Kangal Balıklı Kaplıca

Kangal, Sivas Province, Turkey

Location: Kangal, Sivas Province, Turkey
Water type: radioactive
Temperature: 37 °C
pH: 7.3

Water profile

Thermicity

Neutral

37 °C

LowHigh

Soothing — neither hot nor cold, perfect balance.

Mineralisation

Bio-active

LowHigh

Rich in active gases or metals — a strong mineral character.

Buoyancy

Standard buoyancy

LowHigh

Soft water — natural, classic buoyancy.

RadonLithiumBicarbonates

Nestled in the Sivas Province at the heart of the Anatolian plateau, Kangal Balıklı Kaplıca is a thermal establishment of remarkable distinction in the Turkish spa landscape. Surrounded by rolling steppe hills, it draws visitors from across the country to its exceptional pools, where the water envelops the body at a gentle, comforting 37 °C.

The water, mildly radioactive with a balanced pH of 7.3, has an unusually silky quality against the skin. The site's worldwide renown derives from the natural presence of small Garra rufa fish that inhabit the pools and nibble softly at bathers' skin — an ancient sensory ritual that has been part of Anatolian bathing culture for centuries. Traditionally cherished for the deep relaxation it offers, the experience blends the soothing warmth of the thermal water with a living, wholly unique natural spectacle.

Insider tip — Kangal Balikli Kaplica is the original and most authentic fish spring facility at Kangal, where mildly radioactive water at a steady 37°C hosts dense colonies of Garra rufa and Cyprinion macrostomus fish that have coevolved with the spring chemistry over millennia. Separate indoor pools allow year-round bathing even during harsh Anatolian winters. The sensation of tiny fish attending to your skin is unlike any other spa experience — plan a minimum stay of several days to fully appreciate the ritual.

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