As the height of summer fever passes and the weather begins to cool, there’s no better time than now to relax and take part in a therapeutic mud bath at one of Turkey’s many popular yet secluded holiday destinations There is no time period.
Turkey is home to many historic and famous mud baths and hot spring spots that can easily be incorporated into your vacation or weekend getaway. Visit some of Turkey’s most stunning towns, accessible by boat, plane, train or car. There are historic medicinal mud baths where you can immerse yourself in the detoxifying and healing beauty treatments that have been common in the area since ancient times.
Turkey’s natural mud baths are made primarily from hot spring water rich in sulfur and minerals and are considered a skin rejuvenating medicine. When the mud dries, it has a tightening effect on the skin, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and stretch marks, and helps heal certain skin diseases. Mud baths are also thought to have benefits for rheumatism and joint diseases, and the whole experience of playing in the mud and lathering up in the mud can be both exhilarating and relaxing. there is.
Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra famously enjoyed Turkey’s many hot springs, and in fact her whirlwind love affair with Marc Antony was pleasantly marked by hot springs. The Roman general must have been well aware that soaking in sulfur hot springs and lathering in their mud was part of the Egyptian queen’s beauty regiment. He is also said to have gifted the queen with a hot spring named after her in Pamukkale, Denizli.
Pamukkale. (Shutterstock photo)
Get muddy at Cotton Castle
Pamukkale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Denizli, translates into “cotton castle” in Turkish and consists of a miraculous formation of horizontal white travertine saucer-shaped pools made from calcium and minerals from hot springs. Masu. Although Denizli is not on the coast, it is easily accessible by plane, car, bus, and even train. Although it takes longer to take the train, I was on the train with some friends as part of a tour around Turkey. An attractive sleeping car with windows that allows you to see all the towns you pass through will make your journey an equally interesting part of the adventure. Pamukkale has a number of bed and breakfasts located in town, with stunning views of the pool as a backdrop. The mud bath part of the tour takes place on the highly calcified terraces themselves, and you can see the mud-developed terraces as you walk along the designated path barefoot, which is required by conservation measures.
Also on the site of Pamukkale is the ancient spa city of Hierapolis, founded by the Romans in the 2nd century BC, with an amphitheater and impressively preserved columnar walls, as well as a vast thermal pool filled with ancient ruins. It features the famous “Cleopatra’s Ancient Pool”. A pillar of water given by Mark Anthony to the ruler of Egypt. For a walk alongside nature, head to Karahayut, a town less than 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of Pamukkale. The town acts as a miniature version of its historic neighbor, with its flat-lined travertine pools and miniature hot springs. , a mud bath, and a fish foot massage where small fish eat the dead tissue from your feet!
Ancient city of Hierapolis. (Shutterstock photo)
Mud baths and hot springs in Sultanie
The mud baths and hot springs of Sultaniye are located along Lake Koiseiz between the city of Koiseiz and Dalyan in Muğla province in southern Turkey, and are the most visited mud baths in the country, and are said to have been visited by the Queen of Egypt from time to time. It is being said. But as headlines report, the likes of Spain’s Crown Prince Felipe de Carlos, Sting, David Bowie, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Maxwell have bathed in the Sultanie’s mud and hot springs. In this case, Cleopatra is in good company. Today it would be a popular tourist destination.
The mud baths and hot springs of Sultanje, literally on the banks of Lake Köiseiz, are regularly visited by quaint ferries departing from Dalyan and Köiseiz. The connecting Iztuzu Beach is a popular nesting site for the Caretta Caretta, also known as the loggerhead sea turtle, so the boat is specially designed with a shallow bottom and a covered propeller. The sea connects to Lake Koiseiz through a maze of reeds that connects to a waterway that borders Dalyan. The hot springs and beaches are well serviced by the region’s unique ferry boats. In fact, the ferry ship is adorned with a sign that reads “Captain June Approved.” This refers to a famous British expatriate in his 90s who still lives in Dalyan. Decades ago, she and others rallied to protect beaches from development.
People enjoying a mud bath in Sultaniye. (Shutterstock Photo)
It can be reached by car via Ekinsiq, but arriving by boat offers a mystical view of the green dome with its hot springs. The mud bath is located in a huge outdoor pool that you can walk into. Once you’re covered in mud, lie on the edge of the lake and see if you can spot a giant turtle passing by. I know I did it! After the mud bath, head to the hot springs. Some of them serve as heated pools, both outside and inside the dome.
Gökçada salt lake
Gökçada Island in Turkey is the world’s first island to be named Cittaslo Slow City. The island has as much history as it does spectacular natural features, such as the salt lakes that lead to the Sea of Esherek. Esherek is adjacent to the beaches of Ayduncuk and Kefalos and is characterized by howling winds, making it a top destination in the country for windsurfing and kitesurfing.
The island is located in Turkey’s western Canakkale province and can be reached by boat from Canakkale city or Eceabat if you are driving from Istanbul. It includes the remains of a castle built during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, the flowing waterfalls of Marmaros, Turkey’s first underwater marine park, and the rock formations of Peinir Kayalkral, which resemble a block of cheese. It is the largest island in Türkiye with a coast length of 95 kilometers. The town itself shows a harmonious vestige of Greek and Turkish traditions, with a cuisine to match, plus the fact that the island’s agriculture is almost entirely organic.
View of Gökçada Island. (Shutterstock photo)
When it comes to mud, Gökçada’s mud baths are all natural. Go to the place where the salt lake meets the sea and let the mud soak into your skin as you lie on the beach and watch colorful kites and daredevil sails chase you. After feeling the breeze on the water, take a refreshing dip in the ocean to wash everything away.
