I guarantee you will never have stayed anywhere quite like Argos in Cappadocia. The result of a huge restoration project of a thousand-year-old monastery, the luxury resort sits in a magical landscape of fairy chimneys; hot air balloons floating peacefully in the sky.
Occupied by the Hittites, Romans and Byzantines, Cappadocia’s fantastical landscape was created by a series of volcanic explosions. The volcanic ash formed soft tuff rock, eroded by the elements over time into serpentine valleys and dramatic rock spires that rise like an enchanted castle from the flat Anatolian plain.
For centuries the Cappadocians chiselled homes out of the tuff, creating comfortable cave dwellings, with the stone keeping rooms cool in summer, warm in winter. In the Middle Ages, Byzantine Christians took refuge in the region, building cave churches, chapels and monasteries, decorated with colourful frescoes. Visit Göreme National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to see the best examples.
Rock on
While the region is known for its cave hotels, Argos in Cappadocia offers more than a taste of underground living. Opened in 2010, the resort is built on the former site of a Byzantine monastery and set around an entire village, with winding cobbled streets, caves, a network of tunnels and historical houses. Each one of the 71 rooms and suites is unique.
Decor in the stone rooms features natural tones and textures, creating an atmosphere of calm, with locally woven rugs and wall hangings adding splashes of earthy colour. It’s a perfect blend of traditional and contemporary style that’s echoed throughout the resort; from the relaxing spa and outdoor pool to the pretty terraced gardens dotted throughout the village.
Turkish delight
Organic vegetable gardens planted on the terraces supply the resort’s two restaurants, Seki and Nahita. Their hyper-local, farm-to-table menus feature ingredients sourced directly from local farmers and producers, for a real taste of Turkey.
Dishes at Nahita showcase local Anatolian cuisine, including – my favourite – traditional manti, Turkish dumplings stuffed with lamb, served with rich chick pea sauce and garlicky yogurt. Nevşehir tava is a rich beef stew, with garlic and peppers, cooked over a wood fire. Save space for the apple and olive oil baklava for dessert.
Credit: Courtesy of JVPR
Seki’s menu features more international dishes; think salmon ceviche, grilled seabass with gorgonzola sauce and chocolate souffle. Though its Turkish options are more tantalising. They include antep fistikli rafik, a moreish dip of aged feta, goat’s curd and pistachio, and testi kebab, a tasty Cappadocian speciality featuring small chunks of meat cooked in a clay pot.
On the wine trail
Wine lovers may be more interested in what lies beneath Seki however… The network of tunnels and caves below the restaurant has been converted into the resort’s atmospheric wine cellar. With space for up to 75,000 bottles of wine, it’s the largest wine cellar in Turkey.
Take one of the regular tours through sections of the 5.5km trail of tunnels and you’ll spot the archaeological evidence of early winemaking, an olive press and the clay amphoras used for storage. Indeed the Anatolian region of central Turkey has a long association with wine. Evidence of grape-growing and winemaking here dates back 7,000 years.
There’s also evidence that wine played a key role in Anatolia’s ancient Hittite empire (1650-1200 BCE), both in ritual ceremonies and in everyday life. Archaeologists have discovered cuneiform tablets showing that the Hittites even had specific words for different types of wine.
A taste of Anatolia – and beyond
To experience the different types of wine being made in Anatolia today, book in for a tasting in the cellar, featuring local bottles from the resort’s own Argos winery. Native Anatolian varieties such as Kalecik Karasi, Boğazkere, Emir and Narince are planted at 900-1,300m in the Gülşehir and Sofular vineyards, alongside international grapes such as Chardonnay and Shiraz.
The volcanic soils lend these wines a characteristic minerality. Highlights of my tasting included the fresh, citrus Nahita Dokya Emir 2022 – featuring the region’s signature white grape, Emir – and light red Nahita Dokya Kalecik Karasi 2021, packed with vibrant cherry and pomegranate fruit. Tours to the winery can also be arranged if you’d like to taste in situ among the vines.
But oenophiles will also enjoy exploring the wide selection of cuvees stored in that huge cellar; numbering a mighty 22,000 bottles on my visit last year!
The wine list at Nahita features a comprehensive choice of Turkish wines, as you’d expect, alongside a rollcall of famous international names. From Château Margaux and Louis Latour to Gaja and Antinori, Guigal and Dr Loosen, via Cloudy Bay and Opus One. Enjoy a memorable glass on the terrace at sunset, as the tuff rocks of Pigeon Valley below glow pink, orange and red in the setting sun.
What to do
Aside from wine, there’s plenty to do here, including local culinary tours and cooking classes, bike trails, horseriding, sunrise yoga and mystical full moon walks. But Cappadocia’s calling card is its hot air balloons, which offer an aerial view of the striking rock formations, peaks and valleys below.
Indeed Cappadocia is one of the most popular destinations on the planet for hot air ballooning. The resort can organise private or group balloon rides; which take off from the bottom of the valleys just before sunrise and float across the landscape.
Even if you aren’t keen to jump on board, get up at sunrise, wrap up warm and go outside to watch hundreds of balloons fill the sky. It’s an unforgettable sight that sums up the appeal of this unique corner of the world.
Standard room rates start from €335 a night. For further details, see the hotel’s website.
Credit: Courtesy of JVPR
How to get there:
Connecting flights to Cappadocia depart regularly from Istanbul. The stylish Vakko Hotel & Residence, in the fashion district of Istanbul, makes a great twin-stay with Argos in Cappaocia to experience the vibrant Turkish capital. Double rooms from €600.
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