Which day of your Side holiday suits a hamam?

Early in the holiday: the simplest choice

A visit in the first days has two practical advantages. Your skin has not yet had days of strong sun, so nothing stands in the way of the kese scrub. And there are plenty of days left if something comes up: cancelling costs nothing up to 48 hours before, and if you would rather move the visit, tell us and we look at another day with you.

Online bookings start from tomorrow, so the earliest day you can pick on the site is the day after you book. For a visit today, ask us on WhatsApp — we will tell you honestly whether it can still be done, without promising anything.

Straight after a long flight

The day you land is rarely the best one. The whole outing takes about 2.5 to 3 hours door to door, with a sauna, a steam room and the heated marble, and the hamam is not recommended for anyone who does not cope well with heat. If you arrive tired, the first full day is the more comfortable choice.

Two rules from the hamam apply on any day, and they matter more after travelling: eat only lightly beforehand, and do not drink alcohol before the session.

The last day before you fly home

Ending the holiday with a hamam is an appealing idea, and it can work well. Pick the day before your flight rather than the departure day itself: your pickup time is set for your hotel and confirmed with you before the day, and you do not want it competing with an airport transfer.

Leaving it to the end of the holiday also gives you little room to move the visit if you fall ill, the weather changes your plans, or your skin is burnt. If that happens, tell us as early as you can.

A grey or rainy day

A hamam happens indoors, in the warmth, so a day that is no good for the beach is a natural time for it. The catch is timing: online bookings are for tomorrow onwards, so it works best when you can see the weather turning a day ahead. On the day itself, ask us on WhatsApp.

On a very hot day

Do not count on the hamam to cool you down. It is warm and humid, and the visit includes a sauna and a steam room. If you are sensitive to heat or humidity, the hamam is not recommended at all; and if you have already spent a long day in strong sun, a different day is the kinder choice for your skin and for you. If you are under a doctor's care or have high or low blood pressure, read who should ask a doctor first.

Sunburn and the kese

The American Academy of Dermatology advises against exfoliating skin that is sunburned or has open cuts or wounds — and the kese is a thorough exfoliation of the whole body. If you are burnt, move your visit, or at the very least tell the hamam before the scrub begins and say straight away if anything feels uncomfortable.

What about sun after a hamam? One small randomised trial scrubbed one side of the back of a dozen volunteers and then put them in the sun for half an hour; it found no measurable difference in redness or pain between the two sides. It is a single small study, not a guarantee, so keep using sun protection as you normally would.

Planning for two, or for the whole family

Sessions are mixed — men and women in the same session — so one booking covers a couple, a family or a group of friends, and you stay together the whole time. Children aged 4 to 10 pay the child price and under-4s go free; give the children's ages when you book so the right programme can be confirmed.

Would you rather have a private session? Message us on WhatsApp or use the contact form. It is arranged on request, not online, and we tell you its price when you ask.

Booking your day

Whichever day you choose, the Basic Hamam costs €20 per adult and includes the ride from your hotel and back, the sauna and steam room, the kese scrub, the soap foam and around 20 minutes of basic aromatic oil massage. Nothing is paid online. To get ready, see what to wear and bring, or check every hotel area we collect from.