The Ilıca spa is 45 kilometres from the centre of Kahramanmaraş: leave the Kahramanmaraş-Ankara road near Fırnız and continue 20 kilometres inland, part of the surfaced road following the shore of the Menzelet dam.
The springs have been in use for centuries and served various civilisations; bridges, fountains and other historic remains stand around them. Besides the geothermal water, the district is known for local dishes — the Ilıca tava and the kinds of must called sira. It fills with visitors in summer, and people who want quiet come in winter for the hot water.
When to go
- Climate
- Across Kahramanmaraş as a whole, monthly mean temperatures run from 4.9 °C in January to 28.5 °C in August; the mean stays between 15 and 25 °C in April, May, June, September and October; rainfall is heaviest in December (131 mm) and lightest in August (2 mm). Long-term means for 1930-2025 from the Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM).
