Uzungöl Hammam Guide: Planning a Hammam, Sauna and Massage at Your Hotel

Is there a hotel hammam in Uzungöl, and how does the season work?

Yes, there is a Turkish bath inside a hotel in Uzungöl: Beatus Spa's Flora Uzungöl location is inside the Flora Uzungöl Resort Hotel in Çaykara. It differs from our other locations in one way: it works seasonally, not all year.

In practice, this means every location except Flora is open all year, while the Uzungöl location serves guests only during the season. It is currently outside the season and closed. Because no firm reopening date has been given, we don't give one in this article. Before you plan, check the current situation on the Flora Uzungöl location page or by calling the spa. Opening hours are on the same page.

If you find yourself in Uzungöl while it's closed, you have two options. The first is to stop at our location inside the Radisson Blu Hotel Trabzon in Boztepe, near the city centre, on the way back; that location is open all year. The second is to leave the hammam plan for next season and enjoy Uzungöl as a day out only. We have a detailed article on the sightseeing side, linked below.

In which order do you use the hammam, sauna and steam room here?

The general etiquette is to raise the heat gradually: a shower first, then the warm or humid area, and the hottest area last. Because the location has a Turkish bath, a sauna and a steam room together, you can set the order to your own rhythm.

Hammam layouts vary from hotel to hotel. At the Flora Uzungöl location we have no firm information on whether the hammam is separate for women and men or a single one, or how it is run, so we don't state it here. Ask the spa when you book.

It helps to tell the three hot areas apart:

• A Turkish bath (hammam) is a wet-heat area with a heated marble surface, a kurna and steamy air, where washing with a scrub and foam is traditionally done. Traditional hammams have separate sections: a cool room, a warm room and a hot room. When it describes the 16th-century Eskipazar Büyük Hamam, the Ordu Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism also writes that it has "three sections: cold, warm and hot".
• A sauna is a dry, high-temperature, wood-lined cabin.
• A steam room is an enclosed room at a lower temperature, but with almost entirely humid air.

If you'd like to see the differences in detail, read our sauna vs steam room vs hammam guide. For the meaning of the words, our Turkish bath glossary helps.

An example visit

For an evening after a walk, a sensible order might be:

1. Arrival and chat. Give your appointment at reception and take your bathrobe, slippers and towel. If you have a health condition, tell your massage specialist before the session.
2. Shower. If you've come in cold and damp from outside, take a warm shower first and give your body a few minutes to adjust.
3. Steam room or sauna. Keep it short. Harvard Health Publishing suggests staying in a sauna for no more than 15 to 20 minutes and avoiding alcohol before and after.
4. Cooling down and water. Cool down slowly afterwards and drink water. The same source reminds you to drink water after each sauna.
5. Hammam. Wait a few minutes in the hammam to warm up; if you've chosen the scrub and foam ritual, it's done with an attendant. We explain how the scrub and foam massage works in a separate article.
6. Massage. A massage after the hammam is a way of closing the day slowly.
7. Rest. Wrap up in a peştemal (a thin cotton wrap) or bathrobe and rest. Don't step straight out into the cold.

You don't have to do every step. Only the hammam, only a massage or only the steam room is a complete visit in itself.

What are the indoor pool and the VIP room?

The Flora Uzungöl location has an indoor pool and a VIP room with a jacuzzi. An indoor pool is under a roof and can be used whatever the weather; in Uzungöl, that matters on rainy and cool days. We have no firm information on the pool's size, depth or water temperature, so we don't state them.

The VIP room at the Uzungöl location has a jacuzzi. We have no firm information on its capacity, what else it contains or how to reserve it; ask the spa when you book.

For the general rules of using a pool (showers, caps, swimwear, children), read our hotel pool etiquette guide; we don't repeat them here. The location also has a gym for cardio and strength work.

How do you use a hotel spa in cool, damp weather?

Uzungöl's weather is often cool and damp, and on such days a hotel spa fits the plan well. The Trabzon Governorship says that, thanks to abundant rainfall and a relatively mild climate, the region where Uzungöl lies stays green in every season.

