Yalova

About Yalova

Yalova is a spa and holiday destination in the Marmara Region, known for the Termal and Armutlu thermal springs, parks and museums. From central Istanbul it is about 91 km and roughly 83 minutes by road (routing estimate), or reachable by İDO sea routes.

Yalova is a spa and holiday destination in the Marmara Region. GoTürkiye presents it as a place for relaxation, says its first settlements date to the 2000s BCE with Hittite, Roman and Ottoman civilizations based there, and describes it as a spa centre with about 2,000 years of history.

Thermal springs are a prominent part of GoTürkiye's Yalova coverage. The Termal hot springs are in the centre of the Termal district, where the bathing complex has four traditional hammams — Valide, Kurşunlu, Kral and Açık — and GoTürkiye suggests soaking between 9 and 12 for the quieter hours. The Termal Atatürk Mansion, a two-floor all-wood building put up in 38 days, is now a museum. The Armutlu springs, with water between 57 and 73 degrees Celsius, lie closer to the sea.

In and around the town, GoTürkiye lists the Yürüyen Köşk, built in 1929 for Atatürk and moved 4.80 m on rails in 1930 to spare a plane tree; the Karaca Arboretum, 13.5 hectares with about 7 thousand plant species and described as Türkiye's first private arboretum; the Byzantine-era Kara Kilise on the Çiftlikköy coast; and the İbrahim Müteferrika Paper Museum. The Yalova Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism adds the Sudüşen Waterfall, the Erikli twin waterfall, Dipsiz Göl, the Delmece plateau and the Çınarlı Hıyaban, also called Çınarlı Yol for walks. For food, GoTürkiye's one-day itinerary names Yalova köfte and Yalova sütlüsü.

From central Istanbul the road is about 91 km and roughly 83 minutes by the routing estimate. İDO runs sea routes between Istanbul and Yalova, and its Eskihisar–Topçular car ferry crosses the Gulf of İzmit; check the operator for timetables and vehicle rules. A private transfer links an address in Istanbul with an address in Yalova, Termal or Armutlu in one vehicle.

Region

Marmara Region

From central Istanbul

About 91 km, roughly 83 minutes by road (routing estimate)

Thermal areas

Termal (four traditional hammams) and Armutlu (springs of 57–73 °C, per GoTürkiye)

Sea connections

İDO: Yenikapı–Yalova and Pendik–Yalova; Eskihisar–Topçular car ferry across the Gulf of İzmit

Heritage

Yürüyen Köşk (1929), Termal Atatürk Mansion, Kara Kilise, Hersekzade Ahmed Pasha Mosque

Nature

Karaca Arboretum (13.5 ha), Sudüşen and Erikli waterfalls, Dipsiz Göl, Delmece plateau

Local tastes

Yalova köfte, Yalova sütlüsü, aronya jam (GoTürkiye)

• Istanbul to Yalova: Ferry, Road or Private Transfer — and What to See