Goreme Pathways

This circular ride from Goreme is a mid-level dirt road and easy singletrack tour that circumnavigates the imposing table top mountain of Boz Dagi. It is suitable for all, but nonetheless challenging. Leaving Goreme, the ride soon ascends onto a paved and then dirt road which heads north towards the small, historic village of Cavusin. Enjoying fleeting glimses down into Love Valley to the left, and Rose, Red and Kiliclar Valleys to the right, almost instantly we are enjoying the area’s very best views. Stopping in Cavusin to visit the impressive 5th century Church of St John the Baptist, we set off on a relatively flat, sandy dirt track via the incredible “fairy chimneys” of Pasabagi, to the dry, barren landscape of Devrent Valley. From here, a brief asphalt climb rewards us with an easy cruise downhill to the vibrant and youthful town of Urgup- where we enjoy a good restaurant lunch on the town square.
From Urgup we take a gently climbing dirt road up a delightful, shady valley that is awash with butterflies and wildflowers in the early season. We gain height relatively easily, and without too much excertion arrive at the Panoramic Viewpoint above Red Valley- to enjoy one of the region’s most fantastic landscapes. From our high point here, we descend on smooth, ever-narrowing and eventually very steep trails that bisect a spur separating Rose and Kiliclar valleys. The final section of the tour is on singletrack paths, but even first time mountain bikers will enjoy their smooth, undulating nature as we wonders back to Goreme via the stone stacks, rock-cut pigeon lofts and age-old churches of Swords Valley (Kiliclar). The end of a fairly challenging but hugely rewarding day!