That climate information has three practical consequences:

• Don't arrive in wet clothes. If you've been walking in the rain, changing your top and drying your shoes before you enter the spa is good for you and for the order of the wet area.
• Don't switch between hot and cold suddenly. After the hammam or sauna, rest indoors instead of stepping straight out into the cool air.
• Drink water. After a long walk followed by hot areas, it's easy to forget fluid loss.

There is no health promise here; this is only a reminder about comfort and safety. Know your own limits with heat. If you're pregnant, have a health condition or are sensitive to heat, check with your doctor first and tell your specialist at the start of the session. Step out of the hot area the moment you don't feel well.

What should first-timers prepare, and what is provided?

At the location, a bathrobe, slippers, towel and single-use underwear are provided, so you only need to bring your own belongings. Bring your swimsuit if you're going to use the pool.

The International SPA Association (ISPA) suggests arriving about 30 minutes before your session so that check-in and getting ready aren't rushed. ISPA also says a robe is usually provided, what you wear under it is up to you, and the massage specialist uncovers only the area they are working on.

Things to keep in mind:

• Heavy food and alcohol. Avoid heavy meals and alcohol before the hammam and sauna.
• Valuables. Don't bring jewellery or valuables with you.
• Phone. Put it on silent; it isn't very useful in the hot areas anyway.
• Water bottle. Keep one with you for before and after your session.
• Clothing. You don't need special clothing for massage; we explain what to wear in our what to wear for a massage guide.

If it's your first spa visit, you'll find the general flow in our first-time hotel spa guide.

How do you choose a massage length and type?

Two questions decide it: how much time do you have, and how much pressure do you like? The menu on our massage page lists durations and descriptions. For example, the Relaxing Massage is 40 minutes with a slow rhythm and light pressure, the Deep Tissue Massage is 55 minutes with firm pressure, and the Targeted Massage is a 30-minute session that focuses on one area.

Not every option on the menu is offered at every location, so we suggest asking when you book which ones are offered at Uzungöl. This framework helps with choosing a length:

We can't promise anything general about choosing your massage specialist: preferences vary by location, so please call the spa.

How do you arrange a day so the spa comes after the walk?

If you want to fit sightseeing and the spa into one day in Uzungöl, the easiest way is to do the nature walk in the daytime and leave the spa for the evening. We don't repeat route and season details here; for those, see our Uzungöl travel guide.

Still, a few facts about the place, with sources. According to the Culture Portal, Uzungöl is 1,090 metres above sea level, 99 kilometres from Trabzon and 19 kilometres from the Çaykara district. The 12th Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (DKMP) says the Uzungöl Nature Park was declared in 1989 and covers 1,625 hectares. If you're going sightseeing in this area, it makes sense to check road conditions before you set out in the General Directorate of Highways' daily road conditions bulletin.

If you're thinking of coming in winter or early spring, our Trabzon and Uzungöl in winter guide will help, and for those planning the Black Sea line together, so will our Trabzon, Uzungöl and Ordu route.

How does Flora Uzungöl differ from the Trabzon and Ordu locations?

We have three locations on the Black Sea, and the clearest difference is how they operate: Uzungöl is seasonal, and the other two are open all year. The information in the table is based on the confirmed facilities of our locations; a blank means no information is available.

The season decides: if Uzungöl is the centre of your trip and the location is open, Flora is the closest choice. Out of season, or if you're based in the city centre, look at our Trabzon location. You can see all three together on our Black Sea spa page.

How do you book at the Uzungöl location?

Booking is by WhatsApp or phone; the call card at the top of the page shows the right location's number. We don't have an online booking system. When you book, it helps to say the day and time you'd like to come, how many of you there will be, and whether you want the hammam, a massage or both.

Because the location is closed out of season, ask first whether it is open. Age conditions for the hammam, massage and pool vary by location, so if you're coming with children, find that out in advance too. Rather than writing your health information on WhatsApp, tell your massage specialist when you arrive. For broader information, see our Turkish bath page.