Masalli Istisu

Istisu means hot water, and the springs above Masalli emerge at temperatures high enough to need mixing before anyone can sit in them. The valley has been used for bathing for a long time and now has a row of bathhouses, guesthouses and cafés along the river, mostly simple and mostly full of Azerbaijani families rather than foreign visitors. The water is sulphurous and the smell announces the place before the buildings do. The valley itself is wooded, cool and a genuine relief from the summer heat of the plain.

What you actually see

• The bathhouses - simple private and shared pools fed by the hot springs.
• The river valley - a wooded gorge with the water running through it, cool in summer.
• The cafés - riverside eating places built out over the water on platforms.
• The springs - the sources themselves, hot enough that the water is mixed before use.

When to go

April to October is the season, though the baths operate year-round and are most appealing in cool weather. Weekends and holidays fill the valley. The road up can be affected by rain.

Honest expectations

Facilities are basic and standards of cleanliness vary from one bathhouse to another; it is worth looking before paying. The sulphur smell is strong and stays on skin. There is no medical basis for the cures claimed locally.

Nearby

Masalli is half an hour down the valley, and Lankaran is south along the coast.