The Hassa lava tube caves are a natural monument covering 1,189 hectares at the Koruhöyük locality in the Hassa district of Hatay — an unusually large area for a natural monument. The name describes what formed them: tubes left as volcanic lava cooled over time. Three large caves lie within the area along with a great many smaller ones.
The plants recorded here are pitch trefoil, kermes oak, a thyme, fern grass, timothy and a fescue. Among the animals are the spur-thighed tortoise and lizards including Chernov's skink.
The site is 8 kilometres from the centre of Hassa and 87 from Antakya, and is reached by private vehicle.
- Designated
- 26.09.2019
When to go
- Climate
- Across Hatay as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 8.1 °C in January to 27.9 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May, June and October; rainfall is heaviest in January (197 mm) and lightest in July (16 mm). Long-term means for 1940-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
