings.

Cappadocia is a mountain and windy region, that might need a bit of training to be appreciated on a bike. The main roads can be busy, but the tarmac is fresh and smooth, on the contrary secondary roads are almost empty, but the asphalt isn’t always great. Fatter tires and gravel bikes could be a great option, but I had no issue with my slim tires and road bike, at the end it comes to you and what you prefer. In general, the region is a cycling treasure waiting to be discovered, on Boostcamp Live Strava profile you can find some routes, such as this one. I designed a short itinerary putting together some of the rides I enjoyed, this will give you the chance to discover some of Cappadocia most famous spots while riding:

Cappadocia is a growing gravel grinders destination and I can totally get why, for further inspiration about it, you can keep an eye on Fat Pigeon social pages, they put out high quality work and being excellent gravel riders, they will be able to inspire your next rides in the area (but also in the rest of the globe).

In general Cappadocia is a very touristic destination, well organized to host the thousands of tourist traveling here for a Insta-friendly shot with the colorful baloons. The majesty of the landscape and the distinctive rock configurations make the trip a must-do one. Personally I had really high expectations and they were met and I consider this short trip as an “appetizer”, as I will definitely plan a longer stay to discover more of it.

What not to miss in Cappadocia:

• Zelve Open Air Museum, a Byzantine monastic retreat carved into the rock
• Uçhisar Castle, a mystic citadel standing on a rock spur and dominating Cappadocia from the top
• Göreme National Park, with its rocks sculpted by erosion that once hosted churches and underground cities
• Sculpture Park “Time And Space”, that is said to be the largest contemporary land art landscape in the world
• Kaymakli Underground City 

Where to stay and extra tips

Avanos, where I was based, is a good base camp to explore the area, the town has everything you need and a small but pretty old centre hosting small restaurants and wine tasting locations. When here, do not miss Güray Müze, an underground gallery with a small cafè and a workshop hosting pot artists, you can also buy their crafts at a very fair price in the dedicated shop.

My editing skills are very limited, but I want to give you a taste of Cappadocia roads as seen from my Garmin Varia™ RCT715, ready? Have a look at this:

About Boostcamp Live: riding bikes, discovering new places and making friends

As briefly metioned, the Boostcamp Live concept is a nice combination of riding, training, chilling and sightseeing. During the year, the organization puts together Camps in different locations, among them: Antalya, Marmaris and Cappadocia. From what I learned talking with the aficionados who already took part in several editions of the Boostcamps, some events are more performance-oriented, such as the one in Marmaris at the beginning of the season, some more chilling-oriented, like the one in Cappadocia, perfect way to end a long and busy season.

The organization takes care of everything: accomodation, bike route planning, assistance before, during and after the ride, post-ride recovery, but also chilling and fun. The only thing you have to worry about is showing up in the selected location. Rides are at the core of the Camp, around them activities for every taste, such as touristic tours, workshops on perfomance and training with experts and former pro riders, or even physiotherapy sessions.

You can find more information about the events here.

Given my very gipsy soul, I usually travel independently, taking care of the whole organization and getting lost on the bike. I must say that for once I enjoyed having everything ready and having the chance to rely on expert guides for the rides. The thing that hit me more was the strict connection among the participants, that take part to different Camps year over year and suggest me I wasn’t the only one enjoying the concept. I find Boostcamp Live a great chance to put some kilometers in the legs while discovering new exciting places and creating new connections, plus I want to take this chance to thank all the people I met during my stay, it was a pleasure getting to know so many dedicated cyclist and learning about the rising cycling scene in Turkey, I truly hope to see you again, in the meantime: happy riding!

Helpful links for your next trip:

• Go Türkiye website dedicated to cycling, with many itineraries and tips
• Boostcamp Live website, where you can find all the camps and information
• Go Turkiye website dedicated to Cappadocia, with useful info and routes to discover Cappadocia according to your available time