Balıklı Kaplıca

The springs at Kangal rise at around thirty-five degrees in a remote upland valley, and they contain two species of small cyprinid fish - the striker and the licker, in the local names - which have adapted to the warm mineral water and which feed on softened skin. People with psoriasis have come here since the mid-twentieth century for stays of several weeks, bathing daily while the fish remove scale from lesions, combined with the sun and the mineral water. It is the original site of the practice; the fish spa fad that spread worldwide in the 2000s derives from it and bears little resemblance to what happens here. There is a treatment centre with accommodation, and it operates more like a clinic than a resort. Whether it works is a medical question with a real but limited research literature, and anyone considering it for psoriasis should read that literature and consult a dermatologist rather than rely on the site's own claims.

What you actually see

• The thermal pools - warm mineral water with the fish in it.
• The feeding fish - small cyprinids working on the skin.
• The treatment centre - accommodation for multi-week stays.
• The upland valley - the remote setting at altitude.

When to go

Year-round; treatment courses are traditionally three weeks and booked ahead. Day visits are possible but are not what the place is for.

Honest expectations

This is a treatment site, not a novelty spa, and the sensation is strange. Medical claims should be checked against the clinical literature and a dermatologist - this page does not advise on treatment. It is remote, with limited facilities.

Nearby

Kangal town is the nearest service point; Sivas and its Seljuk medreses are two hours north.