Termal

The hot springs at TERMAL lie 12km southwest of Yalova, or just a dolmuş ride inland from Çınarcık, itself served by a summer sea-bus service from Istanbul. Although patronized by Byzantine and Roman emperors, Termal’s springs only became fashionable again in the 1890s, and most of the spa’s Ottoman belle époque buildings date from that era.

There are several separate bathing centres, of which the Kurşunlu Banyo in the central park  is the most popular. The water is supposedly beneficial for rheumatism and skin diseases, but temperatures reach 65°C, so the best time to take the plunge is in winter. Otherwise, there’s an open-air pool nearby at a more manageable 38°C